Tom Swifty’s “This Is War”

Monday, April 13, 2020 - Friday, March 5, 2021

Screening online as part of “Wish We Were Here: Shorts by IFC Center Staff”

In the music video for “This Is War,” Minneapolis-born rapper Tom Swifty pays tribute to his adopted hometown of NYC. From the album Spare Thoughts, produced by Tha TruthTella. Available now on all platforms. Directed by Ezra Stead. Shot and edited by Tyler Lawrence. Featuring Matthew Scott Gualco. Warning: explicit lyrics. Having trouble loading the short? You can also play it here.

While our theater is closed as part of efforts to slow the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, we’ve taken our signature short film programming online with “Wish We Were Here: Shorts by IFC Center Staff,” a showcase of short documentary, comedy, drama, animated and experimental work by the creators who work as our ushers, floor staff, box office cashiers, managers and projectionists. A different film will be posted to our website every few days, watchable for free. The series is sponsored by subscription streaming service IFC Films Unlimited.

The theater is proud to partner on this new initiative with IFC Films Unlimited, a streaming service from our sister company IFC Films. Although our screens are dark during this temporary closure, IFC Films Unlimited lets audiences discover or revisit hundreds of our favorite films at home or anywhere they can stream, from the movie we opened our doors with, Miranda July’s ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW, to IFC Center hits like BOYHOOD, 45 YEARS and THE BABADOOK, along with the work of international auteurs like Claire Denis, Olivier Assayas, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, and many, many more. Free trial subscriptions are available.

“Wish We Were Here” is an evolution of the ongoing “Short Attention Span Cinema” series that was inaugurated with IFC Center’s opening in 2005. Since then, for almost 15 years until our temporary closure on March 13, 2020, SASC has presented great short films before the theater’s regular features, day in and day out. Earlier films in the program are here.

About the filmmaker:


Ezra Stead (aka Tom Swifty) is a writer, rapper, and occasional painter who works as a projectionist at IFC Center.


  • Year 2019
  • Running Time 3 minutes
  • Director Ezra Stead

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.