TIFF'09: NFB Shorts

The NFB has a fantastic selection of shorts included in at TIFF these year. I've already reviewed The Spine here, which includes highlights from the Q&A with director Chris Landreth and voice actors Robert McCarrol & Patrice Goodman from the screening at the Worldwide Short Film Festival 2009. The Spine plays with Short Cuts Canada Programme #1.

Also check out my Pre-Festival Vlog where I discuss the following shorts.

Night Mayor
Dir: Guy Maddin (Brand Upon the Brain!, The Saddest Music in the World, My Winnipeg)
Canada, 10 minutes

Describing the experience of watching a Guy Maddin isn't the easiest thing to do, but while vlogging last night I came up with the following: It's like ... "Feeling like you actually lived through a fictional experience." Yep, that sums it up and Night Mayor is right in line with that feeling. You don't understand what your seeing. Then you do understand what your seeing. Then boring things like logic and reason kick in, telling you you can't be seeing what you are seeing. But, overall you are believing what you are seeing. Unique textural style and bizarre stories involving machines, communications and the Aurora Borealis is only the surface of the film as we are treated to comprehensive non-nonsense that bridges dream, sciences and nostalgia. It's a brilliant work of art.

Night Mayor plays with Short Cuts Canada Programme #2.
To get a taste of Night Mayor check out this clip over at the NFB site.

Runaway
Dir: Cordell Barker
Canada, 9 minutes

Very funny animated short that walks a fine line of cute and dark, with a cow and a train along the way. Perhaps the cow is cute as the train is dark? Adept storytelling and frantic pacing make this short film a joy to watch.

Runaway plays with Short Cuts Canada Programme #3.

Vive la rose
Dir: Bruce Alcock
Canada, 6 minutes

An interesting combination of visual storytelling styles are shown side by side with an often interconnected vein. It was beautiful to let the eyes wander back and forth and back again to see the images appear, unfold and disappear right before your eyes.

Vive la rose plays with the feature film Crackie.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 10 - 19, 2009 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.