If you’ve never been into watching short films, now is a good time to try it! Toronto is known for TIFF, the international festival that brings feature length films to our city, but we also host an international festival for short films. Although feature length films seem to get all the glory, there are lots of talented writers, directors, and producers that make shorts and have even been discovered through them (Lena Dunham, anyone?). After checking out some of the films at this year’s festival, you’ll soon see why these filmmakers believe in quality over quantity.
Get your fix of shorts at the Toronto Short Film Festival this month. The festival runs from November 12th to 14th and will be showing nine different programs this year, all centred around a different theme. Each program includes about 5 or 6 short films you get to watch in one sitting.
This is the first year that TISFF is three days instead of two, thanks to its success in past years. There were submissions from over 12 countries and the festival accepted a total of 60 films to be shown this year. These are a few that are at the top of our list:
Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker
This is animation film that takes place in an alternate universe. The main character finds himself in this universe and meets his own Dream Walker. We’re not entirely sure what a Dream Walker is, which is why we’re interested in seeing this one. This short was directed by Tom DeLonge, the leader singer of Angels and Airwaves, and its premiere will coincide with the release of their new album called The Dream Walker. Pretty cool!
This is animation film that takes place in an alternate universe. The main character finds himself in this universe and meets his own Dream Walker. We’re not entirely sure what a Dream Walker is, which is why we’re interested in seeing this one. This short was directed by Tom DeLonge, the leader singer of Angels and Airwaves, and its premiere will coincide with the release of their new album called The Dream Walker. Pretty cool!
How to Deal with an Axe Murderer
As you can guess from the title, this one will probably make you jump out of your seat a few times. The plot is about four women who go on a trip together and run into an axe murderer - you can probably figure out the rest. Since it’s a short, 13 minutes doesn’t leave too much time for build up, so we’re interested to see how the story will unfold!
As you can guess from the title, this one will probably make you jump out of your seat a few times. The plot is about four women who go on a trip together and run into an axe murderer - you can probably figure out the rest. Since it’s a short, 13 minutes doesn’t leave too much time for build up, so we’re interested to see how the story will unfold!
Two and a Quarter Minutes
Did you know it only takes two and a quarter minutes (on average) for someone to drown? This short is about what would go through someone’s mind in those two and a quarter minutes while underwater. It sounds a bit spooky but is an interesting concept. It was also entirely written, directed, and produced by the same person, Joshua Ovalie.
The iMom
This short is about the latest and greatest in technology: the iMom. It’s a new product that will essentially take care of and raise your kids for you. One iMom in particular forms a bond with two children that becomes irreversible. We hope this never becomes real life, but are excited to see how this one turns out.
All of the films will be shown at Carlton Cinema (just north of us!) and are $13.50 per program. If you’re thinking about attending more than one or two programs, you can buy a film pass for $40.
All photos via www.tisff.net
