How to take advantage of TIFF throughout the entire year

TIFF provides youth under 25 with many discounted and free opportunities to engage in the world of cinema

By: Sarah Grishpul

Patrons wait outside Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox theatre on Oct. 29, 2022. Young film fans eagerly discuss Park Chan-Wook’s latest film, Decision to Leave as they leave the matinee screening. (Sarah Grishpul/CanCulture)

That’s a wrap! The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has closed its curtains, the celebrities have flown back to Hollywood and the streets of our city’s entertainment district have returned to their typical hustle and bustle.

Yet TIFF still has so much to offer. The non-profit organization hosts year-round screenings dedicated to highlighting international and Canadian cinema. Although the film circuit has ended, TIFF still curates events, workshops and screenings for local cinephiles to attend during the off-season.

TIFF Under-25 Free Pass

Take it from someone who works at a cinema: going to the movies is expensive.

I’ve been attending TIFF events for around two years now, and the costs have always been the biggest deterrent for how many screenings I attend. Each year is always a vicious battle to snag tickets, as TIFF seats tend to fill up faster than the speed of sound.

While TIFF offers student discounts, those looking to immerse themselves in independent cinema on a budget may be interested in obtaining a subscription instead.

In March, TIFF announced they would be offering young film fans special membership discounts with the Under-25 Free Pass. According to a TIFF media release, the intention was to make the festival and its year-round programming more accessible for Canadian youth.

The pass also grants youth access to member-exclusive ticket pre-sales, where students can save 25 per cent off tickets for year-round TIFF events and screenings. Those who missed out or couldn’t afford tickets to this year’s festivities can now attend screenings of official festival selections such as Decision to Leave, Holy Spider and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Those who sign up will be automatically subscribed to the TIFF Weekly newsletter, where contests and invitations to special events will be made available. Members receive promotional codes and can obtain free or discounted tickets to yearly screenings at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

Under-25 members also receive 15 per cent off concessions and items at the gift shop, as well as gain exclusive access to the Bell Blue Room Members’ Lounge.

TIFF Cinematheque

Aside from scoring discounted movie tickets, Under-25 pass holders can attend free (that’s right, free) TIFF Cinematheque screenings.

Established in 1990, TIFF Cinematheque (previously known as Cinematheque Ontario) is a yearly program committed to sharing the art of film. The organization’s team of programmers curates a selection of contemporary, international and rare archival cinema that is often left untouched by mainstream theatre chains.

With screenings of over 200 films, students can enjoy these underrated gems of film history on the big screen after nearly decades have passed. Often for Cinematheque screenings, TIFF will host reruns of past festival selections, iconic pop culture hits, cult classics and international cinema. Some of the Cinematheque collections this year include To Sidney, With Love, Boosie Fade Film Club, Lost and Beautiful: New Italian Cinema.

Under-25 pass holders can access free tickets to screenings such as a 4K restoration of RoboCop (Director’s Cut), Nordic noirs like Headhunters, cult classics such as B*A*P*S and many more.

TIFF Next Wave Film Festival

Programmed for teens by teens, the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival offers free (again, free) movie screenings for anyone under 25 years old. This event is open to all youth, regardless of whether they signed up for the Under-25 Pass.

The festival is curated by a group of young film enthusiasts across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) tasked with planning youth-oriented events at TIFF. According to a TIFF media release, the intention behind Next Wave is to make cinema and film discourse accessible to youth and highlight the work of young filmmakers.

During the festival, students can take advantage of a diverse selection of independent movies, attend workshops with emerging creators and industry professionals and engage with a community of fellow young film fans.

Aside from the official festival selections, students can partake in the annual Movie Marathons, Battle of the Scores and Young Creator Co-Labs at an additional discounted cost.

While the lineup and dates for next year’s festival have yet to be announced, this is certainly an event you do not want to miss!

That’s a wrap!

I highly encourage students interested in experiencing films outside of Hollywood to take advantage of these offers, as attending these events is a great way to explore a diverse range of voices and perspectives through cinema. 

With big-budget American blockbusters crowding the marketplace, it’s become difficult for foreign-language and indie films to be widely distributed. These films are free from the restraints of the box office and are driven by artistic inspiration rather than profit. Audiences can become immersed in a culture or a perspective away from a Western lens.

So, I implore you to take advantage of the opportunities to engage with what TIFF has to offer. After all, film deserves to be accessible to all.

The fate of Toronto’s iconic convenience store

Kim’s Convenience is up for sale

By: Alisha Shaikh

(JasonParis/Wikimedia Commons)

Kim’s Convenience, the iconic store from the award-winning CBC sitcom of the same name, is up for sale. The real-life store that served as the exterior set for the show can now officially be bought for $200,000.

Kim’s Convenience is a CBC TV sitcom created by Ins Choi and Kevin White, based on a Korean Canadian family. The show first aired in 2016, and quickly became a fan favourite as it tells the funny and heartfelt story of the Kim family running a convenience store in Toronto while dealing with customers, family troubles and the evolving world around them. Co-creator Choi calls Kim's Convenience his "love letter to his parents and to all first-generation immigrants who call Canada their home."

Kim's Convenience is the first Canadian sitcom to feature Asian Canadian family members as lead characters. The cultural representation of the show has helped Canadian media immensely. 

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Media is often heavily dominated by America, but Kim’s Convenience breaks that notion, as it’s a perfect representation of Canada. 

Canada is a country of immigrants, which Kim’s Convenience illustrates perfectly through the Kim family. The Kims are an immigrant family in Toronto making ends meet while battling racism in a middle-class lifestyle which accurately represents the common immigrant Canadian family. This also creates relatable characters and plots for audiences around the world.

Kim's Convenience, with a full Asian-led cast, gave visible minorities representation in mainstream media. Many racial minorities often face the challenge of being represented and engaged by a mainly Caucasian-dominated cast. 

"The show’s diversity and representation have definitely helped Canadian media. Having so many Asian characters allowed viewers to see Asian people as people; layered, flawed, and normal. It was one of the first of its kind and it paved the way in Canadian media for more BIPOC-focused shows," said Lynette George, a fan of the show.

Kim’s Convenience has also given many Canadian actors more recognition and fame, such as Simu Liu, who is now known for playing Marvel’s first-ever Asian superhero, and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Andrea Bang, Jean Yoon and more. 

The Kim’s Convenience store is a beloved spot and great for tourism in Toronto. Located at 252 Queen St. E, it’s a prime location that’s right in the heart of the city. Queen Street is known for the city's best restaurants, cafés, independent boutiques, street art and galleries. 

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While many fans are disappointed that the store is for sale, this may not mean the end of the Kim’s Convenience store. 

"It's a Toronto landmark, so it'd be sad if it closed, but I doubt even if it sells, the new owner would change the name or sign considering it’s iconic and wildly famous," said Sam Dubiner, an optimistic Asian Canadian.

After five successful seasons, Kim's Convenience was abruptly cancelled in April 2021 when its’ co-creators decided to move on to pursue other projects. 

Many people were unhappy and dissatisfied hearing about the cancellation.

"Kim’s Convenience was one show which I feel almost all immigrants related to, it was comforting while also showing the struggles of immigrants," said Dubiner. 

Toronto is known for its diversity and multiculturalism, and Kim's Convenience accurately portrayed those aspects of the city.

"I think a large part of why the show did so well was the representation. There is such a rich, expansive Asian community in Canada, and particularly in Toronto, and the show was able to depict that perfectly," said George.

Kim’s Convenience has created a legacy that has impacted Canada and Toronto greatly. The sitcom represented minorities, portrayed the struggle of immigrants, gave rise to Canadian actors and has shown Canadian culture to the world. Although the show has ended and the store is for sale, Kim’s Convenience will never be forgotten.

Review: Turning Red

Pixar’s first Canadian animated film set in Toronto!

By: Mariana Schuetze

Turning Red’s title card.

Pixar’s newest animated film might be one of its best yet. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Domee Shi, Turning Red brings its viewers into an animated version of Toronto and into the life of an Asian Canadian teen, Mei Lee, living in the city. 

Turning Red is the coming-of-age story of Mei, a humourous, captivating, and fun 13-year-old girl. From the beginning of the movie, she is incredibly confident and even says things like: “I wear what I want and say what I want,” as she narrates her day-to-day life while getting on the TTC.

At its core, this movie is about growing up and learning to embrace yourself, which Mei goes through as she has to face her “magical puberty,” which turns her into a red panda whenever she gets too emotional. While being a giant panda sounds like a lot of fun, it certainly brings some turbulence into Mei’s life as she has to learn how to manage her relationship with her mom and friends — all while growing up. 

The film is also the first time Toronto has been animated in a Disney/Pixar motion picture, the first Pixar film to be solely directed by a woman, and only the second to have an Asian lead (after Up, 2009) out of the studio’s now 25 feature films. 

Shi pitched this film to Pixar in 2017 after making the Academy Award winning short film, Bao. Soon, the film was in production, eventually being released on March 11 exclusively on Disney+. 

Besides the movie being directed by a Canadian, its main cast of voice actors is also made up of a bunch of Canadians! Canadian Emmy Award nominee Sandra Oh lends her voice to Mei’s mother, Ming Lee. Mississauga, Ont.-born actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, best known for her role in Never Have I Ever, plays one of Mei's best friends, Priya Mangal. Hyein Park, Korean Canadian story artist at Pixar, voices another one of Mei's best friends, Abby Park. Another of Mei's best friends is Miriam, played by American actress Ava Morse. And finally, 13-year-old Asian American Rosalie Chiang is the star of the film, playing the lead role — for the first time in her career — of Meilin "Mei" Lee. 

Turning Red is set in the early 2000s in Toronto, and it ends up being really nostalgic. Not only in the fashion of the characters and their use of Tamagotchis, but also in Mei and her friends’ obsession with an adorable boy band. For this film, Shi and producer Lindsey Collins reached out to artists Billie Eilish and FINNEAS to help them work out the music for the band. Together, they created the songs  4*Town sings in the movie, and FINNEAS also lends his voice to one of its members. 

It is honestly so fun to see Toronto portrayed like this in an animated movie. When were you expecting to see the CN Tower in all its glory in the background of a cute Pixar film? I certainly wasn’t expecting it to happen so soon. 

To make Turning Red, Shi was inspired by her own experiences growing up in Toronto in a Chinese Canadian family. Specifically for Shi, this movie is about her own relationship with her mother. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the director talked about how much of what Ming does in the film and her relationship with her daughter Mei came from her own life. “Yes. My mom definitely did follow me on my first day of middle school,” she told Vanity Fair when asked about which “crazy moments” in the film were based in real life. 

Besides looking at her own life in Toronto to create the plot of this movie, Shi was also inspired by her admiration of anime to develop the animation style of Turning Red. Because of that, Shi was faced with translating a 2D-style animation into a 3D one. In an interview with IndieWire, Shi talked about her challenges on the animation front. “We were never going to replicate 2D exactly in 3D,” said Shi. “But how do we use these powerful tools that we have today to stylize the look of the movie in 3D space?" she added. 

To achieve the final looks of Turning Red, Shi and her all-women-led team of producers, cinematographers and animators studied the language of anime and worked out how they could bring that to a Pixar film. In the end, the movie turned out to be quite colourful and highly detailed, which clearly reflects their inspiration for anime and certainly makes the film even more enjoyable to watch. 

I really enjoyed how women-centred this film is and how it highlights all the meaningful female relationships in Mei’s life. Mei is a strong, confident and brave young woman who not only relies on but is supported by a bunch of equally impressive women in her life, such as her mom and her friends. The way Turning Red explores those relationships and what they mean to Mei (and consequently, to any young woman watching) by making them the centre of the story, is incredibly refreshing to see on screen. Especially when we are used to seeing so many stories with barely any women in focus. 

And what makes Turning Red even more groundbreaking and inspiring is that it is a Pixar film with a 13-year-old Asian girl as a protagonist. How often do we get to see assertive young Asian women like this on screen? It certainly made me feel like I could do anything. 

With Mei, Turning Red takes us right into middle school and, consequently, talks about all the end-of-the-world problems that come with being a 13-year-old. She experiences that feeling of embarrassment and hopelessness you have when you are younger and thinks that every single little thing is the worst thing that’s ever happened to you. Like many of us, Mei goes through changes in her body and life. Her parents, like Shi’s and probably yours too, don’t understand that she’s growing up and has different hobbies, tastes and ideas. In the film, Mei goes through all of that, of course, in her own way. Turning Red becomes incredibly relatable by being highly personal in narrating these experiences.

This is what director Domee Shi wanted to accomplish with this film. “Turning Red’ was inspired by this universal struggle of growing up and figuring out how to handle honouring your parents and staying true to yourself. And, for Mei Lee, the red panda is that magical spark that sets off this internal conflict within herself,” she told IndieWire.

As a 21-year-old Latin-American woman, watching Turning Red and following the story of this incredibly relatable 13-year-old Asian Canadian girl was a fantastic experience. I come out of this film feeling stronger and unstoppable, and I believe many of you might feel the same way after watching this. 

In telling the particular story of a 13-year-old Asian girl who can turn into a giant red panda, Turning Red makes us laugh, cry, smile, sing, think way too hard about our lives, and feel better about ourselves. Like many of us, Mei believes she has her life figured out, but what she finds out throughout the film and what we learn in life is that she does not. Yet, she embraces her mess and becomes a better version of herself — a lesson hopefully we can all learn from watching Turning Red.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Retro review: Enemy — When your worst nightmare looks like you

The epitome of suspense with a Canadian touch

By: Atiya Malik

Toronto’s skyline in Enemy

The use of spiders in a mystery or thriller film isn’t new, but in Enemy, renowned director Denis Villeneuve leaves his viewers disoriented long after they’ve seen the film. 

Denis Villeneuve is a French Canadian filmmaker who’s best known for directing Dune, one of the most anticipated films of 2021. He has also directed successful science-fiction films such as Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Arrival (2016). Villeneuve is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award for Achievement in Direction, including a win in 2014 for his spine-chilling film Enemy. 

Based on the novel The Double by José Saramago, this film begins with the line “Chaos is order yet undeciphered,” which couldn’t be a more straightforward way to foreshadow the film’s confusing and head-scratching nature. Notably, one of the first scenes displays a woman stepping on a spider with a black heel. This is the first time the audience sees a spider and it becomes evident that this insect will hold symbolic significance throughout the film.

Adam Bell (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a history professor who feels trapped in his repetitive and meaningless lifestyle and decides to watch a movie one night to cheer himself up. In the movie, he notices an actor in the background that looks freakishly familiar. Anthony Claire, the actor in the film, doesn’t just resemble Adam in the way that siblings often do. This man is the exact same person physically, down to every scar, hair and even the sound of his voice. The film continues as both men become obsessed with the other and delve into each other’s affairs — but at what cost?

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The cast of Enemy was hand-picked by Villeneuve himself. In an interview with Curzon, he explains how he needed a skilled actor to play the characters of Adam and Anthony because the plot would simply not be believable without the right actor. 

“It’s not about special effects, it’s about acting,” said Villeneuve.

Award-winning actor Jake Gyllenhaal plays Adam and Anthony, two incredibly complicated characters. Gyllenhaal has been in several blockbuster movies, including Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019), The Nightcrawler (2014) and Source Code (2011). In Enemy, Gyllenhaal’s riveting use of facial expressions fully engrosses viewers: the genuine fear, shock and disturbance that he can convey with just his expressions tell a story within itself.

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Mary, Adam's girlfriend, is played by Mélanie Laurent, a well-known French actress, filmmaker and singer. She is best known for her role as Alma in the film Now You See Me (2013). Sarah Gadon, a Canadian actress best known for her work in Dracula Untold (2014), plays Anthony's wife.

The film production does an impeccable job of capturing shots of Toronto from several angles and perspectives that make the city feel lonely and confined, while also displaying iconic shots of Toronto and Mississauga, Ont. city skylines. Residents living in the area might even be able to recognize well-known street names such as Adelaide or Rathburn. 

Toronto’s cityscape captured in Enemy.

Mississauga’s iconic Marilyn Monroe towers pictured in Enemy.

In an interview with VODzilla, Villeneuve talked about carefully selecting Toronto as the film location. “The city had that kind of personality, the paranoid, oppressive feeling and I was looking for that landscape, something with pressure,” he said.

The energy in New York or Chicago is similar to what Villeneuve was seeking. However, he wanted to film in a city that hadn’t been as well-loved by the camera, and what better place than one close to home?

The cinematography in Enemy truly carries the movie. The plot is predominantly told through visuals as the first half of the film has minimal use of voice and conversations. This inevitably forces the viewer to focus on every piece of visual information, including brightness. 

Enemy is a film that is very dark… literally. It’s as if while editing, someone discovered the saturation button and turned it all the way down. This is a strategic choice because the lack of colour itself expresses unsettling feelings of suspense and mystery. The world should not be this grayscale.

The film was also heavily dependent on the use of music, and it did not disappoint. The music selection is eerie and disturbing, making it more likely for the viewer to feel uneasy.

The use of spiders in Enemy was somewhat of a weak point. It was obvious that there was a deeper meaning behind their seemingly random appearances, which was intriguing. However, it’s very unclear as to what that meaning is because it’s left open for interpretation.

One compelling explanation is that the spiders symbolize a fear of commitment because Anthony and Adam both feel trapped and disconnected in their romantic relationships. In a scene with Anthony, his pregnant wife asks him if he’s “seeing her again,” implying that he has been unfaithful in the past. In a scene with Adam and his mom, she accuses him of having trouble with sticking to one woman. The spiders could represent Anthony and Adam’s unfaithful natures and display how it increasingly consumes their lives… right up until the film’s final shot.   

With a run time of 90 minutes, Enemy is a film that holds your attention sporadically. The film, adapted from the novel The Double, has a truly complex and nail-biting plot that you won’t find anywhere else. Are Anthony and Adam long-lost brothers, clones, a figment of one’s imagination or all the above? These unanswered questions serve as both the film’s strength and weakness, leaving you with thoughts that linger on for far longer than expected. However, its execution could have been clearer, particularly regarding those spiders.

The viewer is left wanting more while staring at a black screen wondering, “What on earth did I just watch?”

Rating: 3/5 stars

Dear Toronto venues, stop giving Dave Chappelle a platform

There should be no tolerance for bigoted people in comedy and film

By: John Vo

Dave Chappelle at TIFF 2018 (John Bauld/Wikimedia Commons)

You’ve probably heard at least one person say, “There are no boundaries for comedy,” especially if that person is known for liking or telling jokes founded on offensive stereotypes about minority groups. But there’s a fine line between poking fun at someone’s expense and disrespecting an entire group of people.

There should never be any tolerance for discriminatory events and shows in entertainment spaces, especially in a city that wants to pride itself on diversity and inclusion like Toronto. 

Comedians are notorious for landing themselves in hot water over jokes they’ve made, and famed comedian Dave Chappelle is no exception. After his newest Netflix comedy special The Closer was released on Oct. 5 this year, Chappelle became the center of controversy after making a slew of jokes that targeted the transgender community. These jokes amplified many transphobic stereotypes and ignored scientific knowledge about trans bodies and gender identity. 

At one point during the special, he mentioned how many people called J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (also known as a TERF) for her past tweets invalidating the struggles of transgender women. Chappelle admitted he is now “Team TERF” and defended Rowling’s words. The comedian was known for his jokes that often addressed topical issues in a comedic manner but many think he took it too far this time.

Audiences rightfully criticized Netflix for permitting these jokes to be in the special and Netflix employees even held a walkout, protesting the streaming service’s lack of support for the transgender and non-binary community. A larger issue arose when Netflix had fired the trans employees who expressed their frustrations online about Chappelle’s comedy. Countless celebrities including Dan Levy, Elliot Page and Billy Eichner sent words of encouragement to the employees fighting for change. Netflix co-CEO Tim Sarandos ended up standing by Chappelle and decided against removing the special off the platform.

Most people would think that after the internet slammed Chappelle’s transphobic rhetoric, the comedian would take time to reflect on his jokes. Instead of apologizing, however, he said in an Instagram video: “To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I am not bending to anyone’s demands,” and used the opportunity to advertise the dates for his upcoming tour in November. 

This tour was intended to show a new documentary focusing on his career, Untitled, in movie venues across North America. Toronto was one of the major cities he would visit. The screening, shown at the Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 15, sold out immediately. Kanye West and Toronto rapper Drake were two of the thousands of attendees at the show. The decision stirred mixed reactions among Toronto residents. Some applauded Chappelle’s bravery to dismiss cancel culture.

Others called out the arena for allowing the event to happen. The venue even turned off their comments section under any social media content related to the show.

A spokesperson for the venue’s organization, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), told CTV News Toronto in a statement that the event’s content matter did not reflect the views of the organization. Non-profit organization Pride Toronto addressed their frustration on Twitter, saying the comedian should not have been allowed to screen his documentary at the arena after his transphobic remarks.

Dave Chappelle’s situation makes up only a fraction of the normalized homophobia and transphobia present in media and film on and off-screen. 

In GLAAD’s 2020 report, they found that out of 118 films released from major studios, zero transgender characters were featured in them. This marks the third consecutive year they have been absent from major studio films.

The few times trans people are represented in films are riddled with transmisogyny. Either trans women become the butt of the joke or become the antagonists of the story. In comedies, trans women are mocked for their appearance and generally disliked by the protagonists. The hit sitcom Friends always had issues with queerness but their frequent jokes about a character having a trans mother became excessive. 

The horror genre is riddled with this issue. Movies like Psycho (1960), Silence of the Lambs (1990), and Sleepaway Camp (1983) have a complex history of villanizing characters implied to be transgender or struggling with gender dysphoria. All of these tropes are made to portray transgender people in a negative light and send a harmful message that all trans people are not worthy of respect.

Not only that, celebrities like DaBaby, Kevin Hart, and Eminem have all used slurs and mocked queer people’s existences. Although these instances garnered negative press, they are still continuing to thrive in the industry.

This brings up an important question: why is transphobia persistent in film and media? Just like every facet of our world, transphobia is ingrained in our society and continues to thrive under capitalism. 

This year became the deadliest year for transgender people in the United States, with 45 homicides as of now. What makes matters worse is every time a gender-based hate crime is reported, the same negative things are said.  Some people have the skewed perception that transphobes are permitted to be mad if a trans person does not immediately out themselves. Often, the perpetrators will defend the crime, saying their violence was out of “frustration and shock” of finding out someone is trans. No matter how bad the situation is, somebody will always find a way to blame the victim. 

Transphobia is being swept under the rug because businesses and major film studios see no value in diversifying their spaces and stopping bigoted celebrities. Dave Chappelle is one of the most famous comedians and brings a huge audience to Netflix for his comedy specials. Of course the CEOs would side with him in the name of monetary gain. It’s been proven constantly that as long as money can still be made, the protests of minorities will be unheard.

Back to the lack of representation in film and television — casting in film and capitalism are correlated. Movie studios want to appeal to the broadest audiences. These studios are scared to create diverse roles because it potentially means less success at the box office and outcry by close-minded individuals. Rich people with discriminatory ideals will only continue to thrive in a system built to uplift them.

Every day, trans people are fighting for survival in a world designed to oppress and silence them, and cisgender people may not even realize this. It’s a privilege to never be worried about having your body, health, and existence policed.  It’s a privilege to not worry about using the washroom or walking out in public. It’s a privilege to express yourself without worrying about being assaulted. 

Internet users trying to defend Chappelle for his jokes fail to realize the impactful damage these jokes have. These jokes aren’t solely isolated on the internet but are allowing a climate that normalizes hate speech and violence to continue. 

Not only is it tasteless and unoriginal to joke about the lives of others, but it’s also simply unfunny. It is not groundbreaking to punch down on the lived experiences and struggles you will never have to endure in life. Pandering to the most close-minded and bigoted people makes Chappelle, frankly, a bad comedian.

It is time for us as consumers to start being selective about the celebrities we give platforms to. Let’s stop the idea that opposing the wrongdoings of a celebrity is creating a toxic “cancel culture.” Calling it that does nothing but gaslight and silence the concerns of marginalized communities. Famous people are not godly beings, but regular people who still need to take accountability for their actions. 

Toronto venues need to start actively preventing these bigoted celebrities from performing in the city. The decision to keep doing so reflects a lack of care towards the 2SLGBTQ+ community because actions speak louder than words. 

To Toronto venues, it’s time to step up and do better because people will not stop fighting the disparities and transphobia present in society and it starts with being selective about the celebrities we choose to uplift in our city. Toronto needs to stick to its word about caring for marginalized communities and stop supporting Dave Chappelle’s future shows.

Review: The European Short Film Festival at Carlton Cinema

By Ivonne Flores Kauffman

The European Short Film Festival took place on Jan. 31 at the Imagine Cinemas Carlton Cinema in Downtown Toronto. The festival featured seven short films from six European nations (France, Germany, United Kingdom, Denmark, Czech Republic), each film different from the others.

Mental health, fear, death and hope were some of the central topics of these films. All the material presented at the festival fell into one of two categories: drama or comedy, providing the audience with evoked nostalgia, anger and sadness.

Despite the serious topics addressed in these films, not all of them were well-produced.

Ponožky (Socks) is a Czech dark comedy. Presented at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and directed by Mike Suchmann, this nine-minute film tells the story of Jidi, a man who is unable to rekindle the flame in his marriage. Sadly, his wife’s love is not the only thing that has vanished from Jidi’s life as the film revolves around his mysteriously disappeared socks, which leads him into having a surreal day.

The short comedy presents an uninterested, bored wife and a poor man whose attempts to recover the love of his life are often ignored. In one of the scenes, Jidi’s wife hosts a dinner party where he realizes she is having an affair with one of the guests. After punching the guest in the face and storming out, Jidi locks himself in the bathroom to masturbate. Soon enough, his wife knocks on the door asking him for the divorce. The last scene shows Jidi ejaculating socks all over his wife.

In my opinion, the film was not only weird but also misogynistic. Its results make it hard to emphasize with a man who does nothing to fix his marriage and would rather spend all day feeling sorry for himself. The last scene of this short film is supposed to be funny, but there was not even a hint of laughter from myself and the rest of the audience. The director’s decision to use socks to simulate Jidi’s ejaculation was confusing and offensive. To me, Suchmann’s comedy was not funny and it made me feel quite uncomfortable from beginning to end.

Ponožky was not the only short film that disappointed.  British project Tea & Coffee failed to deliver a neat production. The film directed by Maaya Modha and Adam Patel has an exciting plot about a young British-Indian woman who struggles to deal with her father’s deteriorating health, all while keeping a secret from him. This bittersweet short film shows the difficulties faced by an interracial marriage and the pain of seeing a loved one battling mental illness. Despite being extremely moving, the quality of the film lacked good shots, the scenes were poorly captured and it almost felt like it was produced by amateur filmmakers.

On the other hand, the short films that captured my attention were produced by the youngest filmmakers featured in the festival. The Boy with the Teddy, a 14-minute German film, follows the story of a kid and his teddy bear as he runs away from his dysfunctional home. After facing strangers’ indifference, the boy meets a young adult who takes care of him. Despite approaching topics such as child abuse and loneliness, this film is extremely heartwarming and full of hope.

A scene from the short film The Boy with the Teddy by Alessandro Schuster. (Photo courtesy of Alessandro Schuster)

A scene from the short film The Boy with the Teddy by Alessandro Schuster. (Photo courtesy of Alessandro Schuster)

Director Alessandro Schuster was only 16 years old when The Boy with the Teddy won the Platinum Award for Best Acting Ensemble and Gold Award for Best Young Filmmaker and Best Child/Young Actor at the 2018 Independent Short Awards (ISA).

In an email interview, Schuster explained that the five-day shooting presented two significant challenges. The first was to coordinate all the members of the cast and production before and during the shooting.

“Luckily it all worked great at the end! After all, everyone worked for ‘no-budget’," said Schuster.

The second challenge while filming The Boy with the Teddy came during post-production. Schuster explained that some of the scenes shot for this film were improvised. “In our film much is told through flashbacks…When editing, it was difficult to place them meaningful and good, without being exaggerated,” added the young director.

According to the Independent Shorts Awards website, Schuster, who is also an actor, is currently working on various TV productions, has produced and directed a couple of music videos and is attending school.

Another young filmmaker who presented his work at the European Short Film Festival was Jakob Hardeberg Svensen. His nine-minute production Games We Play, was shot during a Danish spring day. The film follows three 11-year-old friends’ (Johan, Clara and Felix) first encounter with death.

Behind the scenes of the short film Games We Play. (Photo courtesy of Jakob Svensen)

Behind the scenes of the short film Games We Play. (Photo courtesy of Jakob Svensen)

“[Death] doesn’t have a big significance to them. At a certain age they become more interested and develop a morbid fascination for adult rituals such as funerals,” said Svensen in an email interview about his coming-of-age production.

“For me as a director the film wasn’t necessarily a story about death, but more about the memory of a timeless childhood.”  

Svensen’s inspiration to create this film came from his own childhood memories. The film’s aesthetic is composed of a range of grey and green tones, the outdoor and indoor scenes and the lack of dialogue which all work to transport the viewer to their own childhood memories. Games We Play was the most mentally stimulating film presented at the festival.

The European Short Film Festival, an excellent platform for film enthusiasts to enjoy different productions, was made possible by WILDsound. If you are interested in film festivals, check the WILDsound events website.