I’m a huge fan of Wholphin, a quarterly DVD filled with short films published by the fine folks behind McSweeney’s and The Believer magazines. It’s one of the chief reasons why my appreciation for short films continues to grow. So I was delighted to discover that Wholphin’s founder and editor Brent Hoff would be in Toronto to attend the Worldwide Short Film Festival. He graciously agreed to talk with me about the “magazine” and his passionate belief that films should be free to be just the right length. Extra credit for sitting down with me after spending 4.5 hours in the hot sun watching the Blue Jays win a 15-inning nailbiter.
An added bonus was the presence of Sundance Film Festival shorts programmer Jon Korn, who pipes in now and then. I’ve actually been promised a fuller interview with Jon soon so look for that in the weeks or months to come.
Special thanks to AJ Schnack for granting permission to use his photo of Brent enjoying himself at the 2008 True/False Film Festival.
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Always one of my favourite programs at the Worldwide Short Film Fest, the sci-fi shorts this year were also very strong, and less “retro-kitsch” than last year’s. Nice to see entries from such sci-fi hotspots as New Zealand and Africa too!
- Defoe (9 minutes, UK, Director: Ross Neil): An astronaut crash lands on an inhospitable planet in this visually arresting film. It’s not a new idea, and the short ends abruptly, but great use of makeup and effects. (Official site) (7/10)
- Schizofredric (15 minutes, UK, Director: Andy Poyiadgi): A nerdy slob signs up for a self-improvement course that involves a wormhole in his house. Breaks some of the conventions of cinematography while hewing carefully to the conventions of comedy shorts. (Facebook page) (7/10)
- Fard (13 minutes, France, Director: David Alapont and Luis Briceno) The only animated film in the bunch, this approximates the look of a shaky handheld camera, and the reason soon becomes apparent. Oscar is a drone in a highly regimented society. His life is predictable until a friend asks him to hide a strange package. Though the dystopian storyline isn’t new, the contents of the package pushed the film into surprising and technically impressive territory. (Watch the whole film on Twitch’s site) (9/10)
- Vostok Station (8 minutes, New Zealand, Director: Dylan Pharazyn) At an Antarctic research station, an injured man stumbles from a terrible disaster before being transfixed by a beautiful vision. What does it mean? The unusual setting and imagery really add to the sense of mystery in this short. (Watch an excerpt on YouTube) (8/10)
- ?E?ANX (The Cave) (11 minutes, Canada, Director: Helen Haig-Brown) Based on a tale from the Tsilhqot’in people, this film adds a sci-fi element to the story of a bear hunter who crawls into a remote cave and finds a portal to the afterlife. Beautifully-shot but fairly straightforward. (7/10)
- Pumzi (23 minutes, South Africa/Kenya, Director: Wanuri Kahiu) It’s 35 years after the “Water War” and Asha works at the Virtual Museum of Natural History somewhere in Africa. It’s a self-contained society where all moisture (even urine and sweat) is recycled. One day she receives a mysterious soil sample from an unknown source. It’s high in water content and free from radiation, but when she asks to go and investigate its source, she’s denied permission to go outside. Undaunted, she escapes in order to plant a tree. Strong art direction, but the ending is more lyrical and dreamlike than realistic, leaving the source of the soil a mystery. This helps reinforce the film’s environmental message, but left me a bit frustrated. (Official site) (7/10)
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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.
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