FILMS SCREENING AT VSFF 2020
January 24-26, 2020
Vancity Theatre, Vancouver BC
Tickets on Sale Jan 5th, 2020
A TYPICAL FAIRYTALE
DIRECTOR ANNETTE REILLY / RUN TIME 10:30 MIN
Sunday, January 26 2020 @ 7:30 pm
A young couple have a romance fit for a storybook- told entirely in rhyme. They live happily ever after until their child diverges from the classic narrative. Will they find the bravery to write a new story?
ALL IN MADONNA
DIRECTOR ARNOLD LIM / RUN TIME 12:40 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
Maddie, a 17-year-old teenager attending public school for the first time learns dark secrets about her father and must reconcile herself with the father she thought she knew, and the man he may actually be.
ANASTASIS
DIRECTOR KEVIN ANG / RUN TIME 5 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
In a race against time, a man must rid himself of a corrupted corpse that never dies.
B-SIDE
DIRECTOR ALAYNA SILVERBERG / RUN TIME 13 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
B-Side is the Coming of Age story of 17-year old Mal, who when invited into a group of female skateboarders, is challenged to face her longtime, repressed fear of getting back on the board. She ends up falling for Britt, a skater, who tries to help her overcome her affliction. Forced to confront the grief of the loss of her father, a once legendary Pro Skateboarder, Mal must decide if she is ready to move on from her mourning or remain stuck in her heartache.
BLOW OUT
DIRECTOR DANIEL DAVID STEWART/ RUN TIME 7 MIN
Sunday, January 25, 2020 @ 10 pm
A comedy-horror about a woman finds a seemingly innocent balloon outside her front door. She brings it inside. Things get weird.
BREAKAWAY
DIRECTOR JENNY LEE-GILMORE / RUN TIME 9:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
Sammy, 11, a Chinese Canadian girl has the dream of one day playing ice hockey but her responsibilities at home and bullying brother get in the way.
B'Y
DIRECTOR JOHN HOLLANDS / RUN TIME 7:30 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2018 @ 10 pm
Newfoundland, 1840's. In a house, perched on the edge of the world, a destitute but hopeful young man cares tirelessly for his bedridden mother. As her condition worsens, the boy is plagued with feverish visions as he is forced to confront the dark presence that has descended on the house.
CANDY WORLD
DIRECTOR ALEC BOEHM / RUN TIME 10:30 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
Forests of licorice, mountains of gumdrops...trapped in a world of candy. Will movie star Rob Everfield be able to escape? As Rob Everfield struggles to complete the perfect take, his bullying of an extra evolves into a deeper meditation of his life, his choices, and the person he may not be anymore.
CLOSER APART
DIRECTOR SEBASTIAN HILL-ESBRAND / RUN TIME 15 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
‘Closer Apart’ is an unapologetically intimate documentary that follows the narratives of three couples as they battle against cross-continental loneliness. In this poetic reflection of love and youth, we discover ‘how we grow together, whilst growing apart - in a long distance relationship’.
COMING OUT
DIRECTOR STEPHEN JONES / RUN TIME 8:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
"So, when did you come out?" 'Coming Out' is a Comedy short film that examines how the assumption of heterosexuality in our society requires LGBTQ+ folks to continuously come out, and not come out, and everything in-between.
DEADY FREDDY
DIRECTOR ALICIA EISEN / RUN TIME 10:00 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 6 pm
What is the meaning of a life well lived? In this dark comedy the titular character is granted an opportunity to reflect on his own life through an unexpected vantage.
DEATH OF THE PARTY
DIRECTOR MELANIE JONES / RUN TIME 10 MIN
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Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
After a night of onesies, tequila, and poker, a sister unexpectedly finds her brother’s dead body… as well as his ghost.
DEEP TAKE
DIRECTOR NORMAN YI LI / RUN TIME 10 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
When an actress discovers the sinister reason behind her portrayal of a suicidal politician, she gets more than she bargained for.
DUÉRMETE NIÑO
DIRECTOR FREDDY CHAVEZ OLMOS / RUN TIME 9:30 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 10:00 pm
On an unsettling night in the 1940s, Alma, a religious mother of newborn twins, is
constantly awakened by the disturbing sound of her crying babies. Using a new radio
monitor to check on them from her bedroom, Alma encounters a series of unsettling
events that might jeopardize even her own beliefs.
ESPECIALLY JOY
DIRECTOR SILA GORAL / RUN TIME 7:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
Daniel, a love-struck 8-year-old, wants to be with his classmate crush, Joy, only to find out that she has fallen in love with an ice cream scooper. He must figure out the best way to show Joy how special she is to him.
FINDING URANUS
DIRECTOR IVAN LI / RUN TIME 7:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 10 pm
GRANDMA'S 80TH SURPRISE
A Coming of Age Sci-Fi Film about Lost and Found
DIRECTOR FOLA EVANS-AKINGBOLA, CURTIS LUM / RUN TIME 10:00 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 6:00 pm
Fresh in love, a respectful young man is forced to confront his family's rigid traditions as he seeks the approval of the family matriarch, his formidable 80-year-old Grandmother.
HALWA
DIRECTOR GAYATRI BAJPAI, NIRAV BHAKTA / RUN TIME 15:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
On the eve of her wedding anniversary, empty-nester Sujata Chopra attempts to find some joy in her broken marriage, until she learns about the passing of her childhood companion’s spouse on Facebook. Having been disconnected from this woman for over 30 years over a misunderstanding, Sujata finds the courage to reach out to send her condolences. They reconnect, sparking friction when Sujata’s controlling husband, Dr. Chopra, finds out.
HATCH
DIRECTOR HEATHER PERLUZZO / RUN TIME 19:00 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 6 pm
After Marcy Martens suffers a horrible miscarriage, she is plagued with daily reminders that keep her bound to her solitude. Though her mother makes valiant efforts to help her cope, her guilt outweighs her willingness to move on. One night, she discovers a strange alien egg buried in her backyard. She brings it inside, apprehensive at first, but begins to form a motherly bond with it. When the aliens return for the egg, it is trapped inside her home and can’t get out, leaving it stranded on earth. Marcy must now decide if she’s really ready to move on from her loss and take care of this bizarre little creature.
IN LOVING MEMORY
DIRECTOR MAYUMI YOSHIDA, DIANA BANG / RUN TIME 15:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 1:30pm
An apathetic young woman attends her dad's wake, 20 years after he abandoned her family.
INNER SPACE
DIRECTOR JAMIE LAM / RUN TIME 10:00 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 8 pm
Chosen to be one of the first colonizers on Mars, a young woman must face the reality of leaving her home planet for good.
KILLING FOR SPARK
DIRECTOR MICHAEL SANGALANG / RUN TIME 10:40 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 10:00 pm
Two thirty-somethings find themselves in a rut. Work. Groceries. Laundry. Rinse. Repeat.
Another mundane day. Another trip home from the grocery store. Another meaningless fight in the car and an accident impacts their lives forever. Reigniting their passion for life and one another in bloody love. First comes loathe, then comes murder.
LAST STAND TO NOWHERE
DIRECTOR MICHELLE MULDOON / RUN TIME 15:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
The Clantons; horse thieves, cattle rustlers, sisters who believe that the town's fortunes are theirs for the taking. The Earps are the strong arm of justice; sisters raised by a hard-nosed father to unflinchingly right the wrongs of a cruel world. Last Stand to Nowhere is an all-female re-imagining of the most famous gunfight in the history of the West; the ultimate family feud that finds its resolution at the end of a gun barrel one sun-drenched morning at the OK Corral.
LATE NIGHT
DIRECTOR NICK DRUMMOND-HAY / RUN TIME 12 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
An aging Celebrity, Roy Russell has believed he is untouchable for years but during his final radio show, a mystery caller will expose who he truly is. Roy tries desperately to cut her off but she will not be silenced anymore.
LAURA
DIRECTOR KAAYLA WHACHELL / RUN TIME 12:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
Laura, a young half Indigenous woman undergoes a conversation with her lawyer Mr. Wilson to determine how to present her case before the court. Mr. Wilson attempts to keep the process positive, but his ignorance begins to make Laura question her identity and her place in society.
LIGHT THERAPY | VANCOUVER
DIRECTOR SEBASTIAN HILL-ESBRAND / RUN TIME 10:00 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
Light Therapy is a short documentary that showcases a musician trio, a VR Multidisciplinary artist and a fashion designer who bypasses the city’s lack of infrastructure, social isolation and very real impacts of seasonal affective disorder. In the film, we follow their creative process and uncover how they foster community to make Vancouver work for them.
LIVE FEED
DIRECTOR STEPHANIE IZSAK / RUN TIME 5:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 10:00 pm
Chani has been streaming her party all night, enticing reluctant friend Keara to come. When their app starts glitching and an unexpected guest arrives, technology's dark effect on our lives and our minds comes into a horrifying new light. Based on real technology found in our everyday lives, Livefeed is a playful cautionary nightmare giving new meaning to the work 'cyberattack'.
DIRECTOR SAM MOHSENI / RUN TIME 17:00 MIN
POPLIFE
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
With the backdrop of a sudden family crisis and recent political unrest in Iran, POPLIFE is a coming of age tale of a young Iranian student studying abroad and processing life’s trials through music.
PRAWN
DIRECTOR ANDREW GILLINGHAM / RUN TIME 10:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
An overzealous waiter is emotionally triggered when he sees prawns burning alive for the dinner special.
SALOON DOORS
DIRECTOR SANTIAGO ARAUJO HENDERSON / RUN TIME 9:30 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
People are dream machines running around trying not to lose each other. On the opening day of Grace's art show, Hank gets a feeling that she is leaving him and sets off to find out where that feeling came from.
SMILE MASK
DIRECTOR DEAN DISANJH / RUN TIME 19:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
An exhausted birthday clown is confronted with an absurd home invasion after a depressing night at work.
SOUND WATER
DIRECTOR JON CHIANG / RUN TIME 13:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
SWEET RELEASE
DIRECTOR MEESHELLE NEAL / RUN TIME 11:30 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
When the love of her life falls ill, a headstrong and passionate woman learns that keeping someone alive, at any cost, might not be worth it in the end.
SYNNOPSIS
DIRECTOR MIKE JOHNSTON / RUN TIME 11 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
Aidan "Synn" Pringle is a second generation professional wrestler, who trained to be the best. But when he was sabotaged in his WWE tryout match, he quit the business. This isn't a story of failure. This is the story of losing in the ring, but winning in life.
TAMPON
DIRECTOR ERICA OROFINO / RUN TIME 5:30 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
Katie's about to have a romantic night with her guy when her period keeps getting in the way.
THE BLUE BED
DIRECTOR ALIREZA KAZEMIPOUR / RUN TIME 10 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 3:00 pm
Zahra is a middle-aged woman who visits a temporary marriage agency and signs up to have a young working girl. She picks her up to take her home but the girl (Negar) who has never had a female client before, becomes suspicious of Zahra’s intent and sexual orientation.
THE CHADDENING
DIRECTOR LEE SHORTEN, KATRINA SALISBURY / RUN TIME 5 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 10:00 pm
A young man moves into a college sharehouse only to find his new roomates aren't what he expected.
THE EMERGENCY BRAKE
DIRECTOR MACY HOW / RUN TIME 4:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25 2020 @ 7:30pm
An animated short film by the 2019 class of the Powell River Digital Film School. A collaboration between students who are passionate about the state of their world and future. Animated to the powerful words of Greta Thunberg.
THE EVENING THREAD
DIRECTOR IRIS MOORE / RUN TIME 10:00 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 6:00 pm
An old woman prepares to die. Accompanied by her granddaughter, she reflects on the memories of her life, and on the profound experience of being human, before taking the next step into the unknown.
THE MUSIC BOX
DIRECTOR JOE CHANG / RUN TIME 11:30 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 1:30 pm
This animated short film is based on a real story and sets in China during the Cultural Revolution in 1967, It is about a young boy Liang Liang, whose family is suddenly taken to the countryside by Red Guards. He is able to grab the only thing he treasures which is a western style music box, and is careful not to expose it to the red guards since it was linked to western culture.
THE SEAHORSE TRAINER
DIRECTOR RICARDO BONISOLI, BABAK BINA / RUNTIME 13:00 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 6:00 pm
Enter the surreal and nautical world of Seamour. A lonely old man with a passion for training seahorses. Desperate to have his most prized seahorse perform the highly ambitious “Triple Back Flip”, the final day of training has come and it’s up to his knowledge, preparation and the seahorse’s determination to see the trick come to life. But when the hourglass turns, Seamour realizes it is even harder than he thought and he must overcome his troubled past before the magic fades or the trick will never be achieved.
UNKEPT
DIRECTOR MICHAEL P. VIDLER / RUN TIME 16:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
A young boy makes a life-changing decision despite his mother’s expectations. A compelling story of family, faith and belonging.
VANCOUVER TESS
DIRECTOR RYLEY O'BYRNE / RUN TIME 17 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 7:30 pm
After a night of heavy partying, twenty-something Tess wakes up naked in a strangers bed and must face the lonely reality of her life. While her evenings are vibrant, spent in hedonistic revelry with so-called friends, her days are long and banal, lacking in meaningful human interaction. Vancouver Tess is at once a meditative portrait of Vancouver circa 2010, and a depiction of early millennial culture and the still prevalent misinterpretation of connectivity for community.
VINNY'S GIRL
DIRECTOR HARRISON HOUDE / RUN TIME 9:30 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 4:30 pm
In an alternate era, Vinny, an awkward dreamer, falls deeply in love with the voice behind a particular album. Now he must go to extreme lengths to rid himself from reality and continue collecting his dream girl.
WHO AM I
DIRECTOR ADHEL AROP / RUN TIME 21 MIN
Sunday, January 26, 2020 @ 6:00 pm
‘Who Am I’ tells the story of Canadian model Adhel’s quest for identity as she reconciles with her mother’s past as a child soldier in South Sudan.
WORDFLAY
DIRECTOR DUNCAN CARR, TYLER GILBERT / RUN TIME 7:00 MIN
Saturday, January 25, 2020 @ 10:00 pm
A novice horror screenwriter is confronted by his own genre.