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BIOLUMIN

Canada20205 minNo Dialogue2slgbtq+, Aboriginal + Indigenous, Available Online, Directed By Women, Experimental, Music, Romance, Science Fiction

This experimental examination of threshold states moves through deep space time in underwater realms. Mirrored bodies spiral, suspend, and dance through Te Reo Māori and nêhiyawêwin lamentations.

IN PERSON & ONLINE: No dialogue (no audio + visual descriptions)

Directors Bio

Moe Clark, Victoria Hunt, James Brown

Weather Beings is a Two-Spirit/takatâpui collaborative performance between Victoria Hunt (Maori dancer, choreographer) and Moe Clark (Métis sound designer, vocalist) that explores the connections between Mâori whakapapa and Métis wâhkôhtowin (the kinship system).

This film is part of the Shorts Presentation: COLLIDERS shorts programme.

16 Nov, 2024 5:00 pm

TIFF Lightbox C4

LITTLE CHIEF

USA201912 minEnglishAboriginal + Indigenous, Available Online, Directed By Women, Drama

The lives of a Native woman and a troubled young boy intersect over the course of a school day on a reservation in Oklahoma.

 IN PERSON: This film is scheduled to be presented fully captioned (all dialogue subtitled + sound cues indicated)

 ONLINE This film is scheduled to be presented fully captioned (all dialogue subtitled + sound cues indicated)

Directors Bio

Erica Tremblay

Erica Tremblay’s films have played at Sundance and SXSW. She was a director and writer on the FX show Reservation Dogs, and her first feature film, Fancy Dance, is now streaming worldwide on Apple TV.

This film is part of the Shorts Presentation: COLLIDERS shorts programme.

16 Nov, 2024 5:00 pm

TIFF Lightbox C4

BECOMING AIR

Canada, Germany, Sweden20246 minEnglishAboriginal + Indigenous, Animation, Available Online, Directed By Women, Documentary, Experimental

Take a deep breath. As you exhale, imagine that in about three years, anywhere you went on the planet, you found the molecules that are inside of you in this moment.

IN PERSON: This film is scheduled to be presented fully captioned (all dialogue subtitled + sound cues indicated)

This title is available digitally only in Ontario.

Directors Bio

Alisi Telengut, Diego Galafassi

Alisi Telengut is a Canadian artist of Mongolian origin, living between Berlin and Tiohti:áke/Montréal. Her work has received multiple awards and has been screened and exhibited internationally.

Diego Galafassi is a director, writer, and producer of documentaries, experimental film, new media, and participatory performance.

This film is part of the Shorts Presentation: COLLIDERS shorts programme.

16 Nov, 2024 5:00 pm

TIFF Lightbox C4

MAWTINI
MY HOMELAND

Canada202319 minEnglish, ArabicAboriginal + Indigenous, Available Online, Directed By Women, Drama

Together, Nawal, a young Palestinian woman, and Tanya, an older Indigenous woman, start a guerrilla garden on the lawn of their apartment building and battle middle management to make it to harvest.

 IN PERSON: This film is scheduled to be presented fully captioned (all dialogue subtitled + sound cues indicated)

 ONLINE This film is scheduled to be presented fully captioned (all dialogue subtitled + sound cues indicated)

Directors Bio

*Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller

Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller is a mixed-race Palestinian Canadian filmmaker whose work explores themes of fragmented identity, grief, and post-traumatic growth, through “oh no, should I laugh?” comedy.

IN PERSON: This film is scheduled to be presented fully captioned (all dialogue subtitled + sound cues indicated)

This film is part of the Shorts Presentation: COLLIDERS shorts programme.

16 Nov, 2024 5:00 pm

TIFF Lightbox C4

Spirit of the Forest

India20227 minEnglish, Kannada with English subtitlesAboriginal + Indigenous, Animation, Directed By Women, Environment, Family-friendly, First Feature

A little girl stumbles into a sacred grove near her village in south India.

English Subtitled icon

Directors Bio

Nandini Rao, Nirupa Rao, Kalp Sanghvi

Nandini Rao was the winner of the 2021 Cannes residency program and is based in Paris.

Nirupa Rao is a botanical artist based in Bangalore whose work is inspired by field visits and close collaboration with natural scientists.

Kalp Sanghvi is an animation filmmaker who graduated from the Indian National Institute of Design and is based in Sydney.

This film is part of the WEE ASIAN shorts programme.

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BUILDING FORCES: THE DIRECTOR PRODUCER RELATIONSHIP

Last fall, the DOC Institute invited creative producers to reimagine a documentary ecosystem that recognizes the needs of BIPOC producers with critically acclaimed projects, and published their thoughts in the “Creative Producer Think Tank Report.” A key point highlighted was producer/director relationships—listen as panelists delve into the critical and vital collaboration that underpins any successful film.

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IN FLAMES

Mariam, a medical student, is dealing with her grandfather’s passing, her grieving mother, and preparing for upcoming exams. When an estranged and suspiciously helpful uncle re-enters their lives and promises support with their property and finances, Mariam senses trouble.

Shorts Programme
Shorts Presentation: EMERGENCE

There’s no need to be certain about what’s next as this collection of shorts places us in a position to face specific pivotal moments of reckoning. Whether we’re feeling stuck or turbulent in the chaos of transition, can we remain gentle to ourselves?

Wee Asian

2022-2023TRT: 1h07English, Urdu, Ilocano, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Kannada, Japanese, Farsi, Korean, 2slgbtq+, Aboriginal + Indigenous, Animation, Directed By Women, Documentary, Environment, Experimental, Family-friendly

Be warmed by friendship and held by the depth of feelings in this collection of wholesome shorts for all ages in a relaxed screening environment. Stick around to participate in fun and simple art activities post-screening.

Relaxed screenings will take place in Innis Town Hall at 11 AM & 1:30 PM. Activities will take place in the St. George Lobby from 11 AM–3 PM.

*Directors in attendance starred. 

Directors Bio

Mon Ami

Michelle Chen Profile Image

Canada20232 minNo Dialogue Animation, Directed By Women, Family-friendly

A lonely traveller plans to explore a small town, when a stranger suddenly joins him.

No Captions icon
This film has no dialogue and is presented without captions.

Director Bio

Michelle Chen

Michelle Chen is an artist based in Burlington, Ont. A colour enthusiast with a passion for background painting, she can often be found cooking (and eating), or cuddling with her cat, Goober.

Eid Mubarak

Mahnoor Euceph  Profile Image

Pakistan, USA202216 minUrdu with English subtitlesAnimation, Comedy, Directed By Women, Drama, Family-friendly

Iman, a privileged six-year-old Pakistani girl, embarks on a mission to save her beloved pet goat from being eaten on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Open Captioned icon

Director Bio

Mahnoor Euceph

Mahnoor Euceph is a Pakistani American writer and director. She immigrated from Pakistan to Los Angeles at age eight and quickly learned that nobody else cares about cricket.

Goro Goro

Ryotaro Sawada, Agatha Tiara Christa Profile Image

USA20233 minEnglishAnimation, Comedy, Family-friendly, Japan

Daigoro, a baby thunder god, dreams of being as powerful as his father.

English Subtitled icon

Director Bio

Ryotaro Sawada, Agatha Tiara Christa

Growing up, Ryotaro Sawada turned to his daydreams to be entertained, only to find out that there were people called animators who could bring those daydreams to life. He hasn’t looked back since.

Agatha Tiara Christa, also known as Rara, is a 3D animator and layout artist from Indonesia. She believes that these small things create stories and always includes them in her work.

hi ading

*Dinaly Tran Profile Image

Canada20232 minEnglish, Ilocano, Vietnamese with English subtitles2slgbtq+, Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Family-friendly

A poetic glimpse into a love story.

Open Captioned icon

Director Bio

*Dinaly Tran

Dinaly Joyce Tran is a queer, trans, nonbinary Filipinx Vietnamese community organizer and artist. They are always hoping to make things that feel homey, in their art, their organizing, and on their Animal Crossing island.

Everywhere

Step C. & Kai Chung Ng Profile Image

Hong Kong20229 minCantonese with English subtitlesAnimation

Things that we thought were gone may not truly leave us—perhaps they are still with us somehow.

English Subtitled icon

Director Bio

Step C. & Kai Chung Ng

Step C. is an animation director, illustrator, educator, and art director based in Hong Kong.

Kai Chung Ng is an animation artist and the founder of Point Five Creations.

Spirit of the Forest

Nandini Rao, Nirupa Rao, Kalp Sanghvi Profile Image

India20227 minEnglish, Kannada with English subtitlesAboriginal + Indigenous, Animation, Directed By Women, Environment, Family-friendly, First Feature

A little girl stumbles into a sacred grove near her village in south India.

English Subtitled icon

Director Bio

Nandini Rao, Nirupa Rao, Kalp Sanghvi

Nandini Rao was the winner of the 2021 Cannes residency program and is based in Paris.

Nirupa Rao is a botanical artist based in Bangalore whose work is inspired by field visits and close collaboration with natural scientists.

Kalp Sanghvi is an animation filmmaker who graduated from the Indian National Institute of Design and is based in Sydney.

The Old Young Crow (今昔カラス)

Liam LoPinto Profile Image

Japan, USA202212 minFarsi, Japanese with English subtitlesAnimation, Drama, Family-friendly, Mystery

Mehrdad, an Iranian boy, befriends an old Japanese woman in a graveyard in Tokyo.

English Subtitled icon

Director Bio

Liam LoPinto

Liam LoPinto is a filmmaker and animator based out of New York City who is an assistant manager at the Moviehouse in Millerton.

Hair Universe (머리카락 우주)

Jinuk Choi Profile Image

South Korea202311 minKorean with English subtitlesAnimation, Drama, Family-friendly, Fantasy

A grieving boy finds his late mother’s hair caught in the shower drainage hole and gets swept into the “Hair Universe,” an unknown world underneath the bathtub.

English Subtitled icon

Director Bio

Jinuk Choi

Jinuk Choi is a Korean filmmaker based in New York.

Dance On! Nonoko!

Wanci Hua Profile Image

Taiwan, USA20235 minEnglishAnimation, Comedy, Directed By Women, Family-friendly, Music

Nonoko the cat and Haro the rabbit dance to share a bittersweet goodbye on their graduation day.

English Subtitled icon

Director Bio

Wanci Hua

Wanci Hua is a Taiwanese animator, currently studying at California Institute of the Arts. She loves telling whimsical and tender stories through the art of animation.

18 Nov, 2023 11:00 am

to 18 Nov, 2023 3:00 pm

Innis Town Hall

Wee Asian is free and drop-in. Screenings take place at 11 AM and 1:30 PM.

No tickets required!

Accessibility


Mixed Captions icon Wheelchair/Step-Free Seating Available icon
This programme is presented with a mix of open captions, English subtitles, and no captions. Wheelchair spaces and step-free seating is available for this screening – click below to arrange for accessible seats.

With Support From

Community Supporter

Story Planet

Wee Asian Art Activities

DIY Festival Tote by Upcycling a T-shirt by Minikino

Bring your own t-shirt or use a vintage Reel Asian one to upcycle it into your own DIY festival tote - no sewing required! Customize your new tote with patches, buttons and pins (not provided)! This activity is created by Minikino, a short film organization based in Bali, Indonesia.

11 AM–3 PM

PIGEONHOLE Fan Mail with Baby Kai

How can we reimagine our relations to pigeons? Would there be something you'd like to say or share with our fellow pigeons? Write a letter or draw a picture and ``mail`` it to the Pigeon Band!

11 AM–3 PM

Festival Creative Colouring Sheet + Flower vase by Ben Luu

Colour in or out of the lines with the festival creative colouring sheet. Transform it into a flower vase!

11 AM–3 PM

MOVING CHAIRS (working title) a collaborative animation with Ivyy Chen

London-based and Toronto Animated Image Society (TAIS)-resident artist Ivyy Chen embarks on a journey to create a neverending loop of moving chairs. In order to do so, she'll need your help to create the frames, and along the way, you'll learn the building blocks to create a hand-drawn animation!

1 PM–3 PM

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These shorts look at the soft to even slightly off-kilter bonds we find in one another, the realms we exist in, and ultimately, ourselves, despite ongoing change—no friendship bracelets required.

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Features
Q

Jude Chehab, a Lebanese American cinematographer and filmmaker, has always known her mother and grandmother to be women devoted to their Muslim faith. During a trip to Lebanon, Chehab is propelled by a curiosity to understand the quest for love, acceptance, and meaning that brought three generations of women in her family to pledge loyalty to a secretive matriarchal religious order operating clandestinely in the country.

Baigal Nuur – Lake Baikal

Canada, Germany20239 minBuryat Mongolian with English subtitlesAboriginal + Indigenous, Animation, Directed By Women, Documentary, Experimental, Family-friendly

The formation and history of Lake Baikal in Siberia are re-imagined with handmade animation, featuring the voice of a Buryat woman who can still recall some words in her endangered language.

English Subtitled icon

Directors Bio

Alisi Telengut

Alisi Telengut is a Canadian artist of Mongolian roots, living between Berlin and Tiohtià:ke/Montréal.


This film is part of the Shorts Presentation: EMERGENCE shorts programme.


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At the heart of Baby Queen is a tender and joyful relationship between Singaporean drag queen Opera Tang and her 90-year-old grandmother, who makes many of her performance costumes.

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