Shorts from Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Lebanon, Palestine, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
Oct 2 & 3: Q&A with filmmakers
This short film program includes the following films:
Gate 3 to 14
Karen Abou Jaoudeh, Lebanon (7 min)
Following the Beirut disaster of August 2020, two filmmakers assist with search and rescue efforts.
If the Sun Drowned into an Ocean of Clouds
Wissam Charaf, France/Lebanon (20 min)
Along a waterfront construction site, a security guard must prevent passersby from accessing the seaside.
Bright White Light
Henna Välkky & Eesu Lehtola, Finland (14 min)
Five near-death experiences are recalled through audio interviews and experimental visuals.
Dark Matter
Leo Berkeley, Australia (11 min)
Now in the later stages of multiple sclerosis, the director ponders existence, disability, and quantum mechanics.
Explosions Near the Museum
Roman Khimei & Yarema Malashchuk, Ukraine (14 min)
The camera moves through the Kherson Museum of Local Lore, which held Southern Ukraine’s largest and oldest collection of antiquities until it was looted by Russian occupational forces in 2022.
Three Birds
Zarja Menart, Slovenia/Croatia (8 min)
A sad girl seeks guidance from a wise bird woman.
Losing Your Home
Emmanuel Rioux, Canada (20 min)
Two women battle eviction notices from their respective homes.
Palestine Islands
Nour Ben Salem & Julien Menanteau, France/Jordan (23 min)
Living as a refugee at Balata camp in the northern West Bank, Maha choreographs a scenario to fulfill the unrealized goal of Palestinian sovereignty for her ailing blind grandfather.
Supported by
Community Partner
Various
Various
2023-2024
Various with English subtitles
Self harm, dug & alcohol abuse
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
American Doctor
One of the most powerful documentaries of the year, this puts us smack in the open wound that is Gaza, filtered through the eyes of three American surgeons (of Palestinian, Jewish and Zoroastrian backgrounds) compelled to do their utmost to alleviate harm.
The Last Picture Shows
Rustin Thompson journeys into the American West on a search for traces of what was once a center of small-town life: the movie theater. Despite the struggles of recent times, he also discovers inspiring stories of hope and community.
All the Lovers in the Night
A lonely proofreader's isolated world begins to open through an unlikely friendship with a gentle physics teacher. Based on Mieko Kawakami's acclaimed novel, this luminous drama is a delicate meditation on loneliness, intimacy, and self-discovery.
Clarissa
Arie and Chuko Esiri’s Clarissa brings Mrs. Dalloway to present-day Lagos, with Sophie Okonedo playing the titular society hostess opposite David Oyelowo, Ayo Edebiri, and India Amarteifio in a Nigerian vision of class, privilege, and past lives.
Image: © Courtesy of Elevation Pictures