Short Film Programming
Around the World
Saturday April 4 at 1:00am (International, 154 Minutes, English)
A tender portrait of finding love, even at the end of life. Two young boys who fight make-believe monsters…while real-life monsters lurk nearby. An ancient board game explodes into an animated treat for the senses.
These are some of the amazing short films we’ve found from across Canada and around the world. Sometimes the best things come in small packages.
Filmmakers in attendance! Stay after for a Q&A.
Don’t Be Rude
UK
13:14 Minutes
Director: Jessica Hof
Cassidy needs to keep her job, but selling solar panels door-to-door isn’t the easiest. When a seemingly harmless man invites her in, Cassidy puts politeness over a bad gut feeling. As the door locks behind her, Cassidy realises she’s got to think fast. Without being rude, obviously.
The Hermit
Canada
11:18 Minutes
Director: Leopoldo and Isadora Vieytes
An angry young man struggles with his place in society, his sobriety, and the forming of healthy relationships. In three separate vignettes, "The Hermit" is a peep hole into Miguel's helpless way of thinking, isolation, and its effects on his life and the ones around him.
Midnight Murangi
Canada
8:58 Minutes
Director: Ramiya Pushparajah
A downbeat Toronto-Tamil millennial finds her plan for a free-house is thwarted by her kooky Mom who is acting suspicious.
Pardesi
Canada
9:21 Minutes
Director: Mannat Dhillon
A South Asian immigrant navigates displacement, longing, and identity in an unfamiliar place. Caught between dreams and survival, she searches for belonging while carrying the weight of home, revealing the quiet emotional cost of building a life far from where you come from.
Take It Off
Canada
10:00 Minutes
Director: Sergio Tovar Uribe
Every time Milo puts on a mask, he is transported to a sunflower field. One day, he meets a mysterious girl named Janeth, and when she invites him to play, Milo must confront his greatest fear. Take it off, Janeth says.
Winners and Losers
Canada
13:09 Minutes
Director: Will Noble
Clark, a hyper-competitive high school nerd, plans the heist of an ultra-rare trading card with the help of former best friend Dan and wannabe criminal Isaac.
The Hand of God
South Korea
3:43 Minutes
Director: Jong In Shin
On a distant battlefield, soldiers fight to survive. In a quiet Seoul park, elderly men play janggi (Eastern chess)—each casual move decides a soldier's fate.
Last Resort
Switzerland
21:59 Minutes
Director: David Kramer
Terminally ill Paul Siegert travels to a secluded Swiss mountain resort for assisted suicide. Expecting solitude, he instead meets Martha, another guest scheduled to die the next day. A night of connection, recklessness, and honesty leads Paul to make a final, unexpected choice.
Our Monsters
Canada
8:34 Minutes
Director: Mia Mango
Two young boys, Daniel and Peter, team up to defeat the monster in Daniel's closet. When the mission goes south, Daniel discovers that not all monsters are easy to fight.
The Peculiar Sleeping Pattern of Edgar Heck
Canada
11:18 Minutes
Director: Jared Carney
Edgar has the weirdest sleep disorder you've never heard of. Is it all in his head or are there forces beyond his control?
Unfrayed
Canada
7:40 Minutes
Director: Michelle Muldoon
A woman on the run stumbles into a camp late in the dead of night desperate to find sanctuary, but instead, finds an unlikely ally.
The Dandelion Girl
Canada
18:38 Minutes
Director: Rogan Lovse
Mark, a middle-aged man encounters a young, mysterious woman, while staying at his cabin, who claims to be a time traveler from the future.