features overview

shorts

shorts 1 - longing & belonging

Saeculum (United Kingdom) | Across Borders (Australia) | Out Swing (Pakistan) | Shilpi (United States) | Don’t Get Too Comfortable (United States) | In Good Faith (United States) | The Scapegoat (Dhulo) (India)

shorts 2 - through her lens

Sandstorm (Pakistan) | Eyewitness (India) | Microbus (Egypt) | Zero Kilometer (India) | Happy Anniversary (India) | Raqs (Pakistan)

shorts 3 - stories from around town

Unfinished / Adhura (India) | Washing Machine (India) | A Hail of Broken Glass (Pakistan) | Manu (India) | Peek-a-boom (Lebanon) | Kandittundu (Seen it) (India)

shorts 4 - growing pains

Jaan Jigar (India) | Coming Out With the Help of a Time Machine (United States) | AmeriGirl (United States) | Sulochana (United States)

shorts 5 - canadian shorts

Stay connected | Receiver | Persian Blue| Baba | On the fence | In Defence of Civil Society | Followers | Defund | Tigress | The Orchid & the Tree

OPENING CEREMONY and centrepiece film

MISAFF is proud to present the World Premiere of the Canadian film DONKEYHEAD written, directed by and starring Agam Darshi. The red carpet gala event will take place on the 2nd of December, 2021 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox starting at 6 PM. There will be a Q & A with the cast and crew of the film following the screening.

Mona Ghuman is the black sheep of the family. When Mona moves back into her family home, what was meant to be a few months of rent-free sobriety turns into seven isolated years caring for her cancer-stricken father. A turn of events sees Mona’s three successful siblings, (Rup, Sandy and Mona’s twin brother Parm) return back to the family home with a mission to fix and to help, causing Mona’s insecurities about her own unfulfilled life to deepen.

*Please note that this film is not available on Digital TIFF Bell Lightbox. Tickets are sold separately for $30 plus taxes and fees.

opening film

SALT IN OUR WATERS Director: Rezwan Shahrir Sumit BANGLADESH Bengali with English subtitles. CANADIAN PREMIERE (available online only at the Digital TIFF Bell Lightbox from 1-5 December)

MISAFF21 is proud to present an outstanding opening film this year directed by Bangladeshi filmmaker Rezwan Shahrir Sumit. ‘Nonajoler Kabbo' (Salt in our Waters), portrays an epic clash‐of‐cultures in the climate frontlines of Bangladesh, with the elemental conflict of land and sea, man and nature, serving as an interactive setting for a dramatic meditation on tradition and modernity. Director Sumit believes that film and entertainment can be a powerful tool for bringing beneficial changes to society and culture, as well as for raising awareness about the dangers of climate change.

The film stars Titas Zia, Fazlur Rahman Babu, Shatabdi Wadud, and Tasnova Tamanna as the main protagonists. The background score was composed by music director Arnob.

closing film

Director: Abdullah Mohammad Saad BANGLADESH. Bengali with English Subtitles. This film is only available on Digital TIFF Bell Lightbox

Cannes Un Certain Regard winner, REHANA MARIAM NOOR is the MISAFF21 closing night selection. The film follows an assistant professor at a local medical college, who finds herself in a difficult position after witnessing a sexual assault where she knows both the victim and the perpetrator.