Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival ~ 2023

PLEASE NOTE this page is dedicated to information about our 11th annual festival happening in Victoria and online May 5-31, 2023.

CLICK HERE >> for information on our NATIONAL TOUR happening May 29 - June 24, 2023.

CineVic presents the 11th annual Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival

5-13 May 2023
Victoria

14-31 May 2023
Online

29 May - 24 June 2023
Across Canada

Browse photos from the 2023 festival

More than 40 short films in 7 screening programs over 2 weekends
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Curated selections from dozens of regions around the Pacific Ocean including Vancouver Island, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Colombia, Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hawaii, California, British Columbia, and more
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Join us in the cinema or watch online
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CINE⚡️SPARK Top 5 Pitch Event
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Odeon Alley outdoor mini-cinema
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Filmmaker and audience networking opportunities

Land Acknowledgement

CineVic acknowledges and respects the long and ongoing history of the Lək̓ʷəŋən-speaking people, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, as well as the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations, on whose traditional and unceded territory we carry out our activities.

Trailer

PLEASE NOTE this page is dedicated to information about our 11th annual festival happening in Victoria and online May 5-31.

CLICK HERE >> for information on our NATIONAL TOUR happening May 29 - June 24.

FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Friday May 5th 2023:

OPENING NIGHT

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Friday 5 May 2023
Doors @ 6:30pm
Program begins @ approx. 7:30 pm
Parkside Hotel ~ Urban Ballroom
810 Humboldt Street

FREE admission • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

Join us on Friday May 5th to kick off the 2023 festival!

• Welcoming performance by the Lək̓ʷəŋən Traditional Dancers

• Preview some of this year's official selections with a short screening of trailers

• Tunes by DJ Ozzie

• Enjoy catered nibbles and a cash bar

Saturday May 6th 2023:

THE MASTER'S TOOLS

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Saturday 6 May 2023
7:00 pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street

$12 admission or Festival Pass • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

Seven short films about the nexus of art and activism, and those brave enough to hold up a mirror to themselves and society.

This program is rated 14A. Content warnings: re-enactments of drug use and addiction, references to gender-based oppression, flashing/strobing images.

Seraji
Victoria • 6 minutes • Landon Johnston

An Independent cartoonist (Seraji) introduces his comic book "Fourth Dimensional" and explores the art of comic book creation.

Landon Johnston is a filmmaker from Chilliwack BC. He currently studies Motion Picture Production at Pacific Design Academy in Victoria BC.

Taonga: An Artist Activist
Cook Islands • 15 minutes • Glenda Tuaine

Mike Tavioni's connection to art, culture, and knowledge is as important to him as breathing is to life.

Glenda Tuaine is an award-winning Pacific creative who collaborates with international and Cook Islands filmmakers to create documentaries, short films, feature films, social campaigns, educational modules and TV Series. Working in the Cook Islands and in our Moana Nui a Kiva - Our Pacific requires an understanding of our environment, our culture and our people. She is a Producer, Director and Scriptwriter and she focuses on knowledge sharing and impact change.

Mana Over Meth
New Zealand • 10 minutes • Holly Beckham

Determined to break the cycle for her tamariki, one wāhine toa turns her troubled life of addiction and trauma around by rediscovering her wairua and reclaiming her mana.

Holly Beckham is one of the new generation of Māori wāhine in the New Zealand film and television industry. An aspiring documentary director, her kaupapa is to give voice to others. Holly's first powerful documentary about addiction He Ara Anō has won numerous awards and been shown at festivals globally and in Aotearoa. It was created while a student at South Seas Film School. Holly is proud of her Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rangi heritage and knows that it is what makes her storytelling approach so strong. As a recovering addict who is 3 years clean she is ideally placed to tell the story of Mana Wāhine.
Ko Poērua tōku maunga
Ko Te kirikiri tōku awa
Ko ngawha tōku marae
Ko E koro kia tutuki whare tupuna
Ko Ngātokimatawharua tōku waka
Ko Ngāti Rangi tōku hapu
Ko Ngāpuhi tōku iwi

autoetnografía
Colombia • 15 minutes • Iván Reina Ortiz

My body, my films, my genderqueer identity. What is my place in this world?

Iván Reina Ortiz is a filmmaker, film programmer, arts manager, and director/producer of “The Squatters of the Devil’s House and autoethnografía. In 2020 they co-curated and produced Más Allá del Trabajo - Beyond Work, Labour Film Festival for the Cinematheque of Bogota. They were invited as guest curator for OutFest's The OutMuseum with the short film programme "Queer workers of the world, unite!" They currently work at Cinematheque of Bogota as Programming Coordinator.

The Minute I Was Born
Vancouver • 5 mintues • Sina Moazzenizadeh

A short film tackling the symbolic gender equality and black oppression in the Middle East.

Sina Moazzenizadeh is an emerging Iranian-Canadian filmmaker, and graduated from documentary filmmaking at Capilano university. Within the last two years, he established his poetic filmmaking style by producing and directing award-winning documentaries and short films. His journey continues as a founder of HELZ PICTURES which produces and supports indie films.

From Chile to Canada: Media Herstories
Vancouver • 16 minutes • Sarah Shamash, Sonia Medel

Through feminist solidarities on unceded Coast Salish land, the contributions of Latinx women reveal an intergenerational network of media art genealogies.

Sarah Shamash is an artist, educator, and media scholar living and raising her son on unsurrendered Indigenous lands in Vancouver. Her film and artworks have been shown in curated exhibitions and film festivals internationally. She currently teaches film studies and studio based practices at the University of British Columbia and Emily Carr University of Art + Design.

Sonia Medel is currently a PhD Candidate in Education at the University of British Columbia and working as a lead on diverse curatorial and publishing projects. A visibly racialized Indigenous-Afro-European descendant, Chilean-Peruvian Latina, Medel is grateful to the Coast Salish peoples and lands on which she was born and primarily develops her practices.

Rooted
Fiji • 5 minutes • Mia Kami

An energizing reflection on the deep connection between people of the Pacific, their land, sea, and identity.

Mia Kami is a singer/songwriter & activist from the island of Tonga. She is passionate about the importance of Indigenous knowledge, decolonizing the mind, and climate activism. She incorporates her passions into her music and uses her music as a platform to advocate for issues she feels are relevant to her Pacific brothers and sisters.

PLEASE HOLD THE LINE

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Saturday 6 May 2023
9:00 pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street

$12 admission or Festival Pass • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

Catch the world premiere of the newest Cinespark winning film, along with four more shorts that will leave you hanging on the edge of your seat.

This program is rated 14A. Content warnings: language, gun violence, references to sexual abuse and abortion.

The Girl In The Forest
Victoria • 22 minutes • Hoo Youn Kwon

* 2022 CINE⚡️SPARK Winner - World Premiere *

Young Clara has grown up with a guerrilla group isolated in the middle of the forest -- until her curiosity is triggered by a city girl.

Taking inspiration from meaningful life events and human potential for depth, Hoo Youn Kwon finds storytelling through film the best way to captivate and deliver relevant stories. He was born in South America to Korean parents which allowed him to grow culturally diverse and develop a particular perspective on society.

Avalanches
California • 14 minutes • Liz Lian

When his younger brother joins the team, a high school lacrosse player is forced to confront his coach’s sexual abuse and the institutional pressures stacked against him.

Liz Lian is a first-generation Chinese American filmmaker from New Jersey. She is a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and Princeton University. Her mission as a filmmaker is to inspire audiences toward self-expression, discovery, and empathy through thought-provoking stories led by underdogs and underrepresented voices.

N'xaxaitkw
Vancouver • 16 minutes • Asia Youngman

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.

Asia Youngman is an award-winning director and screenwriter based in Vancouver, Canada. Named as one of Playback’s “10 to Watch”, she is an alumna from the TIFF Filmmaker Lab, the TIFF Talent Accelerator, the Canadian Academy Directors Program for Women, the Berlinale DocSalon Toolbox Programme and the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative.Most recently, she was the recipient of the Directors Guild of Canada BC Emerging Greenlight with her latest short film N’XAXAITK (2022) which was nominated for five Leo Awards. She is currently in post-production on a feature documentary with ESPN and has partnered with Entertainment One to adapt a novel from New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith for television.

The Fourth
California • 12 minutes • Johnny Kirk

Eager to celebrate the 4th of July, Rey and his friends experience a police encounter that shatters the meaning of the holiday.

Johnny Kirk is a filmmaker, writer, and director with a mixed cultural heritage. His recent script tackles the complexity of black and brown identities, communities, and mental health. Kirk's rich work uses surreal, magical realist narrative methods to engage the audience in an experience best described as visually immersive.

Please Hold The Line
Malaysia • 19 minutes • Tan Ce Ding

A young scam call operator is thrust into a moral dilemma as she navigates a life-changing situation.

Tan Ce Ding is a Malaysia-based filmmaker who works as a Director and Writer. He is an alumnus of the Asian Film Academy (AFA) where he won the Motion Picture Association (MPA) President's Special Recognition Award. His short film “The Masseuse” (2018) is acquired by Hollywood powerhouse Miramax Studio, to be developed into a feature film. In 2022, he directed and wrote his latest short film "Please Hold the Line", which had its World Premiere in the 79th Venice Film Festival.

Sunday May 7th 2023:

THE TRAIL OF OUR ANCESTORS

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Sunday 7 May 2023
5:00 pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street

$12 admission or Festival Pass • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

Six cross-genre films about those who came before us and forged the paths we walk on.

This program is rated PG.

A Bear’s Necessities
Vancouver Island • 9 minutes • Jemma Titheridge

One scientist’s decades-long mission to understand the secrets of black bear dens – and how to protect them before it’s too late.

Jemma Titheridge has been part of teams producing science and nature inspired documentaries for both global broadcasters and focused, local outlets and campaigns. In 2020 Jemma joined Vancouver Island based production company Wild Bus Films and harnessing her scientific background in biology with her experience working on the highest standards of film production, she directed A Bear's Necessities in partnership with Hakai Magazine with the ambition to shine a light on the challenges which face the iconic black bears of the Pacific Northwest.

Diiyeghan naii Taii Tr'eedaa (We Will Walk the Trail of our Ancestors)
Alaska • 6 minutes • Princess Daazhraii Johnson

A Gwich’in grandfather teaches his granddaughter how reciprocity is embedded in our lives.

Princess Daazhraii Johnson lives on the traditional territory of lower Tanana Dene lands in Alaska. She is the Creative Producer for the Peabody award-winning PBS Kids series "Molly of Denali."

Tiny
Vancouver Island • 16 minutes • Ritchie Hemphill & Ryan Haché

'Nakwaxda'xw Elder Colleen Hemphill tells the story of her life as a youth growing up on a float house.

Ritchie Hemphill grew up on Tsulquate reserve and was raised by his community, the Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw people. Ritchie is both a filmmaker and a recording musician, working to create art that is healing for himself and for his people. Ritchie co-founded the award winning stop motion animation film studio Bronfree Films with his film partner Ryan Haché in 2015, and created a number of short films that include Indigenous legends, language revitalization and Elder storytelling. Ritchie’s goal is to render his people’s traditional stories in a beautiful light through his films.

Ryan Haché is a self-taught stop motion animator and short film director working in claymation and 2D animation. His works range from realism to abstract absurdity and macabre humour. Ryan is driven to create alluring oddity in his work hoping to charm people with the innate strangeness of claymation. In 2015 he co-founded the creative studio Bronfree Films and has since produced dozens of independent short animations in collaboration with indie artists and musicians. He continues to seek creative collaboration with diverse artists to facilitate and actualize human expression and beauty.

Pili Ka Mo'o
Hawaii • 14 minutes • Justyn Ah Chong

A Native Hawaiian taro farming family is drawn into a complex quest to preserve their ancestral land.

Justyn Ah Chong is an award-winning Native Hawaiian filmmaker, whose films have screened at festivals around the world. He continues to share culturally-inspired, place-based stories through his company, Olonā Media.

Hawaiian Soul
Hawaii • 19 minutes • ʻĀina Paikai

The story of Hawaiian hero, musician, and activist, George Helm.

Āina Paikai is a native Hawaiian filmmaker aiming to amplify Indigenous voices. Paikai wrote and stars in the award-winning short film, Down on the Sidewalk in Waikīkī (2019), inspired by poet Wayne Kaumualii Westlake. He followed up with writing and directing the short-film, Hawaiian Soul (2020), a bio-pic drama that celebrates George Helm Jr., a Hawaiian hero that helped to stop the bombing of Kahoʻolawe.

Nest
Australia • 9 minutes • James Hunter

An isolated father haunted by his child's cries of hunger takes up work as a timber feller only to be stopped by a mysterious alarm coming from deep in the woods.

James Hunter is a multi-award winning director from Australia. His background is in short films, music videos and commercials and he is currently developing a number of feature films. His most recent short film NEST premiered Internationally at Sitges and has played at over a dozen festivals worldwide.

CINE⚡️SPARK PITCH EVENT

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Sunday 7 May 2023
7:00 pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street

Free admission • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

Every year CINE⚡SPARK awards a package of cash, equipment, and production services to an outstanding short screenplay by a filmmaker from the Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands region.

After a call for short scripts under 10 pages, the Top 5 entries pitch their projects at Short Circuit and the best pitch walks away with more than $20,000 worth of resources to create their short film -- courtesy of CineVic, William F White International, and Modo.

The lucky filmmaker will have a year to complete the project and then see it premiere at next year’s Short Circuit!

The production prize package includes:

$2,500 cash grant
$14,000 in-kind equipment rentals from CineVic
$2,500 in-kind equipment rentals from William F. White
$500 Modo driving credits toward production van rental
Production Insurance - 10 consecutive days of coverage ($225 value)
One-year complimentary CineVic Production Membership ($220 value)
Interview segment on Push In - The CineVic Podcast
50% discount on services by ScreenReaders.com – comprehensive screenplay notes from industry experts
World premiere screening at Short Circuit

Presenting the 2023 CINE⚡️SPARK Top 5:

Dante's Door
Aspiring poet Sarah Finn lives alone and has just finished the last semester of her arts degree online during the global pandemic. Crushing on her twice-divorced, shy, middle- aged professor, she hatches a plan. After handing in her final paper, and finding out her professor is up for the biggest poetry prize in Canada, she hops a flight to Toronto to be his surprise date for the evening. But when she arrives at his hotel, he won’t let her in to his room.

Writer: Carmen Morgan
When not creating content for clients, Carmen Morgan writes plays and essays. In 2017, Apricot Stones played at the Edmonton Fringe Festival and in 2022, Dante’s Door received Honourable Mention from the Playwrights Guild of Alberta, and was produced for stage at the Brave New Playwrights Festival on Granville Island in Vancouver BC. It was recently commissioned for a short film. Carmen has also published for various magazines and newspapers including Avenue, Confluence, Alberta Venture, and The Edmonton Journal.

Domovyk
When her lonely grandmother Olena calls on zoom, busy Vancouverite Pauline spies something lurking on Olena’s screen, forcing Olena to confess to the panicking Pauline that she has a friendly domovyk, or house spirit, and forcing Paula to revisit the painful memories of her childhood when Olena was her only solace.

Writer: Claire Mulligan
Claire Mulligan loves making her characters say things she never could. She’s the author of two novels and lots of short stories; her first short film was shot in 2019. Recently her co-written script Obscura won the DGC award and is in production. She teaches writing and edits for anyone.

Fawn
Last night, Noah’s partner Lou, turned violent. Noah should leave. But this morning, a wild, sick bear has wandered into Noah’s home, trapping them. To survive the encounter, Noah must use an odd gift from an old friend to buy just enough time to escape - leaving everything, even shame, behind.

Writer: Michael Anthony
As writer, director, and producer, Michael Anthony makes near-future commercials for major tech companies like Workday; stunning viral music videos for artists like Diplo, Rebecca Black, and bbno$; and compelling documentaries about community leadership. A survivor of intimate partner violence, Michael wrote Fawn to help better understand and support trauma survivors.

Oh, Beth
In order to say yes to herself and a great match in her friend zone, a codependent, middle-aged woman must learn to say no to significant others.

Writer: Jes Sugrue
Jes Sugrue writes what she loves to watch: female-led, character-driven features that are layered and emotionally honest, whether they're dramas or dramedies. Three of her six screenplays are set, at least in part, in Ireland, a nod to ancestors who were not afraid to go deep with a story and then pepper it with humor and hope. All of her scripts have won laurels this year including her first short, “Oh, Beth!” which she hopes to direct this year. She is a grateful member of CineVic and WIFTV.

Weekends Off
A young and vibrant Maryanne has the weekend off and nervously initiates a romantic evening with Mark, the photographer who took portrait shots that almost went too far. This time Maryanne was ready… but found herself in an unexpected relationship.

Writer: James Leard
James Leard is the founding Artistic Director of the Story Theatre Company and has worked with most of the local theatre companies as an Actor, Writer, Producer and Director. He has over 20 film roles including: The X-Files, Highlander, Da Vinci’s Inquest and Intelligence. His present focus is writing and photography.

CINE⚡️SPARK Pitch Event Host:

JBird McLaughlin has been entertaining, offending & occasionally unnerving audiences for over 20 years. They have been called "hilarious", "iconic", & "scary good". They live in Oak Bay with their mother.

CINE⚡️SPARK Pitch Jury:

Leaning on 17+ years in the motion picture industries, Tug Phipps has worn many creative and technical hats, having Written, Produced, Directed and Edited more than 100hrs of internationally broadcast content, seen in 90+ countries and reached global audiences of over 100m. Never one to go by the book or say no to an adventure - he has produced content for major corporate clients, documentaries in environmental protest camps, events in the strength & combat sports world, and slept in vans and squats while shooting tour films with punk bands. Joining William F. White in 2016, Tug connects with creators both emerging and well-seasoned in navigating the production landscape.
When working with a project, Tug takes the time to understand and align with the creative vision and looks to find ways to propel the creators forward.

Jemma Titheridge is passionate about telling stories that inspire, and bringing ideas to life. From managing challenging logistics in remote locations to creative storytelling, Jemma’s talents have helped deliver premium natural history and specialist-factual content for major international productions. Supported by a scientific background in animal biology and marine biology, she has a knack for finding and telling incredible stories from the natural world. Having worked on productions for broadcasters including the BBC, National Geographic, Disney+ and PBS, Jemma brings a wealth of experience in delivering content that meets the highest standards of natural history and specialist-factual filmmaking.

Johnny Kirk is a filmmaker, writer, and director with a mixed cultural heritage born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He is a Social Science and Film graduate from Cal State University, Los Angeles, and has recently entered its Film Scriptwriting and Photography graduate program. He was an actor at a young age, and was featured in several cable and independent films. He is creative director and founder of Dark Blu Productions, and his recent script tackles the complexity of black and brown identities, communities, and mental health. Kirk's rich work uses surreal, magical realist narrative methods to engage the audience in an experience best described as visually immersive.

CINE⚡️SPARK Script Jury:

Nicolas Riini
Louisa Phung
Jeremy Lutter

Friday May 12th 2023:

YOLO

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Friday 12 May 2023
7:00 pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street

$12 admission or Festival Pass • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

You only live once. Seize the day. Push it to the limit.

This program is rated PG. Content warnings: language, references to suicide.

The Runner
Vancouver • 17 minutes • Amar Chebib

After suffering from suicidal depression, Darius Sam, a 20-year-old from Lower Nicola First Nation, attempts to run a 100-mile ultramarathon in subzero temperatures to raise awareness for mental health in his community.

Syrian-Canadian filmmaker Amar Chebib began making videos while growing up skateboarding in the Middle East. With sensitivity and style, his work pushes the boundaries between genres and is rooted in the perspective of the underrepresented. He resides with his wife and daughter on Coast Salish territory in Vancouver, BC.

Skin Swimmer
Vancouver • 7 minutes • Hannah Walsh

Roberta trains for one of the most challenging feats in action sports – an ice mile in 5-degree water, wearing only a swimsuit.

As an emerging director, Hannah Walsh's work focuses on bringing awareness to the need for more inclusivity in action sports. Walsh’s empathetic and curious nature, combined with her extensive background in competitive collegiate swimming, provides her the unique skill set to craft heartfelt, compelling stories that she hopes will spark positive change in the world.

Beyond Begbie
Revelstoke • 15 minutes • Zoya Lynch

A short film that explores the history of the land and its shared significance to Indigenous groups and mountain sports enthusiasts.

Zoya Lynch is a filmmaker and photographer based in beautiful Revelstoke BC, with respect and acknowledgement that it is the traditional unceded territory of the Sinixt, Sylix, Ktunaxa and Secwépemc Nations. She has earned recognition for her work working with commercial brands, major publications in the action sports industry and most recently directing and editing short documentary films. Working through a view-finder as a photographer and filmmaker has allowed Zoya to translate her deep reverence for the natural world through a tapestry of light-filled moments. She is constantly seeking to combine the wilderness and stories of human connection, achievement and wonder.

Exposed.
Australia • 17 minutes • Kitalé Wilson

To dream is natural, but to expose oneself to their dreams is essential. Filmmaker Kitalé Wilson embarked on a bike-ski traverse from the Australian coast inland across the sunburnt Outback to the Snowy Mountains. It was here he shed rubber for skis, summiting all of Australia's 10-highest peaks. Accompanying him on this journey was a vintage camera and a single roll of analogue film.

Kitalé Wilson is a 22-year-old Director, Writer and Cinematographer from the east coast of Australia. His passion for storytelling evolved from analogue photography and an intrigue about the human condition. His recent work explores the nature of dreaming in the context of adventure.

Dear Mr. Dudley
Cortes Island • 13 minutes • Morgan Rhys Tams

At the age of thirty-one, Morgan Tams sent a letter to a complete stranger on the other side of the country. All he had was a name - and a hunch that this person was the father he never met.

Morgan Rhys Tams is a Canadian artist with an interest in the inherent iconography and symbolism of landscape, and the humanity within it. His film credits include the documentaries 'Dear Mr. Dudley' (2021) 'Strangers in a Strange Land' (2016) and 'Bella and Don' (2016), site specific and interactive works 'Window Movie' (2016) and 'A Cartography of Iconic Memory' (2014) and the rock n' roll western ‘Killer’s Crossing’ (2013). His films have screened at festivals internationally, and in 2022 he was invited to the Claremont-Ferrand International Film Festival as part of Telefilm Canada's 'Not Short on Talent' program.

THE MESS WE'RE IN

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Friday 12 May 2023
9:00 pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street

$12 admission or Festival Pass • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

Six films about navigating all kinds of mess -- physical or spiritual, unexpected or self-imposed, birth, death, and family.

This program is rated 14A. Content warnings: language, blood, references to sex and abortion.

The Mess We're In
Vancouver • 11 minutes • Jamie Lam

Still living in the hoarder’s house she grew up in, young adult Dara contemplates moving forward in life.

From Richmond, BC, Jamie Lam is an emerging filmmaker of Hong Kong descent. Her work aims to explore the nuances in how human connection is pursued, built, and undone. Jamie's latest short, "The Mess We're In" has played at festivals such as TIFF Next Wave, NFFTY, and Vancouver Asian Film Festival.

Paco
Vancouver • 15 minutes • Kent Donguines

While keeping a secret from his family overseas, Paco struggles to uphold his responsibilities and aspirations.

Kent Donguines is a Filipino-Canadian narrative and documentary filmmaker who runs Aimer Films Inc. based in Vancouver, BC. He produced the award-winning films IRIDESCENCE, THIS INK RUNS DEEP which premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, and WATERSHED which was featured at Los Angeles Comic-Con. He also created the short documentary, KALINGA (CARE) which had its World Premiere at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival and is one of the projects selected by Story Money Impact to impact produce through their inaugural Story to Action program. In 2021 Kent was named as one of Playback's 10 to Watch as he continues to champion Filipino-Canadian and underrepresented stories.

Good News
Vancouver • 14 minutes • Osric Chau

A happily married couple learn that they have different opinions on their unplanned pregnancy.

Osric Chau is a Chinese-Malaysian Canadian Filmmaker from Vancouver. He’s been a working actor for over 20 years and has produced numerous short films and several feature films as well. “Good News” is Osric’s first as a writer and director.

The Gold Teeth
Vancouver • 15 minutes • Alireza Kazemipour

Sahra, an Afghan refugee girl in Canada asks an Iranian ex-dentist HAMED to extract her father's gold teeth before they bury him.

Alireza Kazemipour is a multi-awarded Iranian-Canadian screenwriter, director, and producer. His movies have been selected and screened for more than 100 film festivals around the world, and have received 32 awards and nominations. Social justice, women's rights, and immigrant issues are his concerns.

Slip
Victoria • 11 minutes • Sonya Chwyl & Anik Desmarais-Spencer

After she is evicted, Laura stumbles onto a horrifying opportunity.

Sonya Chwyl & Anik Desmarais-Spencer began their creative partnership in 2018. Since then they have directed several short films, including Baby Teeth (2020) and Carissima (Dearest) (2021). As storytellers, they seek to explore difficult subjects using dark humour, a queer lens, and absurdity grounded in reality.

To Kill the Birds & the Bees
Singapore • 11 minutes • Calleen Koh Yee Lin

A playful animation on the touchy topic of sex in Singapore.

Calleen Koh is a BAFTA-nominated animated short film director, animator, and artist from Singapore. She finds joy in turning serious societal problems into whacky stories using her crazy sexy characters, like anthropomorphic sushis, phallic Crayola-coloured children, or walking butts, in her manic animated films.

BONUS film:

N'xaxaitkw
Vancouver • 16 minutes • Asia Youngman

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.

Saturday May 13th 2023:

FRIENDS & FAMILY

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Saturday 13 May 2023
3:00 pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street

$12 admission or Festival Pass • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

A mix of live-action and animated films about the bonds we form with friends, family, and ourselves.

This program is rated PG. Content warnings: scenes of bullying.

Shine on us
Taiwan • 8 minutes • Shang-Yan Jiang

A story between a robot and a squirrel talking about the environment issue.

Shang-Yan Jiang: "A robot represents everyone. I learn things from my education and growing environment. I know that I can light up the people who need help by my heart and transfer the positive energy."

Battery Daddy
Korea • 6 minutes • Jeon Seung-bae

Battery Daddy is in charge of every corner of the house, such as children’s toys, remote controls, and door locks.

Born in 1979 in South Korea, Jeon Seung-bae graduated in 2009 from Chung-Ang University of Advance Imaging Science, Multimedia & Film. He is currently working at Toyville Studio as Animation Director.

Turkey's Cooked
Victoria • 5 minutes • Sarah Nicole Faucher

A dark comedy in which Ashley introduces her anxious new boyfriend Billy to her family for turkey dinner.

Sarah Nicole Faucher is a Permittee with IATSE 168, artist, gardener, disability activist, award-winning amateur photographer, costumer, poet, short fiction writer (under the name Nicole Matthews), and screenwriter of nominated and award-winning short films.

Out of Water
California • 13 minutes • Madi Stine

When a disenchanted mermaid-for-hire is mistaken for a real mermaid, she plays along to disastrous consequences.

Madi Stine is an award-winning writer/director based in Los Angeles. She's drawn to stories about dreamers who see the magic in the everyday. A graduate of Harvard (BA) and Columbia (MFA), her shorts have screened internationally, her writing has placed in various competitions, and she's attended CineStory’s Feature Retreat.

Corvine
Vancouver • 10 minutes • Sean McCarron

An eccentric boy has trouble fitting in at school due to his obsession with crows.

Sean McCarron is an animator and storyboard artist with over twenty years of industry experience. He has worked on numerous television and feature film productions in Europe and North America, including roles at Oscar nominated Irish studio Cartoon Saloon and Oscar winning Norwegian studio Mikrofilm. His career has included roles at every stage of the animation pipeline.

Wok Hei
Vancouver • 10 minutes • Joel Salaysay

An Asian-Canadian mother of two restores a rusty family wok, and in so doing, reconnects with her cultural roots.

Joel Salaysay is an Asian-Canadian filmmaker based in Vancouver. In addition to his live action work, he has directed for 3D animated series such as "The Deep" and "Sonic Prime."

My Name is Arnold
Victoria • 16 minutes • Arnold Lim

A Korean-Canadian boy struggles adapting to his new life after moving with his single mother to a small, rural BC community in the early 1990s.

Korean-Canadian director Arnold Lim was selected as a recipient of Telefilm’s Talent to Watch program twice, with past awards from the BC Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, BravoFACT, Harold Greenberg Fund and the DGCBC Greenlight Award, and a graduate of the National Screen Institute’s Features First Program.

Tehura
Vancouver • 12 minutes • Wei Li

A Tahitian dancer tries to reclaim her body and identity by confronting a tourist audience with a dance of her own.

Wei Li is an Emmy award winning storyboard artist and comic artist. His professional work includes Netflix's Carmen San Diego and Blue Eyed Samurai. Tehura is his debut film.

GOOD GRIEF

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Saturday 13 May 2023
5:00 pm
The Vic Theatre
808 Douglas Street

$12 admission or Festival Pass • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

Sometimes grief can be good -- five films close out this year's festival with eulogies of loss and the question of what comes next.

This program is rated PG. Content warnings: language, references to death.

Jamal
Indonesia • 14 minutes • Muhammad Heri Fadli

Nur is hanging clothes on the line when she is shocked by her husband's sudden return.

Muhammad Heri Fadli, was born in Central Lombok Indonesia, and finished his bachelor studies majoring in Creative Media Culture. He began his career as filmmaker in 2013, and has directed more than 10 short films since then.

Lay Me By The Shore
Vancouver • 18 minutes • David Findlay

A week in the life of Noah, a high school senior in his final days of school as he comes to terms with his best friend’s passing.

Vimeo Breakout Creator of 2022 and Silver winner at the Shots Awards for New Director of the Year, David Findlay’s work focuses on the earnest study of human behaviour and is known for seamlessly straddling the line between fiction and documentary through a highly cinematic and empathetic lens. In addition to winning silver at both Cannes Lions’ YDA and Ciclope, David’s films have played at top festivals including the Berlinale and TIFF.

Empty Spaces
Victoria • 16 minutes • Lukas Hanulak

Debbie returns home to console sister Aiden after the loss of their father. They fight, reconcile, and finally understand what they lost.

Lukas Hanulak, a Slovak-born film and TV director/producer, immigrated to Canada with a decade of experience directing TV series for major broadcasters in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Hanulak is a member of the DGC and has a passion for creating character-driven dramas and rite-of-passage stories. In 2022, he made his first Canadian film, EMPTY SPACES, a critically acclaimed short film family drama.

Good Grief
Vancouver • 15 minutes • Stefany Mathias

After receiving news that her grandmother has died, an Indigenous woman must return to her childhood home to repair past relationships with her Caucasian family.

Stefany Mathias is an Actor/Filmmaker with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of British Columbia in Theatre and attended the Vancouver Film School for filmmaking. Originally, she began directing to cast herself in her films. However, once she took on the role as director, she began to do it for the passion of telling the story and sharing information.

Year of the Tortoise
Victoria • 12 minutes • Connor Gaston

A young woman sets out to prove to her sister that their mother has reincarnated as a tortoise.

Connor Gaston is an award-winning screenwriter and director. His films have screened at top festivals including TIFF. His feature scripts have been finalists for the Nicholls Fellowship and earned 8’s on the BlackList. He has feature scripts in development with Telefilm Canada and is working towards shooting his second feature.

CLOSING NIGHT

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Saturday 13 May 2023
7:00pm
Parkside Hotel ~ Urban Ballroom
810 Humboldt Street

~~$12 admission~~
FREE admission • 🎟️ Get Tickets 🍿

Join us at the wrap party for the 11th annual Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival!

• Awards presentation including announcement of this year's CINE⚡️SPARK winner

• Wind down with the musical stylings of Skyla J

• Enjoy catered nibbles and a cash bar

*EXTENDED*
May 5th - 31st 2023:

ODEON ALLEY

ODEON ALLEY
AKA Millie's Lane
Lək̓ʷəŋən Territory
764 Yates Street
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

We're reactivating Odeon Alley for the 11th annual Short Circuit with an outdoor mini-cinema experience -- and we've extended the run!

From May 5th to 31st, all 40+ short films will be running 24/7 in the @ministryofcasualliving window gallery, a few doors down from CineVic HQ in Victoria, BC, Canada.

Check it out along with our neighbours @theuniontattoo @stiritupvictoria @fanfavourites @cenotevictoria @cheersvintagecollective @thebrickyardonyates @fol.epi @downtownvictoriabc @cityofvictoria

#yyj #yyjarts #yyjfilm #localfilm #internationalfilm #windowgallery