Short Film Programming
Best of the Island and Beyond
Friday April 3 at 1:00am (Canada, 125 minutes, English)
From a lonely Cyclops looking for a friend, to a young woman coming to terms with her traumatic past, the short films in this block celebrate original storytelling from Vancouver Island.
We also celebrate filmmakers from the rest of the country – including the story of a nightclub magician…who might be more than he seems.
Filmmakers in attendance! Stay after for a Q&A.
The Children Are Afraid
Canada
14:00 Minutes
Director: Thomas Hinse
Every year, Mylène, a teacher, faces challenges in her work. This year, it's little Axelle and her mother who are putting her through the wringer. Patience, firmness, and trust will guide the teacher in helping both the child and her mother feel secure.
Knots
Canada
15:00 Minutes
Director: Justin Lee
A weary sailor, now retired, gives CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) a half-hearted try. But as she restores her neglected sailboat, she's forced to confront the dreams of her younger self, the husband she lost, and their final moments as a couple that lead to tragedy at sea.
The Magician
Canada
18:22 Minutes
Director: Mathieu Gauvreau
A magician must save the struggling venue he works in. As he secretly possesses real magical powers, he must choose between following his passion for sleight of hands or the cheap thrills of his powers.
Oob: The Last Cyclops
Canada
5:00 Minutes
Director: Emily-Anne Fraser
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind." A spectacle of our differences, this film examines how we treat people that don't look like ourselves. A heartbreaking tale of unexpected friendships and intolerance; some beings are too precious for this earth.
Enzo My Familiar
Canada
2:45 Minutes
Director: Chris Vautour
Shot on Super 8, this grainy love story drifts through mystical veils on the rocky shores of Vancouver Island, where a witchy Gen-X butch lesbian and her aging dog, Enzo, share sacred space—an intimate meditation on devotion, grief and the quiet magic of witnessing a beloved companion’s final seasons.
Last Night Together
Canada
15:00 Minutes
Director: Tammy Tsang
Beneath the quiet rituals and playful banter of a seemingly ordinary evening, a long-term couple face uncertainty and "the talk" neither is ready to have.
Notes From a Poet
Canada
10:00 Minutes
Director: Simon Garez
After discovering an elusive inscription in a library book, a restless dreamer embarks on a quest to unlock its meaning.
Spark Bird
Canada
14:51 Minutes
Director: Ella Privet
Information coming soon!
The Ballad of Sloth Shot
Canada
19:51 Minutes
Director: Simon Rasmussen
A sharp-shooting cowgirl’s quiet life is shattered when an injured time traveller collapses in her barn. Struggling to help him, she finds herself alone against a villain from the future intent on destroying her town.