Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival 2025
Network Round Shorts
Monday, 30th June - Sunday, 6th July
1. Beyond the Fields
Director: Quinn Aden Corkal
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: An intimate look into the lives of Canadian farmers as they reflect on their personal connection to their land and their community.
2. Dora
Director/Writer: Jennie Foot
Producer: Ewa Stryczek
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Synopsis: The coming-of-age story that doesn't get told, Dora is a short film about a woman trying to recalibrate her sense of purpose.
3. Mirror Mirror
Director/Writer: Zach Price
Producer: Jakob Price
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: Erica is forced to reflect on her deepest insecurities during therapy, unintentionally feeding into something sinister.
4. Aguasal
Director/Writer/Producer: Camila Pardo Cerezo
Writer: Javier Ramírez González
Producer: Lucerna Post
Country of Origin: Mexico
Synopsis: “Aguasal” is a short documentary that tells the story of two swimmer brothers, Angel Reyes and Luis Baños, who live in the remote Afro-Mexican village of Corralero. Through their annual swimming competition, universal values of rivalry and sibling love emerge. In a place where water is everything, this competition is not just physical but emotional, reflecting the struggles, resilience, and deep connection to their land.
5. The Mother is Dead
Director/Producer: Justin Calandriello
Writer: Sam Lemieux
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: After the passing of their mother, a brother and sister are forced to reminisce on their complicated relationships with her and one another.
6. The Automaton
Director: Tayler Carter
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis: A lonely inventor creates a robot to be his new companion. Unaware of its own capabilities, the robot gets the inventor into serious trouble.
7. Under the Ashes
Director/Writer/Producer: Fay Ishac
Country of Origin: Lebanon
Synopsis: Under the Ashes is a story about a middle-class Lebanese family. The story occurs on August 4th, 2020, a tragic day for every Lebanese soul and family. Through the perspective of the mother, Maya Karam- the nation’s economic challenges, dysfunctionality within a patriarchal family system, and loss and grief will be explored.
8. In The Red
Director/Writer: Tae Sax
Producer: Keegan Richards
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: In a dystopian office, two coworkers go head-to-head for the promotion of their lives.
9. Little Robot Stories: I'm ROE
Director/Writer/Producer: Roger Gallant
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: Follow ROE through the daily grind of city life. Somewhere amidst the chaos, there is hope.
10. Newcastle
Director/Writer: Sahand Ghorbanpoor
Director/Writer/Producer: Sepehr Ghorbanpoor
Producer: Sama Karami Chamgordani
Country of Origin: Islamic Republic of Iran
Synopsis: A middle-aged single man living in a village in the north of Iran, Struggles with the economic crisis and livestock diseases as he has to take care of her old mother./em>
11. Not in the mood
Director/Writer/Producer: Sergii Bublyk
Country of Origin: Ukraine
Synopsis: The animated clip "Not in the Mood" is created for Pur:Pur music band. It's a lyrical story about relationships, depicting stages from infatuation and love to irritation and indifference. The clip illustrates how small and seemingly insignificant things can ruin relationships in the long run.
12. The Flower Bike Man
Director: Courtney Kerr
Producer: Allie Ford
Country of Origin: United States
Synopsis: A Florida transplant transforms ordinary bicycles into colorful works of art that don the city of Amsterdam. Originally inspired to make his wife’s bicycle stand out amongst the others, after epilepsy induced seizures affected her memory, a loving gesture has turned into so much more. His bicycles not only provide for an interesting photographic subject, but serve as a vehicle for social impact, spreading love as a cure for even the darkest of days.
13. Who We Were
Director, Writer & Producer: Jesly Okuefuna
Producers: Nathanael Richards, Timisha Romain
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: Grappling with grief after losing his sister, a young man finds himself at a crossroad between retribution and leaving vengeance in God’s hands.
14. The Dinner Party
Directors: Jaye Lodhia, Steven Chau
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: A young woman nervously prepares to host a dinner party. Too busy being focused on perfection, she isn't prepared for what happens when her guests arrive.
15. Night Waves
Director & Writer: River Evans
Producers: Lyneil Gray
Country of Origin: New Zealand
Synopsis: Regina, the host of the graveyard shift on 93FM, is surprised when a listener calls in to her usually quiet show. This gravely injured man is about to give Regina his final confession.
16. Hogar
Director: Catalina Norambuena
Country of Origin: Canada
Synopsis: A young woman nervously prepares to host a dinner party. Too busy being focused on perfection, she isn't prepared for what happens when her guests arrive.