Worldwide Short Film Festival 2011: Opening Night Gala & CFC Dramatic Shorts

Image from West of the Moon from the Opening Gala Program

Opening Gala: Award Winners from Around the World
The festival starts off tonight with star studding award winning shorts from across the globe! Let's take a look at selection of shorts in the Opening Gala program.

Bukowski
Dir: Daan Bakker
Netherlands, 8 minutes

A wiser than his age and well spoken 12-year old charms everyone he meets with candor and vigor at a hotel where his family is vacationing. It begs the question is it better to believe, or to know? Or perhaps a bit of both. Charming & delightful this one is sure to be an crowd pleaser. Bukowski delivers.

West of the Moon
Dir: Brent Bonacorso
USA, 10 minutes

Gorgeous & whimsical this combination of live-action and animation shows the wonder of imagination at work. I loved watching this wacky and wild story unfold, making sense of nonsense & sensing and sharing whimsy in every possible way. West of the Moon was a complete treat.

Big Bang Big Boom
Dir: Blu
Italy, 12 minutes

I could watch the animation of Big Bang Big Boom over and over and over again. A beautiful, rough around the edges with a lively sense or humour and smarts to top it all off. This is a creative genius at work.

The Lost Thing
Dir: Andrew Ruhemann & Shaun Tan
Australia, 15 minutes

Oh, The Lost Thing... where have you been? Perhaps you've been lost. A beautiful story that blends the very literal with an undercurrent of the sad notation of not noticing the wonder of the world around us. A great reminder and a truly magnificent film. A treasure not only lost, but also found.

Opening Gala: Award Winners from Around the World screens at Worldwide Short Film Festival on:

• Tuesday May 31, 2011 at 7PM at the Bloor
• Sunday June 5, 2011 at 9:30 at the ROM

Andrew Moodie in Transmission, part of the Canadian Film Centre: SHORT DRAMATIC FILMS program

Canadian Film Centre: SHORT DRAMATIC FILMS

Here's a look at two of the shorts in the Canadian Film Centre: SHORT DRAMATIC FILMS program.

Kill Brass
Dir: Michel Kandinsky
Cast: Ron White, Graham Abbey
Canada, 17 minutes

Great storytelling and tension displayed in this tale of two hit men. From the younger, bolder Koestler (Graham Abbey) and the passed-seasoned Spinoza (Ron White) take each other on to see who will remain standing at the end of the day.

Transmission
Dir: Randall Okita (Machine with Wishbone)
Cast: Andrew Moodie, Wayne Ward, Evan Gilchrist
Canada, 17 minutes

Griping moral drama and character study centred on a tow-truck driver (in a fantastic performance by Andrew Moodie) who struggles with a non-so-simple towing. Challenging perceptions and balancing restraint, the audience is kept captive as we see the moments go from bad to worse. Fantastic display of restraint, repercussions and rage.

Canadian Film Centre: SHORT DRAMATIC FILMS screens at Worldwide Short Film Festival on Sunday June 5, 2011 at 12NOON at the Varsity.

The Worldwide Short Film Festival runs from May 31 - June 5, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.