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
Various
Canada
2021-2022
Various with English subtitles
Animal Cruelty, Gender or Sexual Discrimination
Open to youth!
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check Out What's Playing at the VIFF Centre
Akashi
In Mayumi Yoshida’s tender drama, struggling artist Kana journeys to Tokyo to attend her grandmother’s funeral. While there, she reconnects with her childhood love and stumbles across a family secret that prompts her to reconsider her place in the world.
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
NAZA
NAZA is a codeword euphemistically used by Israeli intelligence to indicate the number of civilians it expects will be killed in an airstrike. This chilling documentary exposes the policy and process of state-sanctioned mass killings.
I Am Not a Witch
Rungano Nyoni's acclaimed debut feature is a visually striking satire about a 9-year-old orphan accused of witchcraft in contemporary Zambia. Screening in the latest African Cinema Now! series, The Witch at the Edge of the Screen.
Queen at Sea
An academic is pitted against her stepfather in a moral crisis over the care of her mother, who lives with dementia. Winner of the Silver Bear Jury Prize and Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at the 2026 Berlinale.
Image: © Seafaring


