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In Vain

Zach, being the last fugitive of the city’s resistance against an entity’s tyranny, signals for help. His lost ally, Mandy, arrives possessed by the entity, and invades to take him as part of the hivemind. Ultimately, Zach falls to his death, the resistance’s efforts to liberate the city in vain.

Heron Cheung

Heron Cheung is a Hong Kong-born 2D animator based in Vancouver, with a Bachelor of Media Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. In her thesis film, In Vain (2024), awarded for Best Editing, she works with the concept of aligning Lovecraftian horror with society and government structures.

Presented as Part Of Virtual – From Dreamscapes to Disruptions to Disassociation Virtual Animation Program

Dream in the Water

Memories of the past. No matter how many times I draw it, no matter how many layers I add, one after the other...
7 min | Yifan Jiang | North American Premiere | Japanese | English
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Detours Ahead

A young woman embarking on a road trip watches the landscape transform from idyllic and blissful to cold and u...
8 min | Esther Cheung | BC Premiere | No dialogue
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Unblending

For people living with structural dissociation, falling asleep can be a very challenge thing – a time when m...
2 min | Michelle Ku | No dialogue | .
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Every Day Is a Good Day

In Vancouver, there’s a large Chinese community that is full of different backgrounds and cultural nuances. ...
2 min | Kimberley Yip, Sonia Yau, Wendi Ma | World Premiere | Chinese, English
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So Be It

While celebrating her friend’s engagement, Sera is criticized by her mother for her lack of a love life. Ser...
5 min | Pritty Wang | Online Premiere | English
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Around the Kitchen Table 围绕这厨房桌子

围绕这厨房桌子: Around the Kitchen Table is a hand-painted animated short that celebrates the daily rit...
19 min | Wen Wen Lu | | World Premiere | No dialogue
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Embrace the Moon

Inspired by the traditional art of Chinese shadow puppetry, Embrace the Moon follows the Moon Goddess who fall...
5 min | Katrina Pleasance | Vancouver Premiere | English (No dialogue) | English
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Pocket Princess

In this dark stop-motion fairytale of metamorphosis, childhood, and claiming one’s bodily agency through ima...
10 min | Olivia Loccisano | BC Premiere | English
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Coastal Community Centre’s Fluffy Friend

Coastal Community Centre’s Fluffy Friend is an animated short student film where an adorably mysterious, flu...
2 min | Hannah Sy | BC Premiere | English
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Dragonfly

Komoro, Japan, 1956. 10-year-old Sumiko chases a red dragonfly through her family’s farm while her mother, Y...
14 min | Julia Morizawa | Canadian Premiere | English
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Credits
Heron Cheung
Voice actors- Mylo Yu (Zach), Jeralyn Magantino (Mandy), Sarin Ghahri (White Spring/Ryan)
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Festival passes

This year, VAFF FESTIVAL, screening programs in person and virtual will be organized into various series in order to better highlight the diverse content in our festival. These Series include Spotlight Series, Documentary Features Series, Narrative Features Series, Westcoast Shorts Series, Canadian Shorts Series, International Short Series, Animation Series, VAFF Industry Insight Series and Special Events.

vaff28 venues

Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas

88 W Pender St 3rd floor, Vancouver, BC V6B 6N9

Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas

88 W Pender St 3rd floor, Vancouver, BC V6B 6N9