There is high drama a plenty in this program of short films where uncommon scenarios turn into transformative life and death experiences.
October 4 & 6: Q&A with the film teams
This short film program includes the following films:
Cuarto de Hora
Nemo Arancibia, Chile/France (15 min)
A woman passing by a serious car accident becomes a French translator for a young Haitian man as he is taken by ambulance to a hospital.
Confessions
Stephanie Kaznocha, USA (12 min)
After the death of a friend two elderly nuns contemplate what the future holds, prompting them to embark on a journey of self discovery.
Fairplay
Zoel Aeschbacher, Switzerland/France (18 min)
Three males from different generations engage in dangerous, competitive and high risk situations in search of recognition.
Big Bang
Carlos Segundo, Brazil (14 min)
In Uberlandia, Brazil, a dwarf earns his living fixing ovens, which he easily fits into thanks to his small size.
A Lien
Sam Cutler-Kreutz, David Cutler-Kreutz, USA (15 min)
On the day of their green card interview a young couple confronts a twisted and dangerous immigration process.
Solo un Ensayo
Hugo Sanz, Spain (9 min)
Two sisters are hiding inside a wardrobe in an empty room, the younger one thinks it’s a game but it soon becomes apparent that a serious threat has appeared outside.
Jeong-Dong
Choi Woo Gene, South Korea (24 min)
On returning to Seoul a man moves into a cheap rental floor of a big house, but soon he starts to have strange experiences so his friends come to help investigate.
Community Partner
Various
Various
2022-2023
International Shorts
Various with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
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.
Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story
Harlem-based photographer, freedom fighter and activist Kwame Brathwaite took 500,000 photos across his 70-year career, always devoted to celebrating the joy and beauty of African American life. Brathwaite pioneered the idea that Black is Beautiful.
Cutting Through Rocks
Winner of Sundance's World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize, Cutting Through Rocks follows Sara Shahverdi — motorcyclist, midwife, and first-ever councilwoman elected in her Iranian village. A vérité triumph by Sara Khaki & Mohammadreza Eyni.
A Poet
When embittered poet Oscar Restrepo takes a job at a local high school, he meets Yurlady, a talented student from a poor background. Seeking to help her cultivate her art, he draws her into the poetry world — to disastrous and comedic results.
All That's Left of You
Jordan's submission for the Academy Awards, All That's Left of You makes the most of its epic format to chronicle seven decades of Palestinian history while tracking the psychological impact of cycles of exile and oppression on three generations.
Spring After Spring
Three daughters strive to live up to the standards set by their mother Marie Mimi Ho, and keep Vancouver Chinatown's Spring Parade going through thick and thin, in this enormously affectionate local documentary by Jon Chiang.