Bouncing through nostalgic aesthetics and genre storytelling, a contemporary point of view comes into focus.
Q&A Oct 4 & Oct 6
This short film program includes the following films:
Red House
Barry Doupé, BC (3 min)
Created using the Amiga computer console and Deluxe Paint IV software, hand-drawn sequences undergo a continual metamorphosis of images, characters, and forms.
My Thoughts Exactly
Mike Archibald, BC (18 min)
Two strangers bring their love, frustration, and desire to the cruising trails within Stanley Park.
Tibi
Jarret Twoyoungmen, AB (14 min)
Using archival and self-shot footage, the teaching of Îethka culture is documented through the making of a tipi under supervision of knowledge keepers.
Framing the Self
Andrea Cristini, BC (12 min)
A heady but emphatic experiment whereby an animated character improvises in a cinematic vacuum through the direction of their creator.
Sexy Highland Stream
Nathan Adler, BC (5 min)
In appreciation of the eponymous stream, this poem is a love letter to the beauty found in nature. Written and spoken in English and Anishinaabemowin.
Late Summer
Ryan Steel, MB (12 min)
A young loner grows attached to his camp counsellor at a haunted summer camp.
The Ballad of Gus
Brian Barnhart, MB (16 min)
Encouraged by two father figures—one a drug dealer, the other an artist—Gus faces a pivotal moment in his life.
Rose
Roxann Whitebean, QC (25 min)
Set in the 1960s, Rose is an Indigenous teen in her last weeks of pregnancy. Pressured by a government agent to give up her baby for Canadian adoption upon delivery, Rose’s family do all they can to intervene—with the help of an unlikely ally.
Supported by
Community Broadcast Partner
Community Partner
Various
Canada
2021-2022
Various with English subtitles
Graphic Violence, Racial Discrimination
Open to youth!
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
2026 Oscar® Shorts (Documentary)
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.
The Painted Life of E.J. Hughes
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.
Muzizi
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.
My Father's Shadow
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.
Mr. Nobody Against Putin
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.


