Seven Highlights from the Vancouver Short Film Festival
Short films are a great way to gauge a budding filmmaker’s voice. Not only are these creatives working with limited budgets, but they also have a few minutes to tell their stories. So, these creators must make every second count. What better way to support these artists than to attend the 11th annual Vancouver Short Film Festival? Available exclusively online between January 28th to February 6th, this event features short films, documentaries, and animated works from the Canadian and international film communities. Guests have the chance to view 51 films from a diverse set of directors through Eventive, a virtual ticketing and cinema platform. And budding filmmakers and professionals alike can also participate in three industry-related events.
Initially held as a student-focused event, the Vancouver Short Film Festival’s mission is to connect filmmakers from British Columbia with the broader entertainment industry. Some of the flicks in this year’s festival include Rosie Choo Pidcock and Anaïsa Visser’s poignant drama Esther & Sai, which follows the budding friendship of two Canadian immigrant women. In MONA, Xavier Gould provides a bittersweet tale about a drag queen with big dreams. And Nigel Edward’s documentary captures what happens when an American Sign Language interpreter becomes a local superhero in Who The Hell Is Nigel? To get an idea of what this event has to offer, here are seven highlights from the Vancouver Short Film Festival.
A Mensch is a Mensch
Director: Tamara Moos
Writer: Tamara Moos
Starring: Larry Robbins
A mensch is a Yiddish term of German origin that describes an honorable person. If there is one person who perfectly fits that description, it is Larry Robbins. A Mensch is a Mensch follows Robbins, a prominent Jewish developer and philanthropist in Toronto who escaped with his family from Nazi Germany as a young child. In this wonderfully crafted documentary, the 90-years-old figure proves that it is never too late to live a fulfilling and happy life.
Video by Tamara Moos
MONA
Director: Xavier Gould
Writer: Samuel Landry, Xavier Gould
Starring: Samuel Landry, Xavier Gould
Perhaps it is fitting that this experimental film comes out during the reevaluation of Tyra Bank’s most controversial reality TV series. Set in a small rural town in New Brunswick, MONA follows the titular drag queen (Samuel Landry) as they record their audition tape for the 2004 edition of American Next Top Model. Though Gould’s short is rough around the edges (it is shot entirely on a camcorder), the director makes up for it with the lead’s endearing performance.
Video by Xavier Gould
Who the Hell Is Nigel?
Director: Nigel Edwards
Writer: Nigel Edwards
Starring: Nigel Howard
As the saying goes, not all superheroes wear capes. And one of them is even a master at American Sign Language. Nigel Edward’s documentary covers overnight local sensation Nigel Howard, an ASL interpreter who assists with the COVID-19 press briefings in British Columbia. Along with a biography of Howard’s remarkable life, Who the Hell is Nigel? gives viewers a funny and informative take on the past, present, and future of the deaf community in Canada.
Video by Nigel Edwards
Tsurezure Kankan
Director: Yuki Kedoin, Takashi Okado
Writer: Yuki Kedoin, Takashi Okado
Starring: Yo Osamu, Yuki Kedoin, Takashi Okado
Asking anyone, let alone a recluse, for their sister’s hand in marriage can be an imitating thing to do. Thankfully, directors Yuki and Takashi capture this moment nicely. In their drama, Noboru (Yuki Kedoin) and his fiancée Kaho (Yo Osamu) visit Seitaro (Takashi Okado) to receive his blessing for their marriage. This sweet and gorgeous drama may leave a lot unsaid between the three characters, but Tsurezure Kankan packs an emotional punch.
Video by Takashi Okado
Esther & Sai
Director: Rosie Choo Pidcock, Anaïsa Visser
Writer: Rosie Choo Pidcock
Starring: Rosie Choo Pidcock, Ivanna Ihekwoaba, Mike Li, Shaun Morse, Jennifer Shirley, Jeb Beach, Wonita Joy
Moving to a foreign country is difficult, especially for women of color. There are language barriers, culture shock, loss of family, and prejudices to overcome. Directors Pidcock and Visser depict this harrowing journey through the lives of two immigrant college students named Esther (Ivanna Ihekwoaba) and Sai (Rosie Choo Pidcock). Poignant and bittersweet, Esther & Sai provides an authentic look at the Canadian immigrant experience.
Video by Rosie Choo Pidcock
The O Show
Director: Sharad Kharé
Writer: Sharad Kharé
Starring: Orene Askew
The intersection between race, gender, and queer life collides in Kharé’s documentary. The O Show is an intimate look into the life of North Vancouver DJ and motivational speaker Orene Askew, also known as DJ O Show. With interviews from Askew, her family, and other artists she collaborates with, the director brilliantly shows how the Afro-Indigenous and two-spirited leader of the Squamish Nation became an inspiration for the communities she represents.
Video by Storyhive
Baba
Director: Jay Kamal
Writer: Jay Kamal, Javier Badillo
Starring: Kingston Gomes, Abraham Asto, Hani Mefti, Helena Marie
Baba is one of those shorts that will truly transport viewers into a different world. The family drama follows Samir (Kingston Gomes), a 12-year-old child, who comes to terms with his father’s death as he attends a funeral that includes Muslim and Christmas customs. The performances are stiff in some areas, but what makes Jay Kamal’s piece unique is that it blends two different but similar religions through its stunning cinematography and use of symbolism.
