Vancouver Short Film Festival's Emerging Filmmaker Screening at Schema : more than ethnic

Vancouver Short Film Festival's Emerging Filmmaker Screening

As a height-challenged middle child, I can relate to the Vancouver Short Film Festival. Sure everyone's been going on about how amazing VIFF was this year, and we're all excited to see what cute little goodness VAFF is bringing in the coming week, but what about the VSFF? Fortunately I had a chance to root for the underdog this weekend, and catch the Emerging Filmmakers Program that screened nine short films by local film school grads. And let me just say, it is pretty evident that the love of a powerful short film is, well, growing.

While all the shorts were noteworthy and extremely varied in their style and tone, I picked out the following highlights based for various reasons.

Addict
Dir. Tyler Jinx Moore, Vancouver Film School

I was pretty blown away, first, by the makeup artist's ability to produce a completely believable portrayal of an addict (I'm a girl, that's what I notice). The protagonist (I use that liberally here) introduces himself in narration, and we learn what really goes through the mind of an addict as he explains how he is able to rationalize his lifestyle. There was a clear story arc that kept the audience skeptical, and yet sympathetic throughout the film. Imagine my amazement when it was revealed this short was shot with the purpose of being a Public Service Announcement to reach out to people with drug abuse - a truly effective example of drama and social values!

Little Big Kid
Dir. Kathleen Jayme, University of British Columbia

On the local emerging filmmaker circuit, this film has garnered a lot of buzz, and it's pretty clear just why. The story is simple: Cute Kid and Old Man go on a play date shooting invisible guns through a playground. Really, what more could you ask for? The shots are beautifully crafted and make a rainy day in Vancouver look like, well, a stroll in the park. It's a short and effective piece that is worth watching if only for that subtle instinctive smile you're bound to pull when the credits come up.

Forgive
Dir. Tara Mahoney, Ryerson University

I am personally a sucker for documentaries, but this was by no means a conventionally 'dry, over-informative, life sucker' (my friend's words, not mine). The film literally transports you to Rome along with Phil Fontaine, the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, as he prepares for a private meeting with Pope Benedict XVI. The invitation was to deliver an official apology from the Vatican for the tragic legacy of Residential schools in Canada. For those of you unfamiliar with this stain on Canadian history, the film offers an easy to follow '101' lesson of what exactly was experienced under these horrible conditions through the words of the victims themselves. It's a poignant piece that makes you appreciate documentary for its purest purpose, namely giving you access to people and stories that you probably would've never otherwise heard of. Also, it's fun to play Count How Many Priests You Can Spot on a Cellphone.