From more than 300 entries our festival selection committee has chosen 10 finalists. We will screen each short film and our jury will select the “Best Overall” film at the conclusion of the program. The winning short film will be shown again prior to the Closing Night feature.

2020 MVIFF SHORT FILM FINALISTS

1) “Superhero” – (12:49) Directed by Émile V. Schlesser, Luxembourg

A young man with Down syndrome, stakes on a superhero identity to muster the courage to profess his love to a childhood friend.

Next to two of Europe’s most accomplished young talents, MARIA DRAGUS (‘The White Ribbon’, Michael Haneke) and JANNIK SCHÜMANN (‘Submergence’, Wim Wenders), stands the heartwarming performance of newcomer NICO RANDEL in the lead.

Émile V. Schlesser, Director, Superhero

2) “Home Room” – (16:00) Directed by Tony Fair, United States

Shae, an eighth-grader, prepares for her high school admissions presentation while navigating a night on the street.

Tony Fair, Director, Home Room

3) “Anna” – (14:59) Directed by Dekel Berenson, United Kingdom

Cannes Official Selection 2019

Living in war-torn Eastern Ukraine, Anna is an aging single mother who is desperate for a change. Lured by a radio advertisement, she goes to party with a group of American men who are touring the country, searching for love. Nominated for a short Palme d’Or, BIFA award winner for Best British Short Film, was shortlisted for a BAFTA, more than 200 selections and dozens of awards

Dekel Berenson, Director, Anna

4) “Rain Stops Play” – (8:20) Directed by Mika Simons, United Kingdom

RAIN STOPS PLAY is a modern day comedy of errors, addressing the key issues of mistaken identity, sex texting and female ageism. Although we see the world from a male perspective, through our protagonist Adam – it is a story for a female audience. The themes are searing relevant right now after the recent Weinstein exposure.

The basic action is a portrayal of a man in mid-life who falls into an extreme fantasy about a younger woman, Alice. The story exposes a husband and father whose mid-life crisis and desperate quest for something ‘Other’ backfires.

Mika Simons, Director, Rain Stops Play

5) “Sticker” – (18:45) Directed by Georgi M. Unkovski, Macedonia

After an unsuccessful attempt to renew his car registration, Dejan falls in a bureaucratic trap that tests his determination to be a responsible father.

Georgi M. Unkovski, Director, Sticker

6) “Office Song” – (14:32) Directed by Marcus Markou, United Kingdom

It’s another office affair – one of thousands. But in Office Song, the inner world of ordinary office workers and their humdrum lives bursts into life with poetry and something greater than the sum of their tedious working day is revealed.

Marcus Markou, Director, Office Song

7) “White Eye” – (20:00) Directed by Tomer Shushan, Israel

A man finds his stolen bicycle and it now belongs to a stranger. In his attempts to retrieve the bicycle, he struggles to remain human.

Tomer Shushan, Director, White Eye

8) “Dry Leaves” – (10:00) Directed by Ali Sohail Jaura, India

Zahida arrives at a home for the old, believing her son will take her back after a week. Hesitant and apprehensive, she meets Farhat, who is full of hope but as the story unfolds she realizes that the future might be different from her expectations.

Ali Sohail Jaura, Director, Dry Leaves

9) “We Got This” – (18:32) Directed by KPage Stuart Valdes, United States

Marcus, an ethnically mixed, bi-curious, high school senior is two and half hours late for his curfew on prom night. His white father and African American mother have very different experiences of his lateness and very different ideas of how to hold him accountable for it. Culture and color clash in this family drama about safety, diversity, and love.

K.Page Stuart Valdes, Director, We Got This

10) “The Best Orchestra In The World” – (13:42) Directed by Henning Backhaus, Austria

Ingbert, the sock, applies for a position as double bass player at the Vienna State Orchestra. Bad idea.

Henning Backhaus, Director, The Best Orchestra In The World

Our Jury:

Diana Barrett - Diana has been a long time festival jury member and president and founder of the Fledgling Fund, a philanthropic organization that supports documentary films that have a social impact.

Cathleen Dean - Cathleen's short film BEING was our 2019 MVIFF winning short film. As is tradition, we asked the previous year’s winner to be a part of the jury for this year. 

Sarah Kernochan - Sarah is a twice time Academy Award winner for short documentary film, a director, and screenwriter. 

Victoria Pearman - Victoria is producing partner and co-founder of Jagged Films with Mick Jagger