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
