PREVIEW: PREFEATURE SHORTS

0 Comments POSTED: September 5, 2007 23:20 | By: Jay Dart

Catch these excellent shorts prior to some of the Canadian feature films screening throughout TIFF.

CANADIAN SHIELD
Dir. Simon Ennis | English | 6 mins.
A Mountie discovers the red serge isn?t all it?s cracked up to be while stationed in the northern wilderness. Steeped in satire, this comedic period piece follows our noble hero as he searches for existential fulfillment... and his trusty steed.
Screens with HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD

GOD PROVIDES
Dir. Brian M. Cassidy, Melanie Shatzky | English | 9 mins.
In this documentary portrait of the American South, expressions of faith unfold in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a focused yet unassuming manner, Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky capture compelling impressions of those left to recover from what is described as an act of god.
Screens with WILD HORSE REDEMPTION

A CURE FOR TERMINAL LONELINESS
Dir. Samir Rehem | English | 7 mins.
An isolated textbook writer struggles with a bad case of loneliness as he tries to complete an assignment. In a pallid, post-millennial world where the government imposes regulations to fight a mass epidemic of isolation, our protagonist finds solace in the companionship of a sympathetic neighbour.
Screens with THEY WAIT

HYMN TO PAN
Dir. Francois Miron | English | 5 mins.
François Miron has been crafting experimental shorts with a distinctive, meticulous touch for over two decades. In this first part of a triptych, he offers a celebration of the Aleister Crowley poem ?Hymn to Pan? through a kinetic assault of dancing cinematography and fast-paced cuts. The result is a mesmerizing ode to an expressive camera movement.
Screens with LE CEDRE PENCHE

I'VE NEVER HAD SEX...
Dir. Robert Kennedy | English | 2 mins.
I?ve never had sex in a movie theatre. No, wait?. Playful truth-telling ensues when responses to this revealing adult-themed game are captured and wittily edited on a mobile phone. Filmmaker Robert Kennedy leads the candid interrogation of willing participants with a vérité approach. Play along if you dare.
Screens with YOUNG PEOPLE FUCKING

NO BIKINI
Dir. Claudia Morgado Escanilla | English | 8 mins.
?I had a sex change once, when I was six or seven years old.? The opening line of No Bikini introduces us to a young girl who defies convention during her summer swim class. Filled with humour, this film is less about defining one?s gender than it is about discov-ering personal strength.
Screens with BREAKFAST WITH SCOT

PARADISE
Dir. Jesse Rosensweet | English | 8 mins.
In this follow-up to The Stone of Folly, Jesse Rosensweet creates a fifties-era diorama to tell a tale of adultery and power. John and Jane are stuck in ruts ? literally, in the grooves of an antique automaton, but also figuratively. When Jane becomes restless and John puts in more overtime at work, this comical stop-motion animated film leads to a surprising conclusion.
Screens with JUST BURIED

Check the TIFF07.ca Film Schedule listing for up to date screening times and locations.

Film briefs written by the Short Cuts Canada programming team: Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo, Alex Rogalski and Jay Dart.