Oscar-winning animator has new film at Toronto short film fest
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 | 5:36 PM ET
CBC News
An image from The Spine, directed by Chris Landreth. (National Film Board/Copper Heart) Oscar-winning filmmaker Chris Landreth's newest film and Ryan Larkin's final film Spare Change are to screen at the Worldwide Short Film Festival in Toronto in June.
Landreth, an American working in Canada, won an Oscar in 2004 for his animated short Ryan, about Ryan Larkin, the late National Film Board animator.
The success of Ryan allowed Larkin, who was then begging on Montreal streets, to return to filmmaking.
Before his death he created Spare Change, which features some of his fantasy images of heaven and hell. It was finished by fellow filmmaker Laurie Gordon and will be screened in Toronto along with Landreth's newest film.
Landreth's The Spine, an animated film with the voices of Gordon Pinsent and Alberta Watson, makes its North American premiere at the WSFF.
It will have its world premiere earlier in June at France's Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
The WSFF announced a lineup of 295 shorts from 46 countries on Tuesday. The Toronto festival runs June 16-21.
"Short film is not just a stepping stone to a feature film, it is a fully formed genre in its own right and filmmakers are choosing to use this powerful platform in realizing their cinematic visions," festival director Eileen Arandiga said in unveiling the lineup.
Among the featured films are 22 shorts about human rights commissioned to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
A group of 22 famous artists from around the world, including Saman Salour of Iran and Bram Schouw of the Netherlands, developed films on subjects such as culture, development, dignity, the environment, and learning to read.
Opening night includes Montreal filmmaker Denis Villeneuve's Next Floor, a multiple award winner at Cannes and other film festivals, and Gone Fishing, a short tribute to tall tales that won awards at London and Rhode Island film festivals.
Opening night features a lineup of award winners such as:
- Skhizein, by Julius Avery of France.
- Jerrycan by Sima Urale of Australia.
- Coffee and Allah by Sima Urale of New Zealand.
- The Secret Life of Beards by Jeremy Clapin of the U.S.
- Teaching the Alphabet by Volker Schreiner of Germany.
The National Film Board has six shorts at the festival, including the world premiere of Robes of War by Michèle Cornoyer.
The WSFF also plans a focus on short films from Belgium, science fiction and comedy lineups, and the popular Accidentally Funny series, which looks at historic shorts.
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