TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) has announced this year’s Short Cuts lineup, presented by TikTok, which showcases 39 live-action narrative, documentary and animated shorts by a groundbreaking group of filmmakers representing 18 countries.
The diverse lineup of shorts includes 21 World Premieres and 15 North American Premieres presented in 20 different languages, with a breadth of new and unique perspectives. Among this group of storytellers are 21 filmmakers from countries such as Portugal, China, Colombia, Mongolia, Kenya, Ukraine, the U.S. and the U.K., as well as 18 filmmaking teams from across Canada.
“We’re thrilled to be returning with one of our strongest ever selections of short films by directors from all over the world,” says Jason Anderson, International Programmer for Short Cuts. “We’re always amazed by the breadth, depth and diversity of the talents working in short-form cinema, whether they’re filmmakers who we’ve already had the privilege of presenting at TIFF or emerging storytellers who we can’t wait to introduce to our audiences. And however different these new works may be, what they share is an incredible sense of clarity and economy – these are films that don’t waste a second no matter what they’re out to achieve.”
Among the standout animations in this year’s Short Cuts are The Flying Sailor, a National Film Board of Canada production by the Oscar-nominated team of Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, and Ice Merchants by João Gonzalez, recent winner of Leitz Cine Discovery prize for best short film at the Semaine de la Critique at Cannes.
Films programmed in this year’s Short Cuts selection are eligible for three jury-selected IMDbPro Short Cuts Awards (Best Film, Best Canadian Film and the Share Her Journey Award for best film by a woman) as well as the Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award.
In addition to the films included in Short Cuts lineup, which you can find here, there are 11 films in the previously announced Wavelengths shorts program. TIFF22 will also be screening a special presentation of Henry Selick’s new animated feature Wendell & Wild (Netflix) and Pierre Földes’s Haruki Murakami adaptation Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman in the Contemporary World Cinema section.
TIFF22 Short Cuts Animation Selections:
Against Reality
Olivia Peace | U.S.A. | 2022
In this surreal and gorgeous animated autobiography, artist and filmmaker Olivia Peace uses AI art-generation tools and immersive sound design to bring viewers into a border space between dreams and waking life.
backflip
Nikita Diakur | Germany, France | 2022
In his efforts to teach his digital avatar how to master a tricky move, animator Nikita Diakur creates something wholly unique: an ingenious demonstration of the potentials and pitfalls of machine learning that doubles as a riotously hilarious slapstick comedy.
CANARY
Pierre-Hugues Dallaire, Benoit Therriault | Canada | 2022
The delightful handiwork of directors Benoit Therriault and Pierre-Hugues Dallaire with the team at Montreal’s Rodeo FX, this animation charms viewers with the story of a boy and a bird who find hope and connection in the deepest and darkest of places.
The Flying Sailor
Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis | Canada | 2022
One of the most celebrated teams in Canadian animation, Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis return with a spectacular synthesis of sound and image, inspired by the incredible but true story of one man’s unexpected voyage on the morning of the Halifax Explosion in 1917.
The Garbage Man (O Homem do Lixo)
Laura Gonçalves | Portugal | 2022
Drawn from interviews with family members speaking about a beloved patriarch, the latest animation by Laura Gonçalves is an irresistibly warm-hearted and whimsical celebration of generosity, community and the value of things others may throw away.
Ice Merchants
João Gonzalez | Portugal, France, U.K. | 2022
A prizewinner at this year’s Semaine de la Critique at Cannes, João Gonzalez’s visually stunning and emotionally affecting animation tells the story of a father and son whose tender bond will be tested by their increasingly precarious place in the world.
Shadow of the Butterflies (خيال الفراشات)
Sofia El Khyari | France, Qatar, Portugal | 2022
This exquisite animation by Morocco’s Sofia El Khyari draws viewers into a mysterious forest where a young woman’s emotions, memories, and desires intermingle with the delicate movements of the butterflies that surround her.
