Meet the VISFF Official Selection!
The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival is thrilled to announce the 18 films chosen by our Selection Committee for the 2026 festival weekend. Out of a record-breaking pool of submissions, these films stood out for their creativity, heart, and cinematic excellence. Join us on April 17th and 18th to see these incredible stories come to life on the big screen.
The short films that will be featured in the Shorts Program 1 on Friday, April 17th at 7pm
Out for Ice Cream (Crème à glace), Rachel Samson
Under a blazing summer sky, Chloe, Jenny, and Squeegee share one last ice cream at the local dairy bar.
The garbage collector, in his solitude, discovers a pot in a trash can that emits a lovely sound. He falls in love with the pot and takes it home.
A schoolyard prank gone wrong sends the naive Elliot on a desperate quest to make sense of his mortality.
Dead on Arrival, Niamh McAllister
A dark comedic short film about two nurses, one dead husband and zero morals.
Le Tour De Canada, John Hollands
Two rival cyclists face off in a grueling and surreal cross-Canada cycling race, Le Tour De Canada!
Arguments in Favor of Love, Gabriel Abrantes
A couple’s arguments, taken from life, embodied by ghosts.
Four Hands (Quarte Mains), Hélène Sevaux
An intimate documentary that chronicles the profound relationship between a legendary French classical pianist and his protégé.
Shaping a Dress, Aaren Rackett
An early 19th century tailor going through the process of making a dress for themselves as a way of coming out to their family.
Place Under The Sun, Vlad Bolgarin
A talented pianist and his 8-year-old son struggle to find a place to sell vegetables at the biggest market in Moldova’s 2000′.
The short films that will be featured in the Shorts Program 2 on Saturday, April 18th at 7pm
Brenda and Baxter, Leah Johnston
Canadian comedy darling Aurora Browne (Baroness Von Sketch) stars in a story of a complicated woman as seen through the eyes of her adoring dog.
Little Ancestor (La Petite Ancetre), Alexa Tremblay-Francoeur
On a windswept hill, in a place still young and devoid of all life, an ancestral house builds itself. The house comes to life and unveils its long life of one hundred and fifty years.
The Line She Carries (Indigenous Geographic), Crystal Martin
The Line She Carries follows Inuk filmmaker and Indigenous Geographic Co-founder Crystal Martin as she reaches a turning point in her life, the end of her childbearing years.
This mystical and eerie psychological drama follows a father and a daughter whose relationship is drifting apart.
L’ Anniversaire, Thibault Mombellet
When Julien gets home, he discovers that his friends have organized a surprise party for his fortieth birthday. He’s thrilled, but his evening quickly turns into a nightmare.
A late-night drive has Sean and Louis reflecting on their journey through surrogacy.
Sang-Ook, a Hikikomori (shut in) whose locked himself in his room for a year, builds a camera obscura from his room as a conduit to the outside world.
Ramón Who Speaks to Ghosts, Shervin Kermani
After a volcanic eruption, Ramón walks the island of La Palma with his microphone, looking for ghosts.
Berkut, a hyperactive boy, discovers rock music and suddenly becomes calm and focused. But no teacher can handle him — until he meets Syrnik.
