Worldwide Short Film Festival

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Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Saturday, 28 May 2011 05:00

Written by L E Shannon

The 17th annual CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival runs May 31 - June 5, 2011 at the Canada Film Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Presented by TELUS, North America’s largest short film festival showcases the best short films from Canada and around the world, with an unparalleled line-up of contemporary short films in 33 programs specially selected from a record-breaking 4,200 submissions.

"This year the WSFF has really come into its own," says Festival Director Eileen Arandiga. "Short films have never been more popular. The record number of submissions received is clearly a testament to the growing popularity and importance of short film. This is a very exciting time for shorts, and we have never seen so many recognizable faces both in front of and behind the camera."

Directors with shorts screening include:

• Spike Jonze
• Michel Gondry
• Neil LaBute
• Taika Waititi
• Sima Urale
• Jonathan Caouette
• Harmony Korine
• and the directorial debut of Rachel Weisz

Starring in shorts are:

• Colin Firth
• Anthony Hopkins
• Imelda Staunton
• Tom Hardy
• Chloë Sevigny
• Scott Thompson
• Jeremy Irons
• Max von Sydow
• Steve Coogan
• Joseph Fiennes
• Ian McKellan
• John Slattery
• Gerard Depardieu
• Rosemary DeWitt
• Selma Blair
• Jeremy Davies
• Julia Stiles
• Debra Winger
• Keira Knightley

Opening Gala: Award-Winning Shorts from Around the World – Hailing straight from some of the film world's most competitive forums, The Festival Opening Gala offers a selection of the most celebrated films from Canada and across the globe.

Official Selection – The competitive programming debuts the films that become the world‛s most critically acclaimed short films. The 12 programs of selected shorts are a diverse blend of 95 engaging live action, animation, documentary and experimental films from Canada and 25 countries across the globe. Some of them are:

Shorts for Shorties – Visit the CN Tower’s theatre and watch some of the best short films for kids. These two colorful collections of animated tales from far and wide will entertain both the young and young-at-heart.

After the screening, kids can participate in the NFB Mediatheque’s hands-on 3-D animation workshops. Experienced NFB workshop facilitators will introduce children aged 3-13 to stop motion animation, before helping them create their own original films.

Spotlight on Italy – Each year the Festival focuses on a region or country. This year the spotlight is on Italy, showcasing contemporary shorts in two programs.

Straight 8 – See what no-budget, guerilla filmmakers can do with only one cartridge of film. A 10-year "Best of" retrospective from the Straight 8 filmmaking challenge: one Super 8 cartridge, no editing.

Tel Aviv University Film School Spotlight – Each year, the WSFF highlights the work at an exceptional film school, giving local film students a chance to see what’s coming out of other academic institutions.

This year, the WSFF presents a spotlight on Tel Aviv University’s (TAU) Film School. Israel’s oldest and biggest film school has launched the careers of a generation of filmmakers and is internationally respected for the work it produces.

Laughter Without Borders – This fresh crop of comedy shorts from home and abroad is proof that comedy is truly a universal language.

Indie Comedy Showcase – "For Shorts & Giggles" brings the funny to both screen and stage with a sidesplitting showcase of comedians and comedic short films. The brightest, weirdest and wildest emerging comedians from Toronto, New York and L.A. gather for this red-hot combination of laugh inducing live performances and crazy-indie-cool comedy shorts.

CFC Short Dramatic Films – An eclectic crop of award-winning films created by CFC‛s Short Dramatic Film Program in 2010.

Scene Not Herd – A snapshot of the hottest and most creative music videos from around the world, this cinematic treasure chest of short film gems give music and sound a starring role.

Two Programs of Celebrity Shorts – Hollywood stars love short films: they’re a playground for trying out new characters as actors, or testing new roles behind the camera. This year, a record number of A-listers perform, write and direct in these two programs of star-studded short films.

Sci-Fi: Out There – This global array of animation and live action sci-fi shorts is always a great bet for fantastically imaginative works and a taste of sharp parody.

Trilogy of Trilogies: New Zealand’s Got Talent – This year’s trilogy program turns the spotlight on the many and varied talents of some of New Zealand’s most unique filmmaking voices: Taika Waititi, Jason Stutter and Sima Urale.

Slap ‘N’ Tickle and Introducing Slap ‘N’ Tickle: Hardgore – Two programs of titillating shorts: true stories, naughty animations, seductive dramas and saucy comedies.

Midnight Mania – The two midnight programs, "Freaky" and "Creepy," are a mélange of the most unsettling, eerie and flat-out frightening shorts the world has to offer laced with the occasional dose of comic relief.

Symposium 2011
Short Film Big Ideas is a four-day symposium on the art and commerce of short filmmaking, the largest short film marketplace in North America.

A variety of panels cover a diverse range of topics including:

• funding
• self packaging
• casting
• finding and working with an agent
• digital distribution
• music licensing

New this year is The Feedback Loop, where selected filmmakers can have their short film critiqued by industry professionals in front of a live audience with the aim of helping filmmakers to monetize their shorts.

For more information, go to worldwideshortfilmfest.com.

Worldwide Short Film Festival
May 31 - June 5, 2011

Canadian Film Centre
2489 Bayview Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M2L 1A8 Canada

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