Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival 2020 - Network Round Shorts
Wednesday 2nd - Wednesday 16th September
1.
A Cat Tale
Dir. Phil Scarpaci
USA
Logline: Gabe, a “live and let’s surf” dude, is hired for a cat sitting gig that takes an unexpected turn.
2.
Avernus
Dir. Simon Ross
UK
Logline: Successful businessman and golden boy, Jack Wells, is unscrupulous, immoral and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Along the way he has made many enemies – and today they’re out for revenge!
3.
Crunch
Dir. Liukaidi Peng
USA
Logline: "Crunch” is a sci-fi comedy 3D animation. The story starts with the morning of a little, short guy named Bob who just starts working in the space agency. When watching the spaceship launching, Bob is hit by a mysterious lightning and starts to grow bigger. But there seems no way to stop...
4.
Fully Involved
Dir. Kyle Kulla
Canada
Logline: Brampton Fire Captain Glenn Berwick discusses the horrific realities of being a Fire Fighter and the mental toll it can take on a person. Through his work, Glenn discusses having to build the mental barriers to be able to continue the job and how this strength plays a factor when he suffers extreme loss in his personal life, the suicide of his best friend.
5.
I Am An Iraqi Jew
Dir. Lindsay McLean
Canada
Logline: “I Am An Iraqi Jew” tells the true story of Dr. Naim Dallal, a 96 year old Jewish man who lived in Iraq and witnessed the pogrom in 1941. It depicts the hardships he faced and the efforts he made to carry on the traditions of the old country in his new home, Toronto.
6.
Inhale
Dir. Brian Chambers
Canada
Logline: INHALE documents the emotional journey of the Chappell family and how their daughter’s struggle with Cystic Fibrosis have helped them to live in the moment. Cystic fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease affecting over 70,000 children and young adults worldwide. At present, there is no cure.
7.
Kaada - Farewell
Dir. Christian Holm Glad
Norway
Logline: "Farewell” is an emotional and visually impressive mosaic of personal stories from across the world that are masterfully connected to the piano driven melancholy of the track. As people, we are scared to make changes. We are afraid of being alone. We are afraid of not making money, so we do the same routines every day. We are risk adverse, but when you dare to do something else, it is often the best decision in life,” director Christian Holm-Glad says of the video.
8.
Kalangala Dreams
Dirs. Daniel Hedström, Apollonia Meleouni, Sofie Andersson, Astrid Andersson Ahlbom
Sweden
Logline: The Kalangala region in Uganda depends largely on fishing. 19-year-old Ismael is a fisherman who dreams of a different life. In a village plagued by alcoholism and hard work, we get an insight into his life, which revolves around hopes, aspirations and comradery.
9.
Kidney
Dir. Brent Taiaroa
New Zealand
Logline: Against all odds, a Mother finds a kidney match for her daughter, there's a big problem.
10.
Loose Ends
Dir. Brendan Prost
Canada
Logline: A woman in the midst of a devastating breakup is invited to her ex-boyfriend’s apartment to return his keys. However upon arriving, she discovers she has been stood up. Left to her own devices in his empty apartment, she decides to revel in the nostalgic trappings of a place that once felt like home. In an unexpected turn of events, she is forced to confront her present when someone suddenly returns home and finds her in this compromising state.
11.
MagRalen
Dir. Maryam Zarei
Iran
Logline: A family of four live in a wrecking yard in Iran, suburban or Tehran. Mother and father both work at the same yard, dismantling and wrecking old cars. The two kids, a twelve year boy (Nima) and a four year girl (Tara), spend their time playing around the yard, and specially in an old emptied car which they have painted and decorated for themselves. Both kids are interested in driving and F1 races (Tara mispronouncing Maclaren F1 team Magralen), learning this from their dad who is a big fan of the sport, so they spend most of their days practicing imagined driving in the playing car.
12.
My Name is John Artis
Dir. Ruzbeh Tamjeedi
Canada
Logline: An exploration of the life of John Artis, who was wrongfully convicted and incarcerated for 15 years alongside Rubin “Hurricane” Carter.
13.
Punch it!
Dir. Perrier Olivier
France
Logline: Tom, a young skater, roams with its board in an outer-urban environment. He penetrates into a carnival closed to the public and stops in front of a punchball in working order. He gets hooked and after several fruitless attempts typing of all his strengths then manages to activate the jackpot;
14.
Stay Hidden
Dir. James Owen
UK
Logline: A diabetic boy struggles to survive in a post-covid apocalyptic world, after running out of insulin.
15.
(Strictly) For the Birds
Dir. Tess Degenstein
Canada
Logline: A look at the absurdity and alienation of contemporary life through a magic realist lens. Our lead, Tessa, lives in a world where apps can perform literal magic, humans can be animals, and exorcisms are an uber ride away.
