By Managing Editor Molly Barrieau

Released last week, in anticipation of next month’s Vancouver Island Short Film Festival (VISFF), are the 16 films carefully chosen from the record-breaking 112 entries. With films  coming from across the globe, over 14 countries, the team had the daunting task to narrow it down to share the short films with an eager Nanaimo audience in February.

“This reflects the growing popularity and reputation of the festival,” says Karla Duarte, Director of VISFF. “The VISFF is hosted in Nanaimo and is open to anyone around the world who can submit films in any genre.”

The long list includes films from Vancouver Island and Canada, along with places like Iran, China and the UK.

  • Me, Baby and the Alligator (Jean Faucher) Canada
  • Leonore`s Lullaby (Quentin Paquignon) China
  • Drifter (Olivia Lindgren) Vancouver
  • Found (Sunny Bahia) UK
  • Reproductive Cycles (John Gardiner) Nanaimo
  • Women’s Christmas Night (Oonagh Kearney) Ireland
  • Fish (Saman Hosseinpuor) Iran
  • Mia (Amanda Strong & Bracken Hanuse Corlett) Canada
  • Cradle (David Holechek, Jake Hart) US
  • Ingrid and the Black Hole (Leah Johnston) Canada
  • Croissant (Marius Conrotto Diaz) Spain
  • Lemonade Mafia (Anya Adams) US
  • Isolamento (Carmelo Zucco) Canada
  • It`s All In Your Head (Greg Jeffs) Canada
  • Descrambled Eggs (Kayla Jeanson) Canada
  • Sweat (Kristin Snowbird) Canada

To catch the films, grab a ticket from their website visff.com, or at The Port Theatre, they’re $15 and $10 for students. The screening will be on Friday, February 10 at 7 pm, followed by a filmmakers Q&A, and Saturday, February 11 at 2 pm and 7 pm, followed by the Awards Ceremony. Check out thenav.ca for more on last year’s VISFF events.


Molly is a creative writing major with a modern languages minor, has a love for editing, publishing and linguistics. She is in her fifth and final year at VIU. She hopes to land a job in Montreal and open a poutine truck with her partner when she retires.