The Sundance Film Festival may be have thrown one final house party in its longtime Park City digs before packing its bags for Boulder, Colorado next year, but change has done little to slow its groove on the cinematic dance floor. Once again, the festival has a wide array of films and filmmakers for cinephiles to discover. As with previous editions, the Short Film Program has a wealth of titles that speak to a variety of cinematic taste. Here are a few shorts that I was fortunate to catch at the festival this year:
¡Pika! (The Itch)
In Alex Fischman Cárdenas’s nightmarish adventure ¡Pika!, one’s man skin irritation sends him on a harrowing and surreal journey. When an uncontrollable itch leads to a mild rash, a man (Jose Medina) heads out to his local pharmacy to buy a cream that will relieve his discomfort. However, to get the last jar available, the man must run a quick errand for the pharmacist. One that will change his life forever.
A darkly funny romp, part of the joy of Cárdenas’ film is how quickly things escalate for the man. Slotting itself in the genre of films that take place over one crazy night, what should be a simple trip to the store turns into an unexpected tour into a seedy underworld. A journey so harrowing that the healing balm he seeks ends up being, in a truly unexpected turn of events, the sanctity of love from his overbearing mother (Teresa Ralli). While Cárdenas’ s film doesn’t quite stick the landing, as the latter sequences between mother and son needed more context and time to develop the dynamics, the well-shot short is a twisted and continuously surprising ride. It’s the type of short film that will scratch the itch of those looking for a wildly original work.
Sauna Sickness
After an intimate encounter in a nearby sauna, Cleo (Thea Sofie Loch Næss) and her boyfriend Tobias (Adam Lundgren) find themselves locked out of their cottage on a freezing New Year’s Eve. With only their robes to cover them, and the sauna to provide temporary warmth, the tensions start to rise. While Cleo actively tries to think of ways to get inside the cottage without damaging it, as it’s her mother’s place, Tobias seems more interested in placing all the blame on her. Venturing out on her own in the night to seek help, Cleo must decide if the real danger is the overly friendly couple (Magnus Krepper, Sanna Krepper) in the cottage down the road, or Tobias’ true nature,which reveals itself as time goes on.
Anchored by a wonderful lead performance by Thea Sofie Loch Næss, Sauna Sickness arrives filled with tension. From its opening moments, where Cleo’s sexual needs are blissfully ignored by Tobias, , actor-director Malin Barr presents viewers with a heroine whose eagerness to please has reached its breaking point. Placing Cleo in one unsettling situation after another, Sauna Sickness keeps audiences on the edge of their seats as they feel her growing frustration and unease. By taking pointed swings at the fragile nature of the male ego, the audience wants to slap the spineless and egocentric Tobias on numerous occasions, Barr constructs a thrilling and empowering tale of a woman who finds strength and courage in her own self-worth.
Jazz Infernal
After premiering at TIFF, and being selected as one of Canada’s Top Ten Shorts of 2025 by the festival, Will Niava’s delightful and energetic Jazz Infernal played its sweet tune for Sundance audiences and ended up winning the Short Film Jury Award for International Fiction. The film revolves around Koffi (Ange-Eric N’guessan), a young Ivorian trumpeter, whose day goes from bad to increasingly worse the minute he steps off the plane in Montréal. Held up for hours by immigration, and with no way to charge his dying cell phone, Koffi is forced to find his own way to his aunt’s house. In a foreign land with no sense of direction, and haunted by memories of his father, a renowned jazz musician, the young man encounters a cast of characters as he embarks on a journey to get to his new home and find his musical voice along the way.
An amusing and touching work, Niava’s film moves with a frantic energy while never losing sight of its emotional core. Much of the humour comes from Koffi’s interactions with two waiters, Oli (Alexis Belhumeur) and Kaz (Kalombo Kasongo), at a jazz club, who dream of one day displaying their musical talents on the main stage. Backed by wonderful performances from the ensemble, Niava effortlessly moves back and forth between Koffi’s chaotic present and the quietness of his memories. Letting the viewer piece together the events of the past, one where the tall grasses of the Ivory Coast are both beautiful and haunting, Niava paints a moving portrait of the connections between fathers and sons–a bond so powerful its music can span time and continents. Similar to his earlier short, Zoo, which was featured on the Criterion Channel, Niava continues to prove why he is an exciting filmmaker who needs to be on more radars.
Together Forever
The Sundance program description for Gregory Barnes’ Together Forever is as straightforward as one can get: A Mormon couple ties the knot. While technically true, the film is more focused on the newly betrothed’s wedding night than it is the actual ceremony. Sure, the audience sees glimpse of the glowing bride, Sydney (Anora’s Lindsey Normington), and her dapper husband, Caleb (Samuel Sylvester), celebrating with loved ones on their big day, but behind closed doors, their union gets off to rocky start as anticipation and repressed desire make for a complicated mix.
It becomes clear early in the short that melancholy and obsession are at play as Caleb longingly observes the male deejay at their wedding. Much of Barnes’ film focuses on the fallout of this desire. As Sydney is eager to consummate the marriage, Caleb employs various delay tactics as he searches for a creative alternative. Barnes finds humour and unspoken sadness in the couple’s predicament. While Sydney is eager to spend her life with Caleb together, the audience is aware of the solitary prison her husband has placed himself in. Getting great performances from his two leads, as Normington expertly conveys the insecurities that come with perceived rejection while Sylvester brings a blend of humour and sullenness, the filmmaker provides some amusing food for thought. Hinting at the ways religion and expectations can keep people trapped in boxes they don’t fit in, Together Forever shows that sometimes happily ever after can be anything but.
