7 Must-See Live Action Shorts from TIFF

With TIFF now at an end, I wanted to end my coverage with 7 Must-See live action short films (in no particular order) from the fest. It's an art to know when to end a short film and how to land the plane perfectly. I feel like these seven shorts really embodied that art and had some of the best endings I saw at TIFF. Sure to be at a festival near you soon, keep an eye out for these seven titles. 

1) Moongirl, dir. Victor Boccard

There is not much that can be said about this breath-taking short that I haven't already said in my review. It was my favourite short of the fest. See full review here.

2) The Episode, dir. Logan Graham Greene

The Episode is an absolute blast to behold. It's very hard to talk about this short without spoiling anything, so I will keep it simple. Elliott's partner Kim is an actress and the friend group is getting together for what promises to be a bit of a steamy episode between Kim and her costar. Elliott has to do his best to play it cool. If you get the opportunity to watch this short, go in knowing nothing more than that and enjoy the ride that is Elliott's mind, with impeccable, sometimes over-the-top (complimentary) acting and a script that provides the best final minute to a short that I have seen in quite some time. 

3) Fried Chicken and Strip Checkers, dir. Ophelia Harutyunyan

This Armenian short uses an older sister/younger brother dynamic to paint a bleak picture of an outlook for a family who's father is in prison. I love the directors choice to follow up a pivotal moment of realization of corruption and a lose of innocence within a system, with a joyous moment for the young boy who accomplishes a feat that is a realization and coming-of-age in its own way. The contrast works brilliantly and gives you a little hope for their situation. 

4) Untitled Woman, dir. Camille Summers-Valli

Anchored by fantastic performances by Charles Melton and Julianne Nicholson, it's no surprise that Untitled Woman was the best acted short film I saw at TIFF. Untitled Woman drives home really a profound meaning through art about the journey of women going from being way too noticed, to not noticed at all. In the end, Julianne Nicholson is given a moment in the spotlight that is brutally interrupted in a way that is sure to shock most viewers. It's a short that I will anxiously be waiting to give a rewatch. 

5) Dough Man, dirs. Brittney Gavin, Amy Mielke

If you ask my wife, she will tell you I had a very odd fixation with witches when I was a child. It is something we still laugh about today. Dough Man brings a similar theme in which a mysterious man moves into a 70s Halifax Black community. When three sisters are convinced he is a witch, they hatch a plan to prove it. I love a comedy that can keep you intrigued at the same time. Dough Man keeps you engaged and guessing the entire time as the mystery man ranges across the spectrum from "he seems like a nice guy" to "ok, that's kinda weird", all the while being a very fun watch. 

6) Almost Pink, dir. Justine Prince

Deservingly receiving an honourable mention for Best Canadian Short, Almost Pink thrives in the way it builds intensity. It creates a sinister situation that ups the ante and pushes the boundary with every move, leading you to expect the worst and leaving you in the shoes of feeling the after-effects. In the type of short that needs believable performances to work , and leads Maïka Ferron and Frédéric Lemay deliver, both selling the stakes of situation at hand.

7) Buddies, dir. Fraser Wolfe

Buddies channels a similar feeling to one I felt while watching one of my favourite movies, Lukas Dhont's Close. Like Close, the short takes a tender and innocent friendship between two boys at an age where they are learning a lot about themselves and the world around them. Whether it is brought on by societal expectation, shame or the inability to express feelings is unknown, but there is an abrupt swing back and emotional shift in one of the boys. Director Fraser Wolfe artfully uses cool and warm tones that match this tonal shift from warmth of indoor sleepovers with a lava lamp to the cool, snowy outside. In the end you are left with your heart aching from a bleak and melancholic end with no closure. 

Article by: Brandon MacMurray