14 entries selected for July 23 & 24 online event.

NANAIMO— 14 short films, including five by Vancouver Island-based directors, have been selected for the 16th annual Vancouver Island Short Film Festival (VISFF), streaming live online on July 23 and 24, 2021.

The final lineup, chosen by the VISFF Selection Committee from among 72 submissions, features 9 films from Canada and entries from the United States, Mexico, Iran, Japan, and China. The films span a diverse range of genres and subjects, from local documentaries and dramas to comedies and unique animations.

“We have a very strong group of local films this year that we’re excited to showcase,” said Festival Director Hilary Eastmure. “This is the most local films in a single year since VISFF started accepting international submissions, which speaks to the high-quality filmmaking that’s happening here on Vancouver Island.”

2021 Official Selections:

THE BLUE BED (Alireza Kazemipour, Iran)
OHRWURM (EARWIG) (Connor Gaston & Vaughn Gaston, Victoria, BC)
ALL-IN MADONNA (Arnold Lim, Victoria, BC)
COOL AFFECTIONS (Josh Terry-Brand, Victoria, BC)
GYORO GOES TO THE THEATRE (Shoichi “David” Haruyama, Japan)
BABA (Jay Kamal, Burnaby, BC)
FREEBIRD (Michael Joseph McDonald & Joe Bluhm, Montreal, QC)
SON OF THE WIND (Evan Tsui, China)
BEFORE THE BEAUTY IS GONE (Mackai Sharp, Comox, BC)
EXCLUDED BY DESIGN (Simon Madore & Gabriel Tougas, Toronto, ON)
IF I WERE PRESIDENT (Andrea Arteaga Cote & Andrei Ramos Puerto, Mexico)
RENT DO (Gavin Michael Booth, Verdun, QC)
UNSHELTERED (Brian C O’Malley, United States)
BARRIER (Sohee Hong, Mill Bay, BC)

VISFF will be screening seven of the films on Friday, July 23, at 7:00pm PDT, and the remaining seven films on Saturday, July 24 at 7:00pm PDT. The official program for each date will be announced next week. The live-streamed events will be available to watch on a pay-what-you-can basis through the VISFF website (www.visff.com). Donors will also be able to enjoy all the films online for up to three days following the live events. The 2021 festival was made possible thanks to a grant from the BC Arts Council and the Province of British Columbia.

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Media contact: Hilary Eastmure, Festival Director: hilary@visff.com, 250-327-4240 (cell)

Please Note: The films are unrated and may not be suitable for all audiences. Some may contain violence and sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.