Skip to main content
Horse Brothers film image

VIFF Short Forum: Program 3

This event has passed

The camera eye knows no bounds in these stories that push the limits of gravity and grace.

 

Q&A Oct 3 & Oct 5

 

This short film program includes the following films:

Tidal
Chloe Van Landschoot, NS (10 min)

Examining the cyclical nature of workplace trauma and the relentlessness of health care work, the daily grind of a bedside nurse is embodied through movement, rhythm, and dance.

 


Chasing Birds
Una Lorenzen, QC/Iceland (8 min)

A hand-drawn animation of parallel universes in which strangers, unaware of each other’s presence, share the use of a long table as their worlds gradually merge.

 


Paco
Kent Donguines, BC (15 min)

While keeping a secret from his family overseas, Paco struggles to uphold his responsibilities and aspirations.

 


Hills and Mountains
Salar Pashtoonyar, ON (8 min)

Filmed on location in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, an Afghan woman recalls how the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan led to her forced displacement and marriage.

 


Dhulpa
Kunsang Kyirong, BC (18 min)

Narrative and documentary elements are woven together to tell the stories of a Tibetan immigrant community working at a local laundry facility.

 


Square Peg
Christian Bunea, ON (8 min)

The countdown is on as a freshman international student tries to print their essay before heading in to an exam.

 


Horse Brothers
Milos Mitrovic, Fabian Velasco, MB (8 min)

A tale of sibling betrayal and revenge as told by a ranch horse (voiced by Guy Maddin).

 


Terror/Forming
Rylan Friday, BC (24 min)

Parker and his boyfriend Darren make a disturbing discovery on their way to Parker’s late kokum’s cabin, setting the stage for how the night will unfold.

 


 

Supported by

Community Broadcast Partner

Community Partner

Director

Various

Country of Origin

Canada

Year

2021-2022

Language

Various with English subtitles

Content Warning

Animal Cruelty, Gender or Sexual Discrimination

Open to youth!

99
Shorts

Book Tickets

This event has passed.

Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre

2026 Oscar® Shorts (Documentary)

Dir. Various
157 min

Don't come to the program of Oscar®-nominated documentary shorts for escapism. But let's talk about the Canadian contender, Perfectly a Strangeness, featuring an abandoned observatory and three donkeys. More of this, please.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes

Dir. Jenn Strom
82 min

A beautiful portrait of E.J. Hughes, who quietly helped reshape the artistic landscape of British Columbia in the 20th century. This extraordinary documentary explores Hughes’s legacy not only as an artist, but as a devoted, humble human being.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

Muzizi

Dir. Jamila Pomeroy
84 min

From the director of the award-winning film Union Street, Jamila Pomeroy, Muzizi embarks on a great culinary adventure through Vancouver’s African diasporic culinary scene. Muzizi explores powerful stories of immigration, resilience, and joy.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre

My Father's Shadow

Dir. Akinola Davies Jr.
94 min

Akojo Film Collective is proud to present My Father's Shadow, launching African Cinema Now into a new year of vibrant programming at the VIFF Centre. The BAFTA-nominated film follows two boys on an adventure with their father through the streets of Lagos.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Dir. David Borenstein & Pavel Talankin
90 min

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, and Special Jury Prize Winner, Sundance, 2025, this exposé shot by a Russian primary teacher shows how the Putin propaganda machine works to militarize children.

VIFF Centre - Lochmaddy Studio Theatre VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema

It Was Just an Accident

Dir. Jafar Panahi
105 min

Having offered some late-night assistance to a stranger in the wake of an auto accident, a mechanic grows convinced that he recognizes the supposed stranger’s voice as that of his torturer during a grueling prison spell.

VIFF Centre - VIFF Cinema