TIFF announces eclectic Short Cuts programme for 2023

Toronto International Film Festival announced this year’s Short Cuts lineup, supported by Ontario Arts Council, showcasing 42 live action narrative, documentary, and animated shorts by a groundbreaking group of filmmakers representing 23 countries.

More than half of this year’s selections are directed or co-directed by female and female-identifying filmmakers. TIFF alumni directors with new films at Short Cuts include Yann Demange, Jasmin Mozaffari, Miryam Charles, Farnoosh Samadi, Halima Ouardiri, Renee Zhan, Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto, and the team of Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan. Among the directors with short films at the Festival for the first time are Malia Ann and Canadian actor Mackenzie Davis. Among the notable performers in this year’s slate of new shorts are Riz Ahmed (DAMMI) and Kaniehtiio Horn (Redlights).

A robust selection of new animated short films will be showcased in the programme this year. Animated films in Short Cuts include the North American Premieres of 27, recipient of the Short Film Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and Electra, director Daria Kashcheeva’s stunning follow-up to Daughter, an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Short and a Short Cuts selection in 2019. Three animated shorts at this year’s Festival are This is TMI by India’s Subarna Dash and Vidushi Gupta, Mboa Matanda by Cameroon’s Jules Kalla Eyango, and Aphasia by Canada’s Marielle Dalpé.

Along with remarkable new works by international filmmakers, Short Cuts includes 19 selections by Canadian filmmakers, including World Premieres of films by Marni Van Dyk (This is Not About Swimming), Eva Thomas (Redlights), Karsten Wall (Modern Goose), and Ivan D. Ossa (Express).

“We are thrilled to be able to present such a diverse array of incredible new works by emergent and established film talents from all over the world,” said Short Cuts lead programmer Jason Anderson. “We were knocked out by the level of craft and ingenuity in these films, as well as the boldness displayed by so many filmmakers as they explore subjects and themes that couldn’t be timelier or more personal. That’s especially true of the films we’re grateful to present that are by female and female-identifying filmmakers, which comprise nearly 60 percent of this year’s selection.”

Short Cuts is also the first place where TIFF audiences discovered many of world cinema’s most acclaimed filmmakers, including such recent breakout talents as Charlotte Wells (Aftersun), Saim Sadiq (Joyland), and Luis De Filippis (Something You Said Last Night). Short Cuts alumni directors with first features at this year’s Festival include Fawzia Mirza (The Queen of My Dreams) and Nora El Hourch (Sisterhood).

The 2023 Short Cuts lineup includes 21 World Premieres, 13 North American Premieres, and 5 International Premieres presented in 19 different languages, with a breadth of new and unique perspectives.

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SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 1

DAMMI Yann Mounir Demange | France
North American Premiere

La Perra Carla Melo Gampert | Colombia/France
North American Premiere

Been There Corina Schwingruber Ilić | Switzerland
International Premiere

Primetime Mother Sonny Calvento | Philippines/Singapore
World Premiere

Meteor Atefeh Khademolreza | Canada
World Premiere

Nun or Never! Heta Jäälinoja | Finland
North American Premiere

Gaby’s Hills Zoé Pelchat | Canada
North American Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 2

Fár Gunnur Martinsdóttir Schlüter | Iceland
North American Premiere

The Skates Halima Ouardiri | Canada
World Premiere

Bloom Kasey Lum | Canada
World Premiere

Nada de todo esto Francisco Cantón, Patricio Martínez | Argentina/Spain/USA
North American Premiere

1001 Nights Rea Rajčić | Croatia
World Premiere

Redlights Eva Thomas | Canada
World Premiere

Electra Daria Kashcheeva | Czech Republic/France/Slovakia
North American Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 3

This is TMI Subarna Dash, Vidushi Gupta | India
International Premiere

Titanic, Suitable Version for Iranian Families Farnoosh Samadi | Iran/France
World Premiere

All the Days of May Miryam Charles | Canada
Canadian Premiere

Bird Ana Cristina Barragán | Ecuador/Spain
World Premiere

Aftercare Anubha Momin | Canada
World Premiere

Shé (Snake) Renee Zhan | United Kingdom
World Premiere

Human Resources Trinidad Plass Caussade, Titouan Tillier, Isaac Wenzek | France
Canadian Premiere

Making Babies Eric K. Boulianne | Canada
North American Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 4

Alberto and the Beast John Paul Lopez-Ali | USA
World Premiere

Mboa Matanda Jules Kalla Eyango | Cameroon
World Premiere

Mothers and Monsters Edith Jorisch | Canada
World Premiere

Express Ivan D. Ossa | Canada
World Premiere

Baigal Nuur – Lake Baikal Alisi Telengut | Germany/Canada
North American Premiere

The Passing Ivete Lucas, Patrick Xavier Bresnan | USA
North American Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 5

WOACA Mackenzie Davis | United Kingdom
World Premiere

A Bird Called Memory Leonardo Martinelli | Brazil/United Kingdom
North American Premiere

Sawo Matang Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto | Canada/Indonesia/USA
World Premiere

Aphasia Marielle Dalpé | Canada
World Premiere

Ever Since, I Have Been Flying Aylin Gökmen | Switzerland
International Premiere

I Used to Live There Ryan McKenna | Canada
North American Premiere

This is Not About Swimming Marni Van Dyk | Canada
World Premiere

SHORT CUTS PROGRAMME 6

27 Flóra Anna Buda | France/Hungary
North American Premiere

Xie Xie, Ollie James Michael Chiang | Canada
World Premiere

The Heart Malia Ann | USA
International Premiere

6 Minutes Per Kilometer Catherine Boivin | Canada
Toronto Premiere

Modern Goose Karsten Wall | Canada
World Premiere

Sheephead Spencer Creigh | USA
International Premiere

Motherland Jasmin Mozaffari | Canada
World Premiere