The 2019 University of Toronto Film Festival exhibited a line up of short films with a truly wide variety of genres and forms, showing a broad stylistic range. The short films spanned from drama, sci-fi, and horror to comedies and experimental films. Filmmakers were a mix of U of T students, alumni, and Hart House Film Board members.
Overall a very entertaining festival, there were quite a few films that stood out. In particular, Mother’s Day directed by Alexander DeSouza, was very well executed and the plot was truly heart-warming, depicting the story of a 12 year old boy and 2 younger neighbourhood brothers as they try to make pancakes for their mother on Mother’s Day.
Another stand out was the thirteen-minute short documentary Road to Colombo by Jillian and Ben Sprenger. It showed how drought, flooding, and coastal erosion affect the people of Sri Lanka, forcing them to leave their ancestral lands to inhabit urban areas. The documentary addressed relevant issues such as climate change, urbanization, and social dilemmas.
The sci-fi drama Mnemosyne by Paul Cassar was very compelling and told the story of a moral dilemma: a teenage girl requests an unusual procedure from a doctor, and he must decide whether to go ahead with it. This was the longest short of the festival, clocking in at 17 minutes. On a lighter note, the comedy An Underdog Story directed by U of T student Kenn Kao was a true audience pleaser. The film brought in a lot of laughs from the crowd, showing the story of a comical showdown between a math professor and a young teaching assistant.
Overall, the U of T Film Fest had a very interesting line up of short films showing a great range of styles. Congratulations to all the filmmakers!
-Lynn
*still from Mother's Day by Alexander DeSouza
Overall a very entertaining festival, there were quite a few films that stood out. In particular, Mother’s Day directed by Alexander DeSouza, was very well executed and the plot was truly heart-warming, depicting the story of a 12 year old boy and 2 younger neighbourhood brothers as they try to make pancakes for their mother on Mother’s Day.
Another stand out was the thirteen-minute short documentary Road to Colombo by Jillian and Ben Sprenger. It showed how drought, flooding, and coastal erosion affect the people of Sri Lanka, forcing them to leave their ancestral lands to inhabit urban areas. The documentary addressed relevant issues such as climate change, urbanization, and social dilemmas.
The sci-fi drama Mnemosyne by Paul Cassar was very compelling and told the story of a moral dilemma: a teenage girl requests an unusual procedure from a doctor, and he must decide whether to go ahead with it. This was the longest short of the festival, clocking in at 17 minutes. On a lighter note, the comedy An Underdog Story directed by U of T student Kenn Kao was a true audience pleaser. The film brought in a lot of laughs from the crowd, showing the story of a comical showdown between a math professor and a young teaching assistant.
Overall, the U of T Film Fest had a very interesting line up of short films showing a great range of styles. Congratulations to all the filmmakers!
-Lynn
*still from Mother's Day by Alexander DeSouza
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