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
La Bola Negra
A big, old-school historical melodrama gets a thrillingly modern, queer makeover from Spanish duo Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, who artfully juggle three gay protagonists across stories set in 1932, 1937, and 2017. Winner: Best Director, Cannes. Screening on 35mm.
The 39 Steps
In our new film studies series, FRAMEWORK, film scholar Michael van den Bos explores the work of Alfred Hitchcock, across four monochrome masterworks. This week: The 39 Steps (1935), a witty and fast-moving spy thriller from Hitchcock's English period.
The Great McGinty
Preston Sturges' first film as writer-director is an omnivorous satire on endemic political corruption, the tale of a tramp who gets his entry into politics by casting 37 votes for mayor at $2 a pop. Eventually he'll be on the ticket himself...
To Be Or Not To Be
Strange but true: one of the greatest comedies of Hollywood's golden era was inspired by Hitler's annexation of Poland in 1938. Jack Benny is the renowned theatre actor whose performance of Hamlet is interrupted by the Germans.
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.
The Mad Dog of Europe
The story of an unmade screenplay from the writer of Citizen Kane. In 1932, Herman Mankiewicz wrote a film that foretold the persecution of the Jews and the war in Europe. But Hollywood wouldn't take the risk and The Mad Dog of Europe was never made.