Shorts Programmes
Because I Am a Girl [Simonee Chichester, Torey Kohara and Jon Weiman Canada, English, 30’]
Age recommendation 9 and up
A dynamic documentary celebrating the voices of a diversity of young Canadian women by exploring what it means to be a female in Canada. The film touches on a wide range of issues including body image, inequality and what young women can do to truly effect change – both for themselves and for others throughout the world. The film will be preceded by a short activity to get viewers’ minds churning, and will be followed by an in-depth panel discussion with special guests, including some vibrant personalities from both in front of and behind the camera.
SHORTS PROGRAMME: CANADIAN SHORTS
Age recommendation 7 and up
Ormie [Rob Silvestri, English, Animation, 3’]
Ormie the Pig will try everything it can think of to get at a jar of cookies that sit just out of reach on top of a fridge.
Button Blanket [Zoe Leigh Hopkins, No Dialogue, 4’]
This impressionist documentary follows the creation of a Button Blanket by integrating the performance of a traditional dance with the art of the West Coast’s Heiltsuk people.
Alpha Beta Complex [Jonathan Ng, No Dialogue, Animation 6’]
A group of old-fashioned letters and an unruly urban graffiti typeface try to learn to co-exist peacefully.
How People Got Fire [Daniel Janke, English, Animation, 16’]
Tish, a shy and artistic girl, visits Grandma Kay, a village elder, everyday after school. Passing on the tradition of oral storytelling, Grandma Kay recounts a West Coast First Nations tale about how the raven first acquired fire.
The Auction [Gloria U.Y. Kim, English and Korean with English subtitles, 17’]
In the1970s, eight-year-old Meehee Park, the daughter of immigrants from Korea, hopes that getting a Cindy doll for Christmas will help her fit in. Realizing that her parents can’t afford the gift, Meehee discovers that the doll will be available in an upcoming neighbourhood auction and tries to saves her money.
Molly in Springtime [Pierre-Luc Granjon, English, Puppet Animation, 27’]
In this follow-up to Leon in Wintertime (Sprockets 2008), Molly Gingerbread tries to expose Bonifacio's evil plot to poison the townspeople in the hopes of overthrowing the king.
SHORTS PROGRAMME: INTERNATIONAL STORIES
Age recommendation 9 and up
Iker Stubborn Hair [Sandra García Velten, Mexico, Spanish with English subtitles, 10']
Iker is embarrassed by his spiky hair which he thinks makes him look like a porcupine. He does what he can to keep it from sticking straight up, but discovers that letting his hair do what it does naturally may not be so bad after all.
Ralph [Deborah Mailman, Australia, English, 10’]
Madeline is an Aboriginal girl living in Sydney, Australia, in 1984. She has a crush on Ralph Macchio, star of The Karate Kid, and dislikes the attention she gets from her classmate Garth. But Garth could be the friend Madeline needs to help her stand up to the bullies who taunt her.
The Bird that Could Tell Fortunes [Annette Mari Olsen and Katia Forbert Petersen, Denmark, Farsi with English subtitles, 26’]
Ten-year-old Sadjad lives in Isfahan, Iran, and helps support his family by selling fortunes after school in the city square. Sadjad dreams of having a bird that he could train to help him and which would help to increase business.
The Scarecrow Girl [Cássio Pereira dos Santos, Brazil, Portuguese with English subtitles, 12’]
Luzia and her family live on a farm in the Brazilian countryside. When her brother begins attending school, Luzia wants to join him, but is told by her father that she isn’t allowed because she is a girl. Luzia is determined to find a way to learn how to read, even if it involves a little trick.
Felix [Andreas Utta, Germany, German with English subtitles, 20’]
Felix, a shy twelve-year-old, has been chatting online with Lena, and the two have arranged to meet in person. However, Lena is deaf and believes that Felix is as well. Having diligently learned sign language, Felix is hoping he can hide his hearing from Lena.
REEL RASCALS SHORT PROGRAMME: JOURNEYS
Age recommendation 5 and up
Great Expectations [Alexei Gubenco, Romania, No Dialogue, Animation, 3’]
A handkerchief on a clothesline wishes it could be free and fly with a flock of birds.
Little Thunder [Alan Syliboy, Canada, No Dialogue, Animation, 3’]
Inspired by a Mi'kmaq legend, the film follows Little Thunder as he reluctantly leaves his family and sets out on an exciting cross-country canoe trip.
BanaBana – How Navis Got Her Colourful Sail? [Ivan Klepac and Bruno Tolic, Croatia, English, Animation, 6’]
An aging grandmother, an unusual pair of glasses and a huge scarf all play a role in this humorous film that explains how Navis the boat got her colourful sail.
Stoneflies [Anne Walther, Germany, German with English subtitles, Animation, 15’]
Ferdi is a young stone who hopes to one day be able to fly. Determined to fulfill his dreams, Ferdi sets off on a wonderful journey, seeking flying advice from all the rocks he meets along the way.
Lost and Found [Philip Hunt, United Kingdom, English, Animation, 24’]
A boy finds a penguin on his doorstep and decides to help it return home – even if that means rowing all the way to the South Pole! Lost and Found is based on the award-winning book by Oliver Jeffers.
REEL RASCALS SHORT PROGRAMME: SWEET SHORTS
Age recommendation 3 and up
The Children’s Tree [Abel Ruiz-Vazquez, Hungry, No Dialogue, Animation 3']
An imaginative girl tries – with the help of a butterfly – to get on to a swing that is too high for her.
Electric Car [Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata, USA, English, Animation, 4’]
Bop along to the song by They Might Be Giants while you watch animals come out of hiding to take a trip in an electric car.
Miriam’s Broken Picture [Priit Tender, Estonia, No Dialogue, Animation, 5’]
Miriam decides to take the blame when her younger brother accidentally breaks their parents’ wedding photo.
Ami [Dominique Bongers, the Netherlands, No Dialogue, Animation, 3’]
A lonely fox searches for a friend in this beautifully animated tale, created with the sand-on-glass technique.
The Adventures of Pim and Pom: The Two Poms [Gioia Smid, The Netherlands, English, Animation, 5’]
Pim, a striped cat, and Pom, a black cat, are best friends. When Pim falls down the chimney and is covered in soot, the cats become confused and launch a search for the “missing” Pim. This amusing film is based on the original drawings by Fiep Westendorp.
Whistleless [Siri Melchior, Denmark, No Dialogue, Animation, 5’]
In a town where all the people, animals and even cars make wonderful sounds, a little bird struggles to find its voice.
The Tweetlings [Tone Tarding, Denmark, Danish with English subtitles, Animation, 20’]
Join Sille and Saxe, two young birds, on four sweet and funny adventures. Enjoy the antics as Sille and Saxe explore their forest home, encountering playful mice, fun-loving frogs and hard-working ants along the way.
SHORT FILM PROGRAMME: AROUND THE WORLD
Age recommendation 8 and up
Iker Stubborn Hair [Sandra García Velten, Mexico, Spanish with English subtitles, 10’]
Iker is embarrassed by his spiky hair which he thinks makes him look like a porcupine. He does what he can to keep it from sticking straight up, but discovers that letting his hair do what it does naturally may not be so bad after all.
Ralph [Deborah Mailman, Australia, English, 10’]
Madeline is an Aboriginal girl living in Sydney, Australia, in 1984. She has a crush on Ralph Macchio, star of The Karate Kid, and dislikes the attention she gets from her classmate Garth. But Garth could be the friend Madeline needs to help her stand up to the bullies who taunt her.
The Bird that Could Tell Fortunes [Annette Mari Olsen and Katia Forbert Petersen, Denmark, Farsi with English subtitles, 26’]
Ten-year-old Sadjad lives in Isfahan, Iran, and helps support his family by selling fortunes after school in the city square. Sadjad dreams of having a bird that he could train to help him and which would help to increase business.
How People Got Fire [Daniel Janke, English, Animation, 16’]
Tish, a shy and artistic girl, visits Grandma Kay, a village elder, everyday after school. Passing on the tradition of oral storytelling, Grandma Kay recounts a West Coast First Nations tale about how the raven first acquired fire.
SHORT FILM PROGRAMME: MY NEW HOME?
Age recommendation 12 and up
New Boy [Steph Green, Ireland, English, 11’]
It’s the first day at a school in Ireland for Joseph, a boy from Africa. As he tries to adjust to his new surroundings, he remembers the trouble in his former home. This poignant and comedic Academy Award®-nominated film is based on a story by Roddy Doyle.
On the Run [Jesper Troelstrup, Denmark, Danish/Arabic with English subtitles, 30’]
Thirteen-year-old Younis lives with his family in a refugee centre in Denmark. The family has moved to six different centres in six years, and when Younis finds out they will have to move again, he decides to run away, believing that if he’s not there, his family can’t be relocated. On the Run is based on the real experiences of children in Danish refugee centres.
Bawke [Hisham Zaman, Norway, Kurdish, Norwegian with English subtitles, 15’]
After a difficult journey, a Kurdish father and son secretly arrive in a Norwegian city. The hope that this place will offer his son a better future leads the father to make a difficult decision in this multi-award-winning film.
A Better Life [Luis Fernandez Reneo, Spain, Spanish with English subtitles, 13’]
Based on a true story, this film tells the tale of three Mexican siblings who find their lives in danger when they become lost in the desert after attempting to unofficially cross into the United States.
SHORT FILM PROGRAMME: FUTURE FRAMES
Age recommendation 15 and up
On the Bus [Tracy D. Smith, Canada, English, 6’]
A sensitive young man reasons through the risks and rewards that could come if he chooses to be true to himself.
Iran: A Nation of Bloggers [Aaron Chiesa Toru Kageyama, Hendy Sukarya, Lisa Temes, Canada, English, Animation, 2’]
An informative and insightful presentation about how internet-enabled technologies are creating opportunities for free-speech in a country ruled by a restrictive regime.
Bonefeather [Callum Paterson Nathan Gillis, Canada, English, Animation, 5’]
The tranquil reverie of a peaceful woodland scene is upset by a pair of wildly obnoxious male birds jostling for the attention of a potential mate.
Toxic Ingredients [Kristyna Balaban, Canada, English, 2’]
An eye-opening look at the chemical ingredients concealed beneath the glamorous veneers of many cosmetics.
Nanu [Alex Donald, Canada, Animation 3’]
A hungry fox faces an unlikely foe in an epic, explosive struggle for food.
Animal [Clifford McArdle, Canada, English, Animation, 1’]
Animal offers an eerily surrealistic, other-worldly vision of the cycle of life, death and the food chain.
Forget Myself [Mirek Hamet, Canada, French with English subtitles, 10’]
In this exceptionally clever look at memory, a hospital patient’s grasp on the past and present is slipping, allowing the real and the
imagined to become inseparably woven together.
The Creative Process [Jeffrey Royiwsky, Canada, English, Animation, 3’]
Any student will easily relate to this hilarious glimpse under the hood of one artist’s methods and motivations.
The Freshwater Plague [Jake Chirico, Canada, English, 10’]
A documentary about the swarms of pre-historic insects that emerge each year from the depths of a northern Ontario lake, wreaking havoc on the lives of those nearby.
The Art of Drowning [Diego Maclean, Canada, English, Animation, 2’]
A drawn rendition of poet Billy Collins’s contemplative reflection on life’s final moments.
Sprockets is generously supported by Bell, RBC, Cineplex Entertainment LP, the City of Toronto and Toronto Arts Council.