Documentary Short Film Panorama: City Variations

5 short documentaries about life in cities presented as part of screenings at LIFF celebrating the 400th anniversary of Leeds, with films from Brazil, China, Portugal, USA and Palestine.

Total running time of programme: 98 minutes.

Please note this short film programme contains flashing images.

Olinda’s Golden Arches

A twisty, playful take on the little-told tale of a Brazilian mayoral election that came to be known as the ‘Battle of Olinda’, a key engagement in the war between two of the most powerful colonial forces of the twentieth century: communism and McDonalds. UK Premiere | Douglas Henrique | Brazil | 2025 | 24 mins | Portuguese

Your City

Between Shenzhen and New York, two queer voices connect across the distance as a typhoon gathers. Shifting from luminous 16mm to spectral thermal imagery, this atmospheric work speaks to the experience of migration, uncertainty and the search for home in an unstable world. UK Premiere | Ting Su | China, France, USA | 2026 | 14 mins | Mandarin Chinese

Infinity River

Every day, thousands cross the Tagus River to clean, care for, build and serve the city of Lisbon. Following three workers through their daily routines, this delicately observed portrait pays tribute to the invisible labour that keeps a city moving. UK Premiere | Gonçalo Pina | Portugal | 2025 | 22 mins | Nepali, Portuguese

Sawyer Avenue, Sunday Afternoon

Through the body-worn cameras of masked US Border Patrol agents and the phones of ordinary citizens, Oscar nominee Bill Morrison presents a tense, real-time reconstruction of a neighbourhood’s desperate attempt to prevent the kidnapping of one of their own. Yorkshire Premiere | Bill Morrison | USA | 2026 | 18 mins | English, Spanish

Another Day Shall Come

Voicenotes from anonymous Palestinians living within the 1948 borders form a fragmented portrait of life under occupation; a mosaic of reflections on the instability of identity, the impermanence of nature, and the permeability of our inner and outer worlds. UK Premiere | Aida Kaadan | Palestine | 2026 | 20 mins | Arabic

Content Guidance: Contains scenes of violence and mature themes including war, racism, migration and discrimination.