Worldwide Short Film Festival 2010 Opening Night Gala

As is their custom, the organizers of the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival dedicate the Opening Night program to award-winning shorts from around the world. This means that these films have screened lots of other places, but for me, they’re still discoveries.

• Runaway (9 minutes, Canada, Director: Cordell Barker): Though I’d seen this one before, I enjoyed it even more the second time. Off-kilter animation and music helped convey the dark humour of this tale of a runaway train and its passengers. Sly political messages about capitalism and consumption abound. (8/10) (Note: The image above is from this short.)
• Slitage (Seeds of the Fall) (17 minutes, Sweden, Director: Patrik Eklund): After a construction vehicle damages their house, a middle-aged couple receive a strange offer from their neighbours. Strong acting from the leads and some Nordic black comedy couldn’t make up for a fairly weak story. (7/10)
• Tungijuq (7 minutes, Canada, Directors: Felix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphael): Featuring Inuit throat-singer Tanya Tagaq, this sensual meditation on the seal hunt is hypnotic and sexy. (8/10)
• The Six Dollar Fifty Man (15 minutes, New Zealand, Directors: Mark Albiston and Louis Sutherland): Plagued by bullies who call him a runt, small Andy claims to have the powers of a superhero. Some strong cinematorgraphy but I still found it a bit trite. (7/10)
• C’est Dimanche! (It’s Sunday!) (30 minutes, France, Director: Samir Guesmi): 13-year-old Ibrahim has failed another grade, but instead of telling his illiterate father the truth, he claims that the letter from his school is really a diploma. When his dad takes him out to celebrate, keeping him from a very important date with his girlfriend Fatou, he knows he’s going to have some explaining to do. Three winning characters bring this rather slight tale to life, and I was touched by the sweet relationships between father and son and between boy and girl. (8/10)

Stay tuned for more reviews as the fest continues to June 6th. Tickets are available online, at the Cumberland Terrace box office location, and at each venue.