Shorts from Canada, Hong Kong, Estonia, India, Japan, Mexico, and Spain.
Oct 4 & 5: Q&A with filmmakers
This short film program includes the following films:
Discoteque
Masashi Yamamoto, USA (5 min)
Two friends embark on a galactic journey towards the disco ball moon.
Sauna Day
Anna Hints & Tushar Prakash, Estonia (13 min)
An intimate portrait of Southern Estonian men enjoying a smoke sauna together after a hard day of work.
The Widow’s Son Turns Storyteller
Shikher Pal, India (11 min)
In the city of Kanpur, fables emanate from an ancient mound.
Save My Soul
Kam Fai Leung, Hong Kong (15 min)
What transpires when a mute and a blind man cross paths…
Almost the Dust
Léa Soler, Mexico (22 min)
From the upper branches of a tree, a land defender on a hunger strike is visited by people from his village.
The Moving Garden
Inês Lima, Portugal (19 min)
A group of hikers embark on a guided tour of the Arrábida Natural Park but observe a disturbing transformation.
Retracing Their Steps
Manuel Orhy Piron, Canada (21 min)
Boxes from the Montreal Archive Center reveal forgotten tales from the queer community.
Supported by
Community Partner
Various
Various
2023-2024
Various with English subtitles
Self harm
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.