Where do filmmakers find their stories? This shorts program of Canadian and international shorts was specially selected for our Ignite High School series, where we invite thousands of students to come to VIFF each year to learn from inspiring new films and ideas. We are pleased to also offer a second special screening of Short Fuse for all audiences to experience this special series of eye-opening stories on screen. Each short was selected for their visual style and heartfelt storytelling, often exploring memories, experiences, and relationships between friends, family, and across generations. From garages to arcades, to powwows in North America, to the rivers of Ethiopia and beyond, memorable stories can be found everywhere. Stories of loss, connection, beauty, and resilience, these shorts offer unique approaches to storytelling on screen, showcasing compelling collection for the next generation.
Oct 12: Q&A
This short film program includes the following films:
Wednesdays with Gramps
Chris Copeland & Justin Copeland, USA (9 min)
When a teenage boy visits his grandfather at a mundane assisted living facility, he comes to find that they have much more in common than he thought. A story about connection, communication, and commonality across generations, without saying a word.
Pow!
Joseph Clift, USA (9 min)
This heartfelt tribute to the director’s Tulalip community follows the comedic antics of young Jake, trying to charge his video game console at a community powwow.
Content considerations: brief, subtle reference to residential schools mentioned by the child’s grandmother.
Ball Lightning
Trina Baker, USA, English (12 min)
Gusta was a refugee who fled East Germany and immigrated to the United States in the 1960s. This story is told through the eyes of the surrogate daughter that she raised after she was forced to give away her own infant daughter as the iron curtain rose.
Yves et Ses Bonsaïs
Ophelia Spinosa (14 min)
At 87-years-old, Yves maintains his joie de vivre surrounded by his 70+ bonsai trees. From a tree’s roots to its crown, we reflect on the beauty of life imitating art, death, and age, wrapped in Yves’ wit and humour.
Tiger
Loren Waters, USA (13 min)
In memory of legendary Muscogee Creek artist Jerome Tiger, Dana Tiger’s family started a booming art t-shirt printing business. For nearly 30 years, Dana has worked to revitalize the iconic Tiger t-shirt company to continue her family’s legacy.
The River
Herrana Addisu, USA (17 min)
A poetic and beautiful homage to culture and the experiences of girls and women in Ethiopia. This artfully crafted film draws inspiration from the director’s childhood home, Kebena.
Supported by
Community Partner
Various
Various
Various
Violence
Open to youth
Book Tickets
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Left-Handed Girl
Co-written and edited by Sean Baker (Anora), Shi-Ching Tsou's heartwarming solo feature debut follows a single mom in Taipei who is too consumed with her noodle stand to keep tabs on her five-year-old daughter's burgeoning shoplifting habit.
Measures for a Funeral
When a young academic discovers a personal link to Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow, she is compelled to dig deeper. Her investigations lead her on the trail of an elusive concerto, lost for over a century, but which she is determined to bring to light.
Jay Kelly
In Noah Baumbach's wise and witty comedy, George Clooney plays Jay Kelly, a world-famous movie star touring Europe with his friend and manager, Ron (Adam Sandler). Faced with nagging dissatisfaction, Jay starts to ask himself some tough questions.
He Ran All the Way
John Berry's gripping, poignant thriller stars John Garfield in his final film performance. He plays Nick Robey, a small-time hood on the run from a stick-up gone wrong. The last gasp of "Red" Hollywood, this fine film deserves to be better known.
Meadowlarks
Fifty years after being separated during the Sixties Scoop, four Cree siblings reunite for the first time on a long weekend trip to Banff. Tasha Hubbard’s sensitive drama relates an emotional and life-affirming story of kinship and belonging.