The Vancouver Short Film Festival is screening films by Canadian filmmakers
The festival, featuring films about culture, compassion, and family, will run online until June 9
Short film The Steak received four VSFF awards. (Submitted/Claudia Culley)
The Vancouver Short Film Festival (VSFF) took place at the Vancouver International Film Centre (VIFF) screening short films by Canadian filmmakers in-person from May 31 to June 2, and continues to run online until June 9.
This year, from a collection of 421 submissions, the selection committee chose 46 short films with topics including family, cultural and personal experience, and compassion among others, says Duncan Carr, the co-director of the festival.
“In terms of the criteria, we were looking for quality short films with engaging stories that showcase the talent of filmmakers from both B.C. and across Canada, ideally with a unique voice,” Carr says.
“We accepted short programs from every genre and every format as long as it was overall [below] 30 minutes.”
The festival hosted an award show on June 2 with almost 90 nominees and 18 awards, including this year’s newly added “Best Production Design” award.
“We at the festival ourselves really felt that we need to recognize the production design, particularly in short films, as it’s often not celebrated as much,” Carr says. “We have a ‘Social Impact’ award, so that’s acknowledging a film that executes discussing a social issue.”
Short film The Steak, directed by Iranian filmmaker Kiarash Dadgar, won the “Social Impact” award along with three other awards — “Best Sound Design,” Best Visual Effects,” and “Best Student Film.”
“The Steak is a short film about war and how war can ruin everything in a minute,” Dadgar says. “It starts with a mom preparing cake for her daughter’s birthday, but suddenly everything [goes] upside down.”
With many conflicts and wars going on around the world today, Dadgar decided this was a topic he could highlight.
“When I wanted to make The Steak, I always thought, ‘How can I make something that has a global or universal language and everybody can understand it …?’ and ‘What is the most common thing that you can take as a human experience or human [suffering]?’ So, war is one of them.”
The Steak is not based on a specific conflict or war, but rather features people’s experiences with war in general.
“I didn’t want it to be limited to a special nation or special place, but I could just put some elements from different wars or different people around the world,” Dadgar says, adding that he feels blessed to win the four awards and never imagined he’d receive them.
The Steak is premiering worldwide at other festivals including the Oakville Film Festival, Regina International Film Festival and Awards, Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia, and Norwegian Short Film Festival.
People can watch the VSFF’s short films online and receive access to them through the festival’s website until June 9. The films are put into several blocks with a message or theme that unites them together.
“One program is typically 90 minutes. You’re going to go on seven-to-nine journeys,” Carr says.
“You’re going to see a perspective of a life that you’ve maybe taken for granted or not given that much thought to, and it’s going to hopefully open and give you more awareness of that.”
