One of the lesser known, but more intriguing, programmes at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) each year is Short Cuts Canada. The programme, which spans a total of six packages, features a variety of short documentary, animated, or narrative films by up-and-coming Canadian filmmakers. If you’re looking for some real interesting fare at the fest (such as Hugh Dillion’s Issues, pictured above) this is the programme you should be checking out.
Criticize This! spoke with Short Cuts Canada programmer Magali Simard about what goes into selecting the films and how she tries to promote the programme among all the giant galas and Hollywood hoopla. Read our Q&A below.
Brian McKechnie: What goes into your selection process for the Short Cuts Canada programme?
Magali Simard: For most of the Spring, it’s submissions time. My co-programmer Alex [Rogalski] and I view most of the films on our own, and do weekly meetings to go over about 100 short films each time. They are lengthy meetings, as you can imagine. We look for the best, of course, and for a programme that well represents Canadian stories, what is done in the film industry at the moment, and films that we feel will travel well after the Festival.
BM: How many submissions did you receive this year? Was it higher than previous years or about average?
MS: We received approximately 660 shorts this year, which is slightly more than last year.
BM: Since TIFF is so huge, how do you get the Short Cuts Canada programme noticed among the giant galas and Hollywood stars?
MS: It’s true that gala-type films get most of the media attention, and we will never compete with Brad Pitt for an audience that wants to see Brad and Brad only. The attention on shorts has grown in the past year. It’s great to witness the public’s trust in the shorts programmes, and proving year after year that short films are daring, out of the box, point to immense talent and strongly hold their own.
BM: Did any of the entries this year really wow you? If so, which ones and why?
MS: We are showing 43 out of over 650 films – they each wowed us, in many different ways. The film ORA, by Philippe Baylaucq, is a thermal 3-D dance movie. It’s a true work of art, I nearly fell off my chair when we screened it (but we have good cinema chairs at the TIFF Bell Lightbox so all was fine in the end). I hope this description is enough to spark curiosity.
BM: Have you noticed the quality of submissions has changed over the years with the technology to produce movies becoming better and cheaper?
MS: Yes, technically films look better, and can have a more polished feel if that’s what the filmmaker is after. But we strive to find cinematic voices, and the visuals are only one part of it. Technology has yet to make writing, character development, and basic ideas better.
BM: For someone interested in the Short Cuts Canada programme but is not sure which one to attend, what would you recommend?
MS: I’m ultra confident in what we show, so I’d say: come to Programme 1, love it, and come back for more throughout the Festival.
BM: Outside of Short Cuts Canada, what are you looking forward to most at TIFF 2011?
MS: Having Toronto buzz from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m., nonstop. Other films I’d recommend: GUILTY (Vincent Garenq), Monsieur Lazhar (Philippe Falardeau), Avalon (Axel Peterson), Dark Horse (Todd Solondz), and so many others.
For more information on the Short Cuts Canada programme at TIFF 2011, visit tiff.net.
TIFF 2011 runs from September 8 – 18. Follow all our coverage of the festival at criticizethis.ca/TIFF2011.
