VIFF Kids Club Shorts

New this year comes this heartwarming and eye-opening collection of shorts for all ages. Where do filmmakers find their stories? This program of Canadian and international shorts was specially selected for audiences young and old alike. Each short was selected for its visual style and heartfelt storytelling, often exploring teachings, experiences, and relationships between friends, family, and across generations. Some have dialogue with subtitles, some have no dialogue, but all are enjoyable even for younger children who may not yet be reading. Charming, funny, and at times beautifully filmed, these shorts take viewers from powwows in North America to the rivers of Ethiopia, to a toy store in China, on a galactic adventure set in a world of pigs, and beyond. Together they offer a memorable collection for the next generation of filmmakers and VIFF audiences.

This short film program includes the following films:

Cardboard
Jean-Philippe Vine, UK, No Dialogue (10 min)

When an overwhelmed single-dad pig moves his piglets into a rundown trailer park, he fears he’s failed his family. But soon his kids create a wildly imaginative game from a simple cardboard box, and Dad has a choice: to dwell on the past, or join them on their intergalactic adventure.

Nuuhkuum uumichiwaapim (My Grandmother’s Tipi)
Lindsay Chewanish, Canada, No Dialogue (5 min)

Nuuhkuum uumichiwaapim is an exploration of the sensorial and textural experience of a grandmother’s tipi, including the preparation of fried fish and bread over a fire. It is based on memories of being in a tipi, observing the bliss of family cooking, and the time in-between.

Dundun
Bin Wang, China, Chinese (15 min)

In an old toy store that is going out of business, two purple dolls try very hard to dress themselves up in order to be bought, but in the end they are still thrown into the waste bin. But all hope is not lost…

Wednesdays with Gramps
Chris Copeland & Justin Copeland, USA, No Dialogue (9 min)

When a teenage boy visits his grandfather at a seemingly mundane assisted living facility, he comes to find that they have much more in common than he thought. Wednesdays with Gramps is a story about connection, communication, and commonality, without saying a word.

Pow!
Joey Clift, USA, English (9 min)

Pow! is a heartfelt tribute to the director’s Tulalip community through the comedic journey of young Jake, trying to charge his video game console at a bustling community powwow.

Content considerations: brief, subtle reference to residential schools mentioned by the child’s grandmother.

The River
Herrana Addisu, USA, Amharic (17 min)

The River is a poetic and beautiful short film that pays homage to culture and the experiences of girls and women as they relate to education, marriage, and the life-giving properties of water. Exploring these themes in the context of Ethiopia, this artfully crafted film draws inspiration from the director’s childhood home, Kebena.