"Rising Stars, Revolutionary Stories": VSFF Announces 13th Edition Festival Lineup

The Vancouver Short Film Festival (VSFF) is thrilled to be back in theatres for our 13th annual festival, which will showcase innovative and original short films from across Canada. This year’s festival features 57 films across six programs, including 13 films in our popular After Dark block. All of this year’s films will screen in-person at the VIFF Centre from June 2nd - 4th. Films will also be available online via Eventive Virtual from June 2nd - 11th.

Our 2023 festival is one of “Rising Stars, Revolutionary Stories”, with a lineup that features bold storytelling and daring experimentation from some of Canada’s most talented filmmakers. We are proud to highlight British Columbia’s homegrown artists with 45 films from BC filmmakers, and to give a platform to up-and-coming talent by including 14 student films.

As part of our efforts to create opportunities for filmmakers, VSFF has organized a number of filmmaker-exclusive events to take place at the ANNEX (823 Seymour St) during the festival. These include networking sessions, industry roundtables, and an awards presentation that will see the festival give out over $30,000 in cash and in-kind prizes. These prizes are courtesy of our generous festival sponsors.

Emily Weldon and Nicolas Ayerbe Barona, VSFF’s Festival Co-Directors, had this to say about the 2023 lineup: “After reviewing a record-high number of festival entries, our film programs represent a series of unapologetically bold, compassionate, delightful, and provoking short films that demand your attention now. Held in-person and in-theatre for the first time since January 2020, the 13th annual VSFF will be a celebration of uniquely Canadian stories and storytellers that harness the short form with potent and moving vision. Emerging and established filmmakers from coast to coast have brought you their best, and viewers better not turn away. Join us to “Keep It Short” and feast on everything the power of short film has to offer!”

Films to watch out for this year include:

N'xaxaitkw (dir. Asia Youngman)

Drama/Thriller. After moving to a new town, a teenager must navigate peer pressure when her next-door neighbour convinces her to explore a nearby island in search of a legendary lake monster.

Stay (dir. King Louie Palomo)

Drama. Starring Canada's Drag Race legend Kendall Gender, Stay is a tender exploration of relationships. On their last night in town, Kaleb – known more commonly by the stage name Ivy Diamonds– meets Ryan, an artist from Vancouver. The few hours they spend together bring an unexpected sense of clarity.

Swallow Flying to the South (dir. Mochi Lin)

Documentary/Animation. Spring 1976. 5-year-old Swallow is abandoned at a public boarding preschool in central Beijing. When the persimmons are ripe, Swallow masters how to cry, but doesn't forget how to fly.

Immaculate Virtual (dir. Ryley O'Byrne)

Experimental. A film essay contemplating the nature of reality, intimacy, and loss in the bewildering space where technology and humanity intertwine.

Weeds are Flowers, Too (dir. Kay Shioma Metchie)

Comedy. Gardening is more than just a fun pastime for Evelyn. How far will this newlywed go to satiate her jealousy and desires to have the best garden on the block?

Zeb's Spider (dir. Alicia Eisen & Sophie Jarvis)

Animation. Inside the safe space of their basement apartment, Zeb fends off the bad luck of the outside world with an assortment of ritualized behaviours. That is, until an eight-legged force of fate invades, challenging her most insular existence.

Tickets and festival passes are on sale now at https://vsff.eventive.org/welcome. To explore VSFF’s complete 2023 programming, visit www.vsff.com/films

About VSFF

The Vancouver Short Film Festival (VSFF) is a celebration of Canada’s vibrant community of short film, documentary, and animation artists. Our goal is to elevate talent from British Columbia and connect BC creators to the greater film industry nationwide. By providing an arena for short filmmakers to showcase their films to the public, we help build ties between emerging filmmakers, established professionals, and their local communities.

Vancouver Short Film Festival and the city of Vancouver where we operate is located on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations. For further information on these and other Indigenous territories where we live, work, and create, we invite you to learn more at native-land.ca.

VSFF Social Media Handles & Hashtags

Facebook: @VanShortFilmFest

Instagram: @VanShortFilmFest

Twitter: @VSFF

#VSFF2023 #VSFF #KeepItShort

Key Links

View Film Schedule: www.vsff.com/attend-2023

View Film Guide: www.vsff.com/films

Buy Single Tickets: https://vsff.eventive.org/welcome

Buy Festival Ticket Packs: https://vsff.eventive.org/passes/buy

Virtual Festival FAQ (technical questions, etc): https://watch.eventive.org/help

Ticket Information