Worldwide Short Film Festival 2010 Preview

"THE END IS NEAR" is the catch phrase for the 16th year of the Worldwide Short Film Festival, and I love it. One of the things I always say about shorts is that if you don't like it, it won't be long before it's over, but that is rarely the case with this festival as they have such strong & interesting programming that I can't wait to see this years films. I also love that their website url is www.shorterisbetter.com. Yay for all us short people! It is better! The festival opens tomorrow night with the Opening Gala program: Award Winners From Around the World, including the fantastic Canadian short Runaway.

Ladies in the house! Two of the programs I'm really looking forward to this year are the Lunafest touring program showcasing short films by, for, about women. Keeping the same vein, there is also the Swedish omnibus program DORIS, from the Doris network which was founded to encourage and empower female filmmakers. If these are your style, you probably also want to check out Official Selection 11: Not Just From Venus which features an "eclectic group of unforgettable heroines". I'm sold!

One of the programs I always look forward to every year is SciFi Out There. Keeping it crazy there are also the Midnight Mania programs: Creepy and Freaky. Scary stuff!

From the weird to the big wigs, the Celebrity Shorts program brings familiar names and faces to the short and sweet. Twilight fans will be delighted to hear that this year's program includes the short The Summer House starring none other than Robert Pattinson pre-Twilight. More big wigs include Crispin Glover and John C. Reilly in Drunk History: Tesla & Edison, Don Cheadle and Will Ferrell in Drunk History: Douglass & Lincoln and the voices of Meryl Streep and Forest Whitaker in Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must be More to Life.

You can also travel around the world, or rather have the world come to you - short and sweetly through several of this years programs. The country focus this year turns the Spotlight on Poland (Part I, Part 2 and Platige Image), check out the grades for the Film School Spotlight: Centro de Capacitacion Cinematografica in Mexico, and head over the pond with onedotzero: New British Talent '09.

Looking for laughs? Several programs should fit the bill with from Laughter Without Borders to Alternative Comedy Showcase to family-friendly Shorts for Shorties: The Great Chase. The musically inclined have interesting selections to choose from including When All is Said and Sung and Scene Not Herd: Music Videos.

All there is so much more. Check out the schedule and click through on the program name to find out more. So much more.

That is just a section of the programs. For more information, check out the Worldwide Short Film Festival website, Program Descriptions, Film Schedule, Symposium Details, Location Information, Box Office Information or Purchase Tickets online.

You can also find the festival on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

The Worldwide Short Film Festival runs from June 1-6, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.