Over time, I’ve grown to appreciate short films more and more, and since their opportunities for theatrical release are so limited, I’m always glad to see shorts popping up in interesting places. For the past few years, Air Canada has sponsored the enRoute Film Festival, in which shorts by emerging Canadian filmmakers are featured on the seat-back entertainment systems on Air Canada flights. But it can’t rightly be called a festival unless there are awards and a big public screening, right?
So on October 20, there will be a free public screening of the shortlisted nominees for the fest’s awards. It will take place from 7:00-8:00pm at the Scotiabank Theatre here in Toronto. You can get an idea of the quality of the nominated films by visiting the web site, where many of the films are streaming. In addition to being able to see the films on the big screen, several members of the jury will be present, including actors Remy Girard and Lisa Ray and director Deepa Mehta.