Toronto International Film Festival has revealed its Short Cuts lineup, featuring 39 live-action narrative, documentary, and animated shorts films from 18 countries.
Presented by TikTok, the program represents a blend of returning filmmakers and newcomers. Alice Rohrwacher’s “Le Pupille,” co-produced by Alfonso Cuarón, will make its Canadian premiere at the festival. Honor Swinton Byrne of “The Souvenir,” which screened at TIFF in 2018, stars in Hazel McKibbin’s “She Always Wins.” Actor Kiawentiio of 2020 TIFF awardee “Beans” is back, this time in Asia Youngman’s “N’xaxaitkw.” Other TIFF alum with new shorts in the program are Sarah McCarthy, Mbithi Masya, Matthew Rankin, Carol Nguyen, Karen Chapman, and Sophy Romvari.
Award-winning animated shorts that made the cut include “The Flying Sailor” and “Ice Merchants.” On the documentary side, “Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles” by Ukrainian director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk, “Anastasia” by Sarah McCarthy of the U.K., and “Quiet Minds Silent Streets” by Toronto’s Karen Chapman will make their North American, Canadian and World premieres, respectively.
All Short Cuts films are eligible for three jury-selected IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards: Best Film, Best Canadian Film, and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman, along with the Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award.
Read below for the full Short Cuts lineup.
À la vie à l’amor – Emilie Mannering | Canada
World Premiere
Against Reality – Olivia Peace | United States of America
World Premiere
Airhostess-737 – Thanasis Neofotistos | Greece
North American Premiere
All-inclusive (Todo incluido) – Duván Duque Vargas | Colombia, France
World Premiere
Anastasia (Анастасия) – Sarah McCarthy | UK
Canadian Premiere
Baba – Mbithi Masya | Kenya
World Premiere
backflip – Nikita Diakur | Germany, France
North American Premiere
CANARY – Pierre-Hugues Dallaire, Benoit Therriault | Canada
North American Premiere
Diaspora – Tyler Mckenzie Evans | Canada
World Premiere
Gary Screams For You – Cody McGlashan, Nolan Sordyl | United States of America
World Premiere
Hills and Mountains (Koha wa Tapaha) – Salar Pashtoonyar | Afghanistan, Canada
World Premiere
I’m On Fire – Michael Spiccia | United States of America, Australia
World Premiere
Ice Merchants – João Gonzalez | Portugal, France, United Kingdom
North American Premiere
It’s What Each Person Needs – Sophy Romvari | Canada
World Premiere
Lay Me by the Shore – David Findlay | Canada
North American Premiere
Le Pupille – Alice Rohrwacher | Italy, United States of America
Canadian Premiere
Liturgy of Anti-Tank Obstacles (Літургія протитанкових перешкод) – Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk | Ukraine, United States of America
North American Premiere
Mirror Mirror – Sandulela Asanda | South Africa
World Premiere
Municipal Relaxation Module – Matthew Rankin | Canada
World Premiere
N’xaxaitkw – Asia Youngman | Canada
World Premiere
Nanitic – Carol Nguyen | Canada
World Premiere
No Ghost in the Morgue (Pas de fantôme à la morgue) – Marilyn Cooke | Canada
Canadian Premiere
Pleasure Garden – Rita Ferrando | Canada
World Premiere
Quiet Minds Silent Streets – Karen Chapman | Canada
World Premiere
Rest Stop – Crystal Kayiza | United States of America
World Premiere
Same Old – Lloyd Lee Choi | United States of America, Canada
North American Premiere
Scaring Women At Night – Karimah Zakia Issa | Canada
World Premiere
Shadow of the Butterflies (الفراشات خيال) – Sofia El Khyari | France, Qatar, Portugal
North American Premiere
She Always Wins – Hazel McKibbin | United States of America, United Kingdom
World Premiere
Simo (سيمو) – Aziz Zoromba | Canada
World Premiere
Snow in September (9-р Сарын Цас) – Lkhagvadulam (Dulmaa) Purev-Ochir | Mongolia, France
North American Premiere
The Chase – Gurjeet Kaur Bassi | Canada
World Premiere
The Flying Sailor – Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis | Canada
North American Premiere
The Garbage Man (O Homem do Lixo) – Laura Gonçalves | Portugal
North American Premiere
The Melting Creatures (Las criaturas que se derriten bajo el sol) – Diego Céspedes | Chile, France
International Premiere
The Pass – Pepi Ginsberg | United States of America
North American Premiere
The Water Murmurs (海边升起一座悬崖 HAI BIAN SHENG QI YI ZUO XUAN YA) – Jianying (Story) Chen | China
North American Premiere
Tremor (Beben) – Rudolf Fitzgerald Leonard | Germany
North American Premiere
Untold Hours – Daniel Warth | Canada
World Premiere
