SHORT FILM PROGRAMME - Reel Canada
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SHORT FILM PROGRAMME
If you’d like to see some of the incredible short films produced in Canada, please check out our description of the Short Film Programme
on page 50, and contact us for advice and assistance.
IM Indigenous-made films (written, directed or produced by Indigenous artists)
Films produced by the National Film Board of Canada
NFB CLASSIC ANIMATIONS
BEGONE DULL CARE LA FAIM / HUNGER THE STREET
Norman McLaren, Evelyn Lambart Peter Foldès 1973 11 min. Caroline Leaf 1976 10 min.
1949 8 min. Rapidly dissolving images form a An award-winning adaptation of a
An innovative experimental film satire of self-indulgence in a world story by Canadian author Mordecai
consisting of abstract shapes and plagued by hunger. This Oscar- Richler about how families deal with
colours shifting in sync with jazz nominated film was among the first older relatives, and the emotions COSMIC ZOOM
music performed by the Oscar to use computer animation. surrounding a grandmother’s death.
Peterson Trio.
THE LOG DRIVER’S WALTZ THE SWEATER
THE BIG SNIT John Weldon 1979 3 min. Sheldon Cohen 1980 10 min.
Richard Condie 1985 10 min. The McGarrigle sisters sing along to Iconic author Roch Carrier narrates
A wonderfully wacky look at two the tale of a young girl who loves to a mortifying boyhood experience
conflicts — global nuclear war and a dance and chooses to marry a log in this animated adaptation of his
domestic quarrel — and how each is driver over more well-to-do suitors. beloved book The Hockey Sweater.
resolved. Nominated for an Oscar.
NEIGHBOURS VILLAGE OF IDIOTS
THE CAT CAME BACK Norman McLaren 1952 8 min. Eugene Fedorenko, Rose Newlove THE LOG DRIVER’S WALTZ
Cordell Barker 1988 7 min. This satirical anti-war parable uses 1999 13 min.
In this Oscar-nominated short, a live actors as stop-motion subjects Based on a Jewish folk tale, this
humorous song tells the silly tale of to tell the tale of a destructive feud hilarious film provides a fresh and
a man who just can’t get rid of an over a flower. A groundbreaking – irreverent take on our tendency to
unwanted cat. and Oscar-winning – short. romanticize what we don’t have.
COSMIC ZOOM THE SAND CASTLE WALKING
Eva Szasz 1968 8 min. Co Hoedeman 1977 13 min. Ryan Larkin 1968 5 min.
A visually stunning journey from the A man made of sand makes other An artist’s interpretation of the way
farthest point of the universe to the sand creatures in this inventive, people walk, using a variety THE SWEATER
tiniest particle of matter. Oscar-winning stop-motion film. of animation techniques.
CONTEMPORARY ANIMATION
ᑐᒃᑐᒥᑦ / TUKTUMIT IM AMAQQUT NUNAAT / IM AT THE QUINTE HOTEL
Ippiksaut Friesen (Inuk) 2014 4 min. THE COUNTRY OF WOLVES Bruce Alcock 2005 4 min.
This gorgeously rendered animation Neil Christopher, Louise Flaherty An animated version of Al Purdy’s
explores the way traditional hunting (Inuk) 2011 12 min. poem about a man drinking in a
in Nunavut has evolved to maintain its Two brothers are set adrift on ice floes basement pub. Narrated by The ᑐᒃᑐᒥᑦ / TUKTUMIT
vital role in contemporary Inuit culture. while hunting for seal. They soon find Tragically Hip’s Gord Downie.
IM themselves in the country of wolves,
ABORIGINALITY where all is not as it appears.
AWASKINAWASON / IM
Dominique Keller, Tom Jackson (Cree) CHILDREN OF EARTH
2007 5 min. ÂME NOIRE / BLACK SOUL Antony Dubé (Atikamekw) 2015
A young boy is transported Martine Chartrand 2000 10 min. 3 min.
through his television set to the A young boy traces his roots through Awaskinawason is made up of the
scene of a traditional hoop dance, the stories his grandmother shares Atikamekw words awacic (child), aski
encountering his family’s cultural with him in this exhilarating voyage (earth) and takonawason (having the
heritage in a new way. through the defining moments of responsibility for). A plea to respect ABORIGINALITY
black history. the great circle of life.
AL GHORBA
Alia Hijaab 2019 6 min. AND THAT’S REMARKABLE THE BASKETBALL GAME
Through a conversation with Linnea Ritland 2013 1 min. Hart Snider 2011 5 min.
her family back home, a Syrian “It’s remarkable how easily a human When nine-year-old Hart attends
immigrant in Canada expresses her spirit can be broken,” this punchy Jewish summer camp, his group
loneliness, and faces her mounting short about bullying laments. But, as must play an epic basketball game
fears about the future. the animation assures us, it’s just as against the students of a notorious
remarkable how it can be fixed. Holocaust denier. What awaits him
on the court? AL GHORBA
REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS 1
CONTEMPORARY ANIMATION continued
BAM THE END OF PINKY THE GUEST IM
Howie Shia 2015 6 min. Claire Blanchet 2013 8 min. Nick Rodgers (Anishinaabe)
In this modern adaptation of the story Johnny is out to kill his best friend, 2015 5 min.
of Hercules, a young boxer struggles Pinky, in this film noir adaptation of A trapper collects a mysterious
to negotiate between his shy, bookish a short story by acclaimed Canadian animal in the forest, but as he tries
BIIDAABAN nature and his divinely violent temper. author Heather O’Neill. to care for it, the beast quickly
becomes insatiable.
BIIDAABAN IM FIGHTING CHANCE IM
(THE DAWN COMES) Alexandra Lazarowich (Cree) HOLE
Amanda Strong (Michif) 2011 9 min. G. Goletski 2018 6 min.
2018 19 min. With a family history of residential The story of Mo, a young adult
In this dream-like animation, a schooling, 13-year-old Joey is put on the autism spectrum whose
young Anishinaabe artist comes into a group home, where he gets a daily routine is disrupted when a
to a suburban neighbourhood to chance to turn his life around. mysterious hole begins to follow
reclaim her ancestral tradition of sap them around.
harvesting. FLUX
BLIND VAYSHA Christopher Hinton 2002 7 min. HOW TO BE ALONE
BIRCHBARK IM A whimsical piece that plays with Andrea Dorfman 2010 6 min.
John Hupfield (Anishinaabe) 2008 both the significant and mundane Narrated by Tanya Davis to beautiful
4 min. events in the lives of a large family. hand-drawn illustrations by Dorfman,
Symbols of traditional knowledge Davis’s eloquent poem is full of
come alive and find themselves FOUR FACES OF THE MOON IM powerful truths. With over eight
inside the pages of a book. Amanda Strong (Michif) million views on YouTube, the film is
2016 13 min. an online sensation.
BLIND VAYSHA In this intricate and stunning
Theodore Ushev 2016 8 min. stop-motion animation, a young IF I WAS GOD…
BONE MOTHER A young girl’s left eye sees only the filmmaker travels back through time, Cordell Barker 2014 8 min.
past while her right sees only the encountering pivotal moments in her In this darkly whimsical animation
future. Haunted by what was and family’s history and strengthening her from two-time Oscar-nominee
threatened by what will be, Blind connections to her Métis, Cree and Cordell Barker, a student dissecting
Vaysha is cursed to be incapable of Anishinaabe ancestors. a frog in his biology class daydreams
living in the present. about omnipotent powers.
THE GIFT IM
BONE MOTHER Terril Calder (Métis) 2011 2 min. I HAVE SEEN THE FUTURE
This stop-motion tale captures the Cam Christiansen 2007 6 min.
Dale Hayward, Sylvie Trouvé
betrayal and deception of when An animated music video about a
2018 8 min.
smallpox-infected blankets were given father-son tennis game set on a hot
FOUR FACES OF THE MOON A traveller wanders deep into
summer day in the suburbs.
the forest to visit Baba Yaga, a by European settlers to Indigenous
mysterious woman who is said to populations as a deadly “gift.”
I’M SCARED TOO
possess the powers of life and death. Nadia Lakhdari, Caroline Lavergne
LE GOUFFRE / THE GULF
Carl Beauchemin, Thomas Chrétien, 2017 2 min.
DANCERS OF THE GRASS IM In the days following the attack on
Melanie Jackson (Métis/ David Forest 2015 10 min.
When two travellers undertake a Quebec City mosque, Lakhdari
Saulteaux) 2009 2 min.
to build a gigantic bridge that will and Lavergne sought out stories
Spectacular stop-motion animation
cross a gulf blocking their way, their from Quebecers of all walks of life,
breathes life into a traditional dance.
courage and determination inspire a revealing the same emotions that
THE GRANDFATHER DRUM THE DANISH POET nearby rural community. unite rather than divide us.
Torill Kove 2006 14 min.
In this Oscar-winning short, a young THE GRANDFATHER DRUM IM I MET THE WALRUS
woman tells the story of how the Michelle Derosier (Anishinaabe) Josh Raskin 2007 5 min.
Danish poet Kasper Jørgensen found 2016 12 min. In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatles fan
inspiration and ultimately caused her In this stunning storybook animation, sneaks into John Lennon’s Toronto
the forceful removal of a healing hotel room and convinces him to do
parents to find one another.
drum from an Anishinabek an interview for his school paper.
DIMANCHE / SUNDAY community disrupts the balance This clever animation illustrates the
Patrick Doyon 2011 10 min. between the sky-world and the audio recording of that conversation.
IF I WAS GOD A young boy is bored during a visit to underworld.
MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI
his grandparents’ house in small-town
GRANDFATHER ON IM Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski
Quebec, so he goes outside in search
THE PRAIRIES 2007 17 min.
of adventure. Nominated for an Oscar.
Andrew Genaille (Cree) 2018 3 min. Madame Tutli-Putli boards a
EMPTY IM Jason meets his great-great-great- night train for a mysterious and
Jackie Traverse (Anishinaabe) grandfather and soon finds himself suspenseful journey in this stunning
2009 5 min. in a hilarious debate about what it stop-motion short. Nominated for
Set to a song by Little Hawk, this means to be a hunter. an Oscar.
animated story is a daughter’s starkly
honest tribute to her estranged mother.
MADAME TUTLI-PUTLI
2 REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS
CONTEMPORARY ANIMATION continued
McLAREN’S NEGATIVES PARADISE TO THIS DAY
Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre 2006 Jesse Rosensweet 2007 7 min. Shane Koyczan 2013 8 min.
10 min. A brilliant stop-motion animation that In this collaborative online project,
An animated documentary shares follows a man made of metal who’s 12 animators and 80 “motion
the secrets of legendary Canadian caught in the machine of daily routine. artists” bring their unique styles to
animator Norman McLaren. Koyczan’s poem about bullying. NADINE
PINCH
ME AND MY MOULTON Jody Kramer 2006 5 min. TRADITIONAL HEALING IM
Torill Kove 2014 14 min. The story of a young woman — and Raymond Caplin (Mi’kmaq)
In this Oscar-nominated short, a the pet monster that lives on her arm! 2013 3 min.
seven-year-old girl asks for a bicycle, In this beautiful animation, a
knowing full well that her loving yet REQUIEM POUR UNE ROMANCE / woman’s sacred healing dance causes
unconventional parents likely have REQUIEM FOR ROMANCE a miracle to occur in an otherwise
something else in mind. Jonathan Ng 2012 6 min. bleak and devastated environment.
A couple’s breakup phone call
MELTDOWN takes on epic proportions — in the THE TRAGIC STORY OF NLING
Carrie Mombourquette 2012 1 min. director’s imagination — as the lovers Jeffrey St. Jules 2006 14 min. O CANADA
Because his icy arctic environment become warriors in feudal China. A drunkard and his best friend
is disappearing, a polar bear heads attempt to flee Nling, a walled
to the city to find a job. Fitting in RUNAWAY community made of garbage from
isn’t easy, so he comes up with a Cordell Barker 2009 9 min. the ancient city of Capillia.
fun solution to his housing issue. Gleeful train passengers cavort to
a jaunty jazz score, but when their THE VISIT IM
MIA’ IM driver disappears, the careless ride Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe) 2009
Amanda Strong (Michif), Bracken turns darkly funny. 3 min.
Hanuse Corlett (Wuikinuxv- The charming “true” story of an
Klahoose) 2015 8 min. RYAN encounter between extraterrestrials PARADISE
In this incredible stop-motion short, Chris Landreth 2004 14 min. and a Cree family.
Mia’ is a young Indigenous street A touching, Oscar-winning tribute to
artist who paints scenes rooted Canadian animation pioneer Ryan VIVE LA ROSE
in the supernatural history of her Larkin. Bruce Alcock 2009 6 min.
people. When her art comes to life, (French with English subtitles)
Mia too is transformed. SECOND HAND Based on the last recording by Émile
Isaac King 2010 8 min. Benoît, one of Newfoundland’s
NADINE Two neighbours have very different foremost traditional music
Patrick Péris 2017 4 min. ideas about wasting time and saving performers, this touching short
Blending live-action and animation, stuff in this humourous meditation is a tender depiction of a tragic
this short tells the story of an on what’s precious or disposable. Newfoundland love song.
RUNAWAY
imaginative teenager as he debates
about the best way to say hello to SKETCHI WALK-IN-THE-FOREST IM
the cute girl he sees in the library. Lily Sun 2010 3 min. Diane Obomsawin (Abenaki)
A young girl struggles to revive her 2009 3 min.
beloved dead dog, Sketchi, in this A medicine man walks in the woods
NO FISH WHERE TO GO charming short about the power of and discovers an intriguing secret
Nicola Lemay, Janice Nadeau
love and imagination. world.
2014 12 min.
This compassionate animation THE STONE OF FOLLY WHEN THE DAY BREAKS
looks at the consequences of war Jesse Rosensweet 2002 8 min. Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby
through the lens of two little girls
RYAN
In this twisted short, strange 1999 10 min.
who become friends despite their doctors cure bizarre ailments, and The charming, bittersweet story
upbringing in opposing clans. laughter inevitably proves to be the of Ruby, a pig whose life takes an
best medicine. unexpected turn after she witnesses
O CANADA the accidental death of a stranger.
Jerry Popowich 2017 2 min. STRANGE INVADERS Nominated for an Oscar.
Mercury Filmworks created this Cordell Barker 2001 9 min.
charming animated version of Roger and Doris get more than WILD LIFE
the national anthem for National they bargained for when a peculiar Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby
Canadian Film Day 150. It screened child appears at their doorstep. 2011 14 min.
at over 1,800 events around the Nominated for an Oscar. This Oscar-nominated short follows
TRADITIONAL HEALING
world and became a classic. an English frontiersman in early
SUBCONSCIOUS PASSWORD Canada whose letters home are
THE ORPHAN AND THE IM Chris Landreth 2013 11 min. much sunnier than his reality.
POLAR BEAR The inability to remember
Neil Christopher, Louise Flaherty someone’s name sends Charles on YELLOW STICKY NOTES
(Inuk) 2014 9 min. a journey into his brain to crack the Jeff Chiba Stearns 2007 6 min.
In this adaptation of an Inuit legend, code in this cerebral rendition of An animator finds a unique way to
an orphan is adopted by a polar the popular game show Password. deal with the fact that yellow sticky
bear elder who teaches him the notes are taking over his life.
skills he needs to survive. THE VISIT
REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS 3
COMEDY
THE AFTERLIFETIME OF DYSTOPIANEST DYSTOPIA EVER INSTANT FRENCH
COLM FEORE Jon Murray 2013 2 min. André Leduc 1979 1 min.
Hannah Cheesman 2019 5 min. A hilarious take on a “not too This hilarious commercial for a
After receiving the Governor distant future” in which we no make-believe electronic translation
General’s Lifetime Achievement longer need old fashioned forms of device is a wry commentary on the
THE AFTERLIFETIME OF Award Colm Feore visits the communication like (ugh!) talking. anxiety of our nation’s Anglophones.
COLM FEORE Afterlifetime Achievement Agency,
where he receives absolutely
THE ENVIRONMENTALIST JORDAN GORDON’S GUIDE IM
terrible post-career advice.
Jacob Bond 2011 7 min. TO KUUJJUAQ
A satirical look at a man in a coffee Jordan Gordon (Inuk) 2018 4 min
THE BIG CHARADE shop desperately trying to save the Jordan Gordon is thrilled to show
Jesse McKeown 2004 5 min. world from eco-devastation. you around his hometown, taking
A mock trailer about a boy and you through the highlights with a
his father, who teaches him all he
EVELYN: THE CUTEST wonderful mix of humour and charm.
knows about the game of charades. EVIL DEAD GIRL
Brad Peyton 2002 8 min. KING CHICKEN
CHEF DE MEUTE BIG CITY HEAT A twisted comedy about a lonely Nicolas Bolduc 2010 7 min.
Adam Brodie, Dave Derewlany corpse who tries to bring herself back King Chicken walks into a language lab
2013 3 min. to life in order to make new friends. to learn English and is suddenly love-
A jazz band’s rehearsal goes struck by a quirky and cute student.
comically awry when pianist Donny THE GOLDEN TICKET Will he be able to approach her?
Patrick Hagarty 2013 9 min.
“Sniffs” Mitchum begins to act up.
Bradley is having a bad day. But when LÉGER PROBLÈME
a stranger offers him a Golden Ticket, Hélène Florent 2009 9 min.
BIRTHDAYS AND OTHER TRAUMAS allowing him to act without consequence (French with English subtitles)
Katie Yu 2006 13 min. things take an interesting turn. While it’s usually good to be light
EVELYN: THE CUTEST EVIL On his 12th birthday, Oscar imagines on one’s feet, it’s best not to get too
DEAD GIRL that his mom’s homemade piñata is GREEN DOOR light! In this inventive short, a man
her evil twin — and he must defend Semi Chellas 2008 13 min. struggles to obey the laws of gravity.
his family’s honour against it. A case of mistaken identity drives
CHEF DE MEUTE / HERD LEADER
this humourous tale of apartment MAN V. MINIVAN
living and unrequited love. Spencer Maybee 2009 17 min.
Chloé Robichaud 2012 13 min.
Days before getting married, Shane
(French with English subtitles) THE GREEN FILM receives a minivan from his future
After the death of her aunt, Clara Andrew Williamson 2008 5 min. in-laws, which leads to a comedic
becomes the reluctant new owner It’s not easy being green — case of cold feet.
of a disobedient pug. especially when you’re trying to
GROCERY STORE ACTION
MOVIE CHILI & CHEESE
make the most environmentally MATTRESS
friendly movie of all time. Michelle Kee 2014 10 min.
Joe Pingue 2008 13 min.
The Lee family dumps an old mattress
A convenience store clerk and his GROCERY STORE ACTION MOVIE in an alley, sparking an all-out
laid-back sidekick are confounded Matthew Campbell 2016 14 min. suburban war. It’s up to their youngest
by a customer’s bizarre eating In this hilarious send-up of action member to do the right thing.
habits. movie clichés, a man gets into the
THE CLOSER YOU GET TO CANADA
express line in a grocery store and A MILE IN THESE HOOVES
then realizes he’s forgotten one thing. James Brylowski 2014 15 min.
John Bolton 2010 11 min.
Tom and Mark set out on a mission
JORDAN GORDON’S GUIDE Based on a story by acclaimed author HIP HOP MOM to break the world record for
Thomas King, this darkly comic short Mina Shum 2011 4 min.
TO KUUJJUAQ follows the adventures of two old A comedic take on how moms can
Longest Distance Travelled in a Two-
Person Costume. As the heat from
friends trapped in a futuristic American stay true to themselves while raising their donkey costume rises, so do
seniors’ home, who want to escape to a family. the tensions between them.
Canada.
HOP THE TWIG MOVING ON
CROSS-COUNTRY SNOWBOARDING Kyle Rideout 2011 10 min. Mike Fardy 2016 7 min.
Adam Brodie, Dave Derewlany In this quirky fairytale, little Audrey’s In this hilarious tale about facing
2007 3 min. houseplant withers away, plunging adult responsibility, a young couple
Joel and Tate are the world’s most her into her deepest fear: that one with relationship troubles must
MATTRESS dedicated cross-country snowboarders, day she’ll similarly lose her mother. choose between talking things
striving for excellence and trying to through or using their newly
avoid the dangers of “scooch leg.” INDIAN IM acquired magic wands to resolve
Darryl Nepinak (Saulteaux)
DEADSPIEL their issues.
2008 2 min.
Jay Molloy 2008 8 min. In this amusing and powerful short,
Ghoulishly funny, this short follows a the etymology of the word “Indian”
curling match between humans and is deconstructed at the Canadian
zombies who must choose between National Spelling Bee.
sportsmanship and bloodsport.
A MILE IN THESE HOOVES
4 REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS
COMEDY continued
NO RESERVATIONS IM LA PEPPERETTE / THE RUNNER
Trevor Carroll (Ojibway) THE PEPPERETTE Robert DeLeskie 2006 4 min.
2018 10 min. Jérôme Hof 2014 4 min. Set in a sea of cubicles, the futility
How does a predominantly (French with English subtitles) of the daily rat race is illustrated in
white community react when an Two bumbling teens try to rob a this ingenious dance comedy.
Indigenous construction team convenience store, but end up with NO RESERVATIONS
arrives to build a pipeline through a salty treat instead. SAD BEAR
their backyard? Liz Van Allen Cairns, Joe LoBianco
POOL POOL 2010 10 min.
OLIVER BUMP’S BIRTHDAY Adam Brodie, Dave Derewlany A sincere and funny story that
Jordan Canning 2011 16 min. 2007 3 min. tackles the universal need to
A 12-year-old boy who believes he Two oddball brothers are dedicated to simultaneously hold on and let go.
is fated to die on his 13th birthday playing billiards in a swimming pool.
must find a way to cheat death SORRY, RABBI
before the clock runs out. RADICAL Mark Slutsky 2011 10 min.
Deanne Foley 2019 6 min. Due to a misunderstanding, a secular
OÙ EST MAURICE? A profile of legendary Canadian Jew in Montreal ends up the subject OLIVER BUMP’S BIRTHDAY
Alek Rzeszowski, Matthew Rankin comedian Mary Walsh, and her of an impromptu Hasidic tribunal.
2006 5 min. fearless, funny career.
A woman searches for her lost dog LE TECHNICIEN / THE TECHNICIAN
and instead finds a Parisian man RECORD Simon Olivier Fecteau 2009 7 min.
eager to take its place in this quirky Dylan Reibling 2011 5 min. (French with English subtitles)
absurdist comedy. A sidewalk record sale takes an After a customer complains that his
emotional turn when a chance television is broken because it only
PARACHUTE musical discovery yields a powerful shows bad news, a cable repairman
Martin Thibaudeau 2012 5 min. response. sets out to solve the problem.
(French with English subtitles) LA PEPPERETTE
A vacationing couple discovers an RIBOFLAVIN! THE TRUTH ABOUT HEAD
unconventional skydiving club. Blair Dykes 2009 9 min. Dale Heslip 2004 12 min.
Should they take the plunge? When two men set out to see what A bizarre comedy about Ed, a head
happens if they ingest too much who travels the countryside with a
THE PARIS QUINTET riboflavin, they end up causing an freakshow in order to raise money
Benjamin Schuetze 2010 11 min. unexpected rift in time. for an operation to get himself
In this beautifully choreographed attached to a body.
film, five sharply dressed men ROLAND
go about their daily routines in a Trevor Cornish 2013 11 min. WILLIAM SHATNER
cramped Paris apartment. Roland, a keen art supply store SINGS O CANADA
clerk, is rattled after a crazed man Jacob Medjuck 2011 5 min. SORRY, RABBI
PEDESTRIAN JAR insists on being allowed to use the The always-charming William Shatner
Evan Morgan 2011 4 min. store’s washroom, which is against treats us to a memorable rendition
A group of coworkers come up store policy. of Canada’s national anthem. This
with their own unique solution to heartwarming short pokes fun at our
pedestrian-related driving accidents beloved “home and native land”.
in this hilarious mock-doc.
LE TECHNICIEN
DRAMA
4 AM 35 MPH ANATOMY OF ASSISTANCE
Janine Fung 2011 4 min. Jean-Marc E. Roy, Philippe David Cory Bowles 2013 13 min.
Spoken-word poet Muhammad Gagné, Dominic Leclerc 2011 10 min. When defiant Talia challenges the
Muwakil conjures up a powerful (French with English subtitles) assistance envelope given to her
picture of suburban life in Trinidad. Two buddies share a passion for dirt at school, she comes to better
bikes, but their friendship is also understand herself and to rethink
7A based on a deeper understanding how assistance programmes work. 4 AM
Zachary Russell 2018 10 min. that only they share.
A routine home repair becomes a ANIRNIQ / BREATH
living nightmare as a mysterious gas AIR SHOW R.J. Sauer 2011 5 min. (Inuktitut
descends on an apartment building, Maya Bastian 2017 8 min. with English subtitles)
leaving one of its residents with a Having recently started a new life in A beautiful exploration of the
terrifying life-or-death decision. Toronto, a Tamil family comes face Inuit belief that when someone
to face with their lingering trauma dies, their spirit enters the living
when they first encounter the creatures around them.
thundering noise of the air show.
35 MPH
REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS 5
DRAMA continued
ARROWHEAD CLADDAGH HEART OF THE WORLD
Peter Lynch 1994 30 min. Brett Ferster 2016 8 min. Guy Maddin 2000 5 min.
An ingeniously wry look at the way Truth and loyalty are tested when three The story of state scientist Anna and
people struggle to find meaning brothers discover a dead body on their the two brothers who vie for her love
within sterile urban environments. way to go swimming in the forest. while she tries to save the world.
ASSINI
ARUBA COVERED A HINDU’S INDICTMENT
Hubert Davis 2005 11 min. Jonathon M.B. Hunter 2014 7 min. OF HEAVEN
A young boy employs ingenuity and Actors reinterpret a 1960s television Dev Khanna 2009 11 min.
his imagination to escape his difficult interview with folk music icon and A charming, tongue-in-cheek drama
life circumstances. legendary Indigenous-rights activist about a woman who waits with Saint
Buffy Sainte-Marie. Peter outside the gates of heaven for
ASSINI IM her soulmate.
Gail Maurice (Cree/Métis) DUET
2015 13 min. Andrew Coll 2017 13 min. HOME AWAY
Seven-year-old Assini and her friends A pianist with stage fright gets the Hannah Yohannes 2013 10 min.
BAREFOOT often play Cowboys and Indians. opportunity of a lifetime when his idol With nowhere left to turn, pregnant
But when Assini discovers that she visits his school and sees his potential. Sabrina checks herself into a group
herself is an “Indian,” the game Will he gather up the courage to home for teen girls and discovers
takes a new turn. perform on the biggest stage of his life? the family she desperately needs.
AVILIAQ / ENTWINED IM ELEVATED KAJUTAIJUQ: THE SPIRIT IM
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk) 2014 Vincenzo Natali 1996 20 min. THAT COMES
15 min. (Inuktitut with English subtitles) A routine elevator ride becomes a living Scott Brachmayer, Co-producer/Co-
In the 1950s, two Inuit women attempt hell for its three trapped passengers. writer: Nyla Innuksuk (Inuk)
to protect their relationship when 2014 15 min.
BIG GIRL pressure from their new colonial EMMA Part Inuit legend, part thriller, an
culture forces them to marry men. Martin Edralin 2016 13 min. Arctic hunter tries to live by the
Fourteen-year-old Emma struggles traditional skills his grandfather
BAREFOOT IM with alopecia areata, a condition taught him — but they are difficult
Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis) 2012 of rapid, unpredictable hair loss. A for a modern man to apply, and the
11 min. delicate film about the uneasy path price of failure is high.
In a tight-knit Cree community in towards self-acceptance and putting
northern Saskatchewan, 16-year- one’s own well-being above what LEFTOVER
old Alyssa enjoys the attention that others think. Eui Yong Zong 2014 19 min.
comes with pregnancy — until her A family of North Korean refugees
secret plan unravels. ENTANGLED tries to adjust to a new life in
DUET Tony Elliott 2014 15 min. Etobicoke, Ont., with painful
BIG GIRL Forced to care for her catatonic lover memories of the oppressive regime
Renuka Jeyapalan 2005 15 min. after a secret quantum experiment still fresh in their minds.
A poignant tale of a little girl who goes awry, Erin is determined to
embarks on a battle of wills with her uncover the cause of his condition MY FATHER’S HANDS
mother’s new boyfriend. — even at the risk of her own life. Sudz Sutherland 1999 27 min.
IM A powerful and moving short about a
THE BLANKETING FROST father and a son, each representing a
Trevor Mack (Tsilhqot’in) Jeremy Ball 2012 14 min. different culture and time.
2013 8 min. Young Arctic hunter Naya embarks
EMMA In the mid-1800s, the Tsilhqot’in on a search for food outside her NEWBORN
First Nation of British Columbia was ancestral hunting grounds. There, Ray Savaya 2018 6 min.
nearly wiped out by a devastating she discovers an unfamiliar new A couple’s debate about what to
smallpox outbreak. The Blanketing world and a dangerous predator. name their first child becomes
depicts a fictional confrontation confrontational as they start to weigh
before the epidemic. THE GAME the real-world consequences that the
Andrew Chiang 2012 11 min. child will face because of that name.
BOXED IN IM After a professional basketball player
Shane Belcourt (Métis) 2009 4 min. is cut from his team, he reflects on PARANORMAL RADIO
A woman of mixed ancestry struggles the talent and passion that brought Andrew Jeffrey 2015 12 min.
with an Equal Opportunity form him to this point by playing a game Are we alone? One stormy night, a
FROST that requires her to respond to the against three younger versions of talk-radio host who is an expert in
dilemma “Ethnicity — Choose One.” himself. the paranormal receives a call that
may have the answer….
CAMERA HEART
David Cronenberg 2000 5 min. Ann Marie Fleming 2002 7 min. PUDGE
A seasoned actor discusses the A singer prepares for a performance Annie Bradley 2008 17 min.
current state of cinema while a group while fighting back tears; a Twelve-year-old Violet just wants a
of young children sneak in with beautifully rendered response to the winter coat that fits, but what she
production equipment to film him. events of September 11, 2001. gets is an unusual friendship that fits
her best of all.
LEFTOVER
6 REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS
DRAMA continued
QAGGIQ / GATHERING PLACE IM SPIRIT OF THE BLUEBIRD IM TUNDRA
Zacharias Kunuk (Inuk) 1989 58 min. Jesse Gouchey (Cree), Xstine Cook Carol Nguyen 2018 11 min.
(Inuktitut with English subtitles) 2011 6 min. The mother of a missing Vietnamese
Conflicts arise when families in an A personal and poetic tribute by woman sees her daughter in her
Inuit camp build a communal igloo to Gouchey to Gloria Black Plume, dreams, allowing her to come to
celebrate the coming of spring with a woman who was murdered in terms with her grief. SAVAGE
games, singing and drum dancing. Calgary in March of 1999.
UNDER
SAVAGE IM STOLEN IM Mark Raso 2011 23 min.
Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe) Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs Tom tries to help Sydney overcome
2009 6 min. (Mohawk) 2017 7 min. her addictions in an isolated
This “residential school musical” This powerful short offers a glimpse northern setting, but when an
uses song and dance to depict a little into the life of Sheena, a troubled avalanche traps the couple, their trip
girl’s dehumanizing journey into the 14-year-old Indigenous girl who yearns becomes a battle for survival.
residential school system, as well as for freedom away from the girls’ home
her mother’s pain. she’s been placed in. WAPAWEKKA IM
SHAHZAD
Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis) 2010
SHAHZAD TAXI LIBRE 16 min.
Haya Waseem 2016 12 min. Kaveh Nabation 2010 13 min. Josh and his father visit their family
Shahzad is a young boy recently (French and Spanish with English cabin in Saskatchewan for the last
arrived from Pakistan. He finds subtitles) time, confronting the generational
that integrating into Canadian life Jose Garcia was a doctor in his differences between their Cree
and school is easy – but his life at home country. Now, as a taxi driver heritage and Josh’s urban lifestyle.
home with his father is becoming in Canada, he must cope with a
increasingly strained. playfully taunting prospective A WORLD OF OUR OWN IM
employer who takes a seat in his cab. Morningstar Derosier (Anishinaabe)
SHIN CHI’S CANOE IM 2018 9 min. SHIN CHI’S CANOE
Allan Hopkins (N’quatwua) THROAT SONG IM In a twist on futuristic sci-fi, a young
2018 13 min. Miranda de Pencier, woman becomes infatuated with a
Through his father’s gift of a secret Executive-producers: Alethea woman who removes a ubiquitous
and tiny hand-carved cedar canoe, Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk), Qajaaq computer implant that has replaced
an Indigenous child discovers the Ellsworth (Inuk) 2011 16 min. most forms of communication.
strength and resilience to endure his A young Inuit woman with a
first year at a residential school. troubled past begins to connect with
other victims of violence from her
SNOW community, and reclaims her voice
Kim Barr 2017 10 min. along the way. SNOW
A young girl who recently
immigrated to Canada has mixed
feelings about seeing her first
snowfall.
DANCE AND EXPERIMENTAL
BABA CYCLES INDIGO IM WAPAWEKKA
Jonathan Lawley 2006 3 min. Joe Cobden 2016 4 min. Amanda Strong (Michif)
Different people, cultures and styles Through playful choreography and 2014 9 min.
of dance come together in one piano harmonies, a man revisits A trapped woman is freed by
vivid expression of love and life. abstract memories of a failed “Grandmother Spider,” who still has
Choreographed by Tré Armstrong. relationship. some important webs to weave.
Inspired by Indigenous stories and
BUS NO. 9 FOUND vividly realized through stop-motion
Michael Downing 1999 3 min. Paramita Nath 2009 6 min. animation..
A chance encounter at a bus stop Toronto poet Souvankham
becomes an excuse for a sultry Thammavongsa tells the story of IN THE GROOVE BABA
tango pas de deux. her family’s escape from Laos in Clarence Ford 2006 2 min.
the 1970s through old photos, This combination of hockey, dance,
THE CINNAMON PEELER animation and home movies. figure skating and rock/funk takes
Veronica Tennant 2004 3 min. place on ice and features champion
Michael Ondaatje reads his poem GLORIA VICTORIA figure skater Kurt Browning.
The Cinnamon Peeler accompanied Theodore Ushev 2012 9 min.
by the choreographed movements Recycling elements of surrealism
of two dancers. and cubism, this Genie-nominated
animation explores relationships
between art and war.
CYCLES
REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS 7
DANCE AND EXPERIMENTAL continued
INUKSHOP IM PORTRAIT AS A RANDOM ACT TERMINUS
Jobie Weetaluktuk (Inuk) 2009 OF VIOLENCE Trevor Cawood 2007 8 min.
2 min. Randall Lloyd Okita 2013 5 min One man manages, at a gruesome
Weetaluktuk mixes archival reels This engrossing short combines cost, to escape from the shadows
with new footage to make this performance with stunning kinetic of the dancing concrete figure that
LITTLE THUNDER poignant commentary on cultural sculptures, evoking themes of dogs him.
appropriation. protest, destruction and resurrection.
THROAT SINGING IN IM
LITTLE THUNDER IM PRETTY BIG DIG KANGIRSUK
Nance Ackerman, Alan Syliboy Anne Troake 2006 3 min. Manon Chamberland (Inuk), Eva
(Mi’kmaq) 2009 3 min. Three excavators move together Kaukai (Inuk) 2019 3 min.
Inspired by the Mi’kmaq legend “The with impressive grace to a A mesmerizing duet between
Stone Canoe,” this coming-of-age contemporary classical score, two Inuit throat singers forms the
story follows a boy who reluctantly gently inviting us to re-examine the soundtrack for this journey through
sets out on a canoe trip by himself as way we view dance and industrial the four seasons of the Arctic.
NOUS NOUS SOULEVERONS a rite of passage into adulthood. technology.
TROPICAL RUMOURS
LOST ACTION: TRACE A SHORT FILM ABOUT FALLING Veronica Tennant 2004 4 min.
Marlene Millar, Crystal Pite & Philip Peter Lynch, Max Dean A rich fabric of movement and
Szporer 2011 3 min 2007 15 min. imagery inspired by Michael
The horror and devastating Using a robotic chair as the Ondaatje’s memoir, Running in the
consequences of war are explored axis of entwined stories tied to the Family.
through contemporary dance in this theme of suspension, Lynch
visually-stunning animation. and Dean explore autobiography in VERY NICE, VERY NICE
this challenging and complex work. Arthur Lipsett 1961 7 min.
PORTRAIT AS A RANDOM MOBILIZE IM An avant-garde collage of
ACT OF VIOLENCE Caroline Monnet (Algonquin) SNARE IM photography and sound that looks
2015 3 min. Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe) behind the business-as-usual face
Featuring music by Inuk throat 2013 4 min. we put on in life, showing anxieties
singer Tanya Tagaq, Mobilize Spare and visually arresting, we’d rather forget.
repurposes NFB archival footage to with a haunting soundtrack, this
explore the relationship between performance piece captures WAVE A RED FLAG IM
the brutality of violence against Adam Garnet Jones (Cree/Métis)
the modern and the traditional.
Indigenous women, as well as the 2009 3 min.
NOUS NOUS SOULEVERONS / possibility of healing and grace. A whimsical, wordless exploration of
WE WILL RISE UP IM Indigenous identity, community and
SNARE Natasha Kanapé Fontaine (Innu) SOMETHING’S COMING culture.
2015 4 min. Veronica Tennant 2012 3 min.
Through a performance of her own A creative split-screen film featuring
powerful poem, Innu poet Natasha ballet and singing performances of
Kanapé Fontaine invites us to rise up “Something’s Coming!” from West
Side Story.
and bring light to the world.
DOCUMENTARY
TROPICAL RUMOURS 7 MINUTES IM AGAINST THE GRAIN IM THE CREATOR’S GAME IM
Tasha Hubbard (Cree) 2016 7 min. Curtis Mandeville (Métis) Candace Maracle (Mohawk)
Marie’s walk home from university 2009 24 min. 2011 41 min.
takes seven minutes, but when she Survivors of the Indian residential After being denied entry into Europe
is followed home by a stranger in a school system attempt to cope with because of their Haudenosaunee
van, those seven minutes feel like an its impact on their personal lives passports, the Iroquois Nationals
eternity. and communities. A good primer lacrosse team forfeit a shot at the
for discussions of the Truth and World Championship. A year later,
ACTIVISM 2.0 Reconciliation Commission report. they continue to fight for national
Emily Hunter 2015 15 min. sovereignty — and the title.
7 MINUTES Filmmaker and eco-warrior Emily LE CHEMIN ROUGE /
Hunter explores the unconventional RED PATH IM CREE CODE TALKER IM
tactics of the Black Fish, members Thérèse Ottawa (Atikamekw) Alexandra Lazarowich (Cree)
of a new generation of high-tech 2015 15 min. 2016 14 min.
environmental activists. (French with English subtitles) During WWII, Allied Forces used
This moving documentary tells the Indigenous-language speakers to
story of Tony Chachai, a young man transmit coded messages that could
who reconnects with his Atikamekw not be broken. The contributions
roots by dancing in powwows. of Charles “Checker” Tomkins are
revealed in this insightful doc.
LE CHEMIN ROUGE
8 REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS
DOCUMENTARY
CRY ROCK IM HOME COOKED MUSIC MA BOÎTE NOIRE / MY BLACK BOX
Banchi Hanuse (Nuxalk) 2016 29 min. Mike Maryniuk 2014 9 min. Nicolas-Alexandre Tremblay 2012
Fewer than 15 Nuxalk-language Is there anything more Canadian 12 min. (French with English subtitles)
speakers and storytellers are left in than a moose-antler electric guitar? A man uses rap to overcome both
Bella Coola, B.C. This thoughtful film After having a near-death experience, his speech impediment and his
explores what is lost from a culture a retired machinist finds meaning troubled past, and then teaches CRY ROCK
when a language threatens to go by making whimsical stringed other young people to do the same.
extinct. instruments from strange objects.
MÉMÉRE MÉTISSE IM
DE FACE OU DE PROFIL / IM HONEY FOR SALE IM Janelle Wookey (Métis)
FACE OR PROFILE Amanda Strong (Michif) 2008 30 min.
Sharon Fontaine (Innu) 2009 7 min. A young filmmaker explores her
2014 5 min. (French with English The director focuses her camera on family’s past as she schemes to
subtitles) the tenuous life of a honeybee in this convince her grandmother to
Told from 16-year-old Sharon’s point poetic and thoughtful meditation on accept her Métis heritage. Wookey’s
of view, this charming short uses the fragility of human existence. mischievous persistence uncovers a
her wit and humour to reflect on legacy of shame and the profound
FAST HORSE
society’s use of online avatars. HYPHEN: GABRIELA’S STORY courage needed to overcome it.
Gabriela Warrior Renaud 2016 5 min.
FAST HORSE IM Renaud explores her hyphenated ME, MOM AND MONA
Alexandra Lazarowich (Cree) 2018 identity through a portrayal of the Mina Shum 1993 20 min.
13 min. complexities of her multiracial family. In this evocative documentary, the
At the Calgary Stampede, Cody women of the Shum family share in
BigTobacco competes in his first INUIT HIGH KICK IM a discussion that reveals the impact
Indian Relay, a fast-paced and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk) of conflicting values on their lives.
dangerous horse race where jockeys 2010 3 min.
ride bareback and switch horses. A stunning slow-motion visual MOHAWK GIRLS IM HARD LEARNING
examination of an athlete performing Tracey Deer (Mohawk)
FIT TO BE TIED the traditional Inuit high kick. 2005 55 min.
James Cooper & Jess Hayes 2018 Three teens from the Kahnawake
13 min. LAKE IM Indigenous community wrestle not
This quirky and fun short doc Alexandra Lazarowich (Cree) only with decisions about their
follows a team of professional 2019 5 min. futures, but also with the challenges
balloon twisters as they represent Two Métis women demonstrate their of maintaining and embracing their
Canada and compete for process of ice fishing on a cold lake in Mohawk identity.
international glory at the World northern Alberta.
Balloon Convention in San Diego. MORE THAN A STEREOTYPE IM HOME COOKED MUSIC
THE LIFE YOU WANT IM Sinay Kennedy (Dene) 2019 4 min.
HANDSOME AND MAJESTIC Michelle Derosier (Anishinaabe) Dene filmmaker Sinay Kennedy
Nathan Drillot, Jeff Petry 2011 34 min. reflects on Indigenous
2015 12 min. The isolated northern town of Fort representation in the media
Milan’s a regular teen: He likes Hope, Ont., has a serious problem and how she plans to combat
sports, lasagna and hanging with with prescription drugs. This film stereotyping through her own art.
friends. But unlike most other follows the journey of one brave
boys, he faces the struggles of a resident who admits her problem MR. SANDERSON IM
transgender identity. With his family and applies for treatment. Ray Sanderson, Terrie McIntosh
supporting him, he helps educate (Ojibwe) 2014 9 min.
and inspire those around him.
THE LITTLE DEPUTY An intimate portrait of the MA BOÎTE NOIRE
Trevor Anderson 2015 9 min. inspirational Ray Sanderson, a single
HARD LEARNING IM Years after dressing up as a deputy father blinded by gun violence
Daniel Fortin (Métis) 2017 7 min. sheriff for a western-style photo who pleads for us to look at things
With no high school in her northern with his father, Anderson explores differently.
community of Wapekeka, 14-year- issues of gender identity when he
old Miranda must move 500 km tries to recreate the photo as it MY ENEMY, MY BROTHER
away for Grade 9. This touching always should have been. Ann Shin 2015 18 min.
doc reveals the challenges faced by During the Iran-Iraq war, an Iranian
many northern Indigenous youth.
LOST MOCASSIN IM child soldier risked his life to save
Roger Boyer (Saulteaux/Ojibway)
2018 11 min.
an injured Iraqi enemy. Years later, MÉMÉRE MÉTISSE
HARDWOOD in Canada, the men meet by sheer
Hubert Davis 2004 27 min. Bradford Bilodeau tells the story of coincidence and help each other
Mel Davis, a member of the how he reconnected with his birth heal the wounds of the past. An
legendary Harlem Globetrotters, had family after being raised apart from
inspiring true story.
two families — one in Chicago and them due to his forced adoption in
one in Vancouver. His Canadian son, the Sixties Scoop.
Hubert, takes a personal look at his
father’s life. Nominated for an Oscar.
MOHAWK GIRLS
REEL CANADA SHORT FILMS 9
DOCUMENTARY continued
NAILS SHARKWATER REVOLUTION VOLTA
Phillip Borsos 1979 13 min. SAIPAN Ryan Mullins 2009 13 min.
This documentary explores the Rob Stewart 2011 5 min. In this gorgeously shot
manufacturing of nails and the After watching the feature film documentary, Ryan Mullins is
gulf between the skilled labour Sharkwater, a Grade 6 class in guided by a former projectionist on
PETRA’S POEM of traditional tradespeople and Saipan of the Northern Mariana a tour of a derelict movie theatre in
modern mechanization. Islands pressures their government rural Ghana that is now serving as a
to ban shark fins — and succeeds. make-shift school.
OVERBURDEN IM
Neil McArthur, Warren Cariou TAKE ME TO PROM WAYS OF YESTERDAY IM
(Métis) 2009 15 min. Andrew Moir 2019 21 min. Elliott Simon (Anishinaabe)
Indigenous communities in Alberta The high school tradition of prom 2014 6 min.
defend the environment, their is explored through a series of Through breakdance and rap, Elliott,
health and their way of life in the interviews with LGBTQ+ students a rapper, and Curtis, a b-boy, share
face of a destructive oil recovery over the years, telling their own their life experiences and try to
enterprise. stories with varying reactions and motivate and inspire Indigenous
PRINCE’S TALE perspectives. kids to follow their dreams.
PETRA’S POEM
Shira Avni 2012 4 min. THUNDERBIRD IM WHAT ARE YOU?
Against a backdrop of colourful Erin Collins (Anishinaabe) Richard Pierre 2019 20 min.
animation and live action, artist 2017 3 min. The mixed-race identity is
Petra Tolley recites her poem about The amazing story of Steven Collins, explored through a series of
life with Down syndrome. a First Nations ski jumper who interviews recounting the isolation,
competed in the Olympics when he discrimination and self-discovery
PRINCE’S TALE was only 15 years old. that come from being stuck
Jamie Miller 2018 16 min. between two cultures.
After a tragic accident left actor TO WAKE UP THE NAKOTA IM
THE ROUTES Prince Amponsah severely burned LANGUAGE WHERE THE RIVER WIDENS IM
and with both arms amputated, he Louise BigEagle (Nakota/Cree) Zach Greenleaf (Mi’gmaq)
reflects on how his life has changed 2017 6 min. 2014 5 min.
as he prepares to return to his At 69 years old Armand McArthur A lyrical ode to the hard work,
career. is one of the last fluent Nakota determination and kinship of the
speakers in Saskatchewan, but he fishermen of Gesgapegiag First
RELEASED IM has dedicated his life to passing Nation.
Chantal Rondeau (Northern down his teachings so that the
Tutchone) 2015 10 min. YESTERDAY IN RWANDA
language and culture survive for Davina Pardo 2005 14 min.
Karen Nicloux, an Indigenous generations to come.
embroidery artist from Yukon, has A documentary examining the
struggled with drug addiction since a UTE KANATA / IM resonant horrors of the Rwandan
TO WAKE UP THE NAKOTA genocide — through the eyes of
so-called friend offered her cocaine HERE IN CANADA
LANGUAGE to cure a headache. This inspiring Claire Wihogora, a survivor now
Virginie Michel (Innu) 2016 2 min.
doc follows Nicloux’s journey to living in Ottawa.
This poignant take on “O Canada”
stitch her life back together. adapts the national anthem to
the reality of the First Nations of
THE ROUTES IM
Canada, and provides a rallying song
James McDougall (Anishinaabe)
for all peoples.
2014 4 min.
A man cycles through his memories
of the local women who have gone
missing in his Anishinaabe community.
YESTERDAY IN RWANDA
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