TIFF48: Shorts Programs Announced including ‘DAMMI’ with Riz Ahmed; More Than 50% from Female/Female-Identifying Filmmakers

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Today, the 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 filmmakers representing 23 countries.

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.

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). Two years ago, Ahmed won the Live Action Short Film Oscar for The Long Goodbye, which he co-wrote and starred in.

A selection of new animated short films will be showcased in the program 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 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 PROGRAM 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 PROGRAM 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 PROGRAM 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 PROGRAM 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 PROGRAM 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 PROGRAM 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