There was no better way to end a week off of school than seeing what the Toronto university film community had to offer.
I had never been to this type of event before, so I was very excited. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived. Having never been in Hart House before, I was immediately captured by it's charm, and beauty. When I met with the rest of the Youth Shorts programming team, we climbed a set of stairs and entered a small room, filled with rows of chairs. I knew that I was going to have a good night when I saw what was at the back of the room - free food. My compliments to the U of T Film Festival organizers for not only understanding the importance of food at these types of events, but for providing such a wide and enjoyable selection of snacks. The baked brie was a particular favourite. Anyway, I digress. It was very interesting for me to see what caliber of diverse films the youth film community was producing.
I had a few favourites from the night:
Kicking things off was a brief animated piece by Carla Veldman titled Uncle Antlers. Centered around a girl and her imaginary friend, Uncle Antlers, this film told an emotional and relevant story as to how our imaginations change as we age, and how the things we once held dear can be cast aside as we grow up (or at least that was how I interpreted it). The charming hand-drawn style and beautiful musical accompaniment made this my favourite short of the first part of the program.
The Blood Royal by Carlo Schefter instantly drew my attention with it's energetic, and driving soundtrack. The grungy and experimental film noir stylings were something that really differentiated it from any other film seen that night.
Although the two films above stood out the most to me, I would to say that all the films were very different, and did something to set themselves apart from the others. This wide range of vastly different pieces is what made my first film festival one that I will always remember.
-Christian
I had never been to this type of event before, so I was very excited. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting, but I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived. Having never been in Hart House before, I was immediately captured by it's charm, and beauty. When I met with the rest of the Youth Shorts programming team, we climbed a set of stairs and entered a small room, filled with rows of chairs. I knew that I was going to have a good night when I saw what was at the back of the room - free food. My compliments to the U of T Film Festival organizers for not only understanding the importance of food at these types of events, but for providing such a wide and enjoyable selection of snacks. The baked brie was a particular favourite. Anyway, I digress. It was very interesting for me to see what caliber of diverse films the youth film community was producing.
I had a few favourites from the night:
Kicking things off was a brief animated piece by Carla Veldman titled Uncle Antlers. Centered around a girl and her imaginary friend, Uncle Antlers, this film told an emotional and relevant story as to how our imaginations change as we age, and how the things we once held dear can be cast aside as we grow up (or at least that was how I interpreted it). The charming hand-drawn style and beautiful musical accompaniment made this my favourite short of the first part of the program.
The Blood Royal by Carlo Schefter instantly drew my attention with it's energetic, and driving soundtrack. The grungy and experimental film noir stylings were something that really differentiated it from any other film seen that night.
Although the two films above stood out the most to me, I would to say that all the films were very different, and did something to set themselves apart from the others. This wide range of vastly different pieces is what made my first film festival one that I will always remember.
-Christian