Here is a sneak peek of what we have in store for you at the 2013 Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival.

Fists of Finance by Aaron Estrada
Pay your bills or face the consequences.

Don’t Get Mad, Just Get Used To It by March Mercanti
A documentary on the lives of several professional wrestlers.

Showdown at Dusty Springs by Myles Milne
Roy, the new kid on the playground stands up to Mickey, the bully. The children’s imagination takes the conflict to a new arena – the wild west.

The Forbidden Room by Kristina Mileska
William, a 6 year old boy with hemophilia, plays in a room full of sharp objects.

Sleepy Time by Jonny Micay
A boy tries but struggles to fall asleep. Winner of the 2013 Zoom Student Film Festival Jury Prize.

Weight by Zach Silverstein
Our wrong-doings bring us down more and more with each sin. Winner of Best Drama at the Toronto Student Film Festival.

Have you experienced ‘The Room’ yet? Tommy Wiseau’s roaring success – or should that be suckscess – of a movie is celebrating 10 years of inspiring avid film lovers to replace cast members half way through their incredibly expensive vanity projects and hurl plastic spoons (and heavy amounts of abuse) at screens. To celebrate, the Royal is hosting director Tommy Wiseau and fan favourite Greg ‘Mark’ Sestero for 6 screenings of The Room this weekend!

A monthly fixture at The Royal for the last 4 years, The Room is a movie going experience like no other. If you haven’t seen it yet (and why not?!) I’d rather not spoil it, but if you prefer your experience silent, self-reflective and civilised, this isn’t one for you. For everyone else, the audience is about as hilarious as the images on screen, and I truly feel for the clean up crews. Wiseau sunk $6 Million of his own cash into what is largely regarded as one of the worst movies ever made, by critics and his own cast and crew alike, but has rather cleverly monopolised on the bad movie die-hards and good naturedly does the Q&A rounds at screenings across the world. While the film isn’t the deep and thought provoking dramatic tragedy it was so obviously intended to be (despite Wiseau’s adamant claims that it was always supposed to be a comedy), it certainly doesn’t disappoint on an entertainment level, and it will be extremely fun to gain a little more insight onto how and why this film ever saw the light of day, and how it feels to be make a success of a film more routinely savaged than any other.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For more info and screening times visit the Royal’s event page.

Last Tuesday the Globe and Mail published an article regarding Finding Mr. Right: a modestly budgeted Chinese romantic comedy about a materialistic mother who travels to Seattle to ensure her baby an American passport. Bearing no discernible signs or trends that would foresee it as a box office smash, Finding Mr. Right became the ninth highest grossing domestic film in Chinese history. The film, however, was actually shot primarily in Vancouver and was partially produced by Shan Tam a Chinese-Canadian producer  who is currently completing a BFA at UBC.

An exciting little patriotic pat-on-the-back-story, the success also teases at the possibility of Canadian cinematic projects finding pathway through further Chinese collaborations given the apparent allure of BC tax incentives, although not as necessarily co-productions (this film was not one). Perhaps only a dream. Still, it remains difficult to shake the imagination from wondering what such collaborations could bring with such an exciting industry.  This of course is not the first instance of the industries coming together on BC soil in some way.  With perhaps the most recent instance, as the article notes, being the Gateway for Film Script Competition at the 2012 Whistler Film Festival where Canadian script writers pitched ideas to Chinese producers.

Something else that comes to mind, even if associated a bit loosely, is the career trajectory of Martin Doepner. Who, while completing his MFA at Concordia, also completed a year of exchange at the Beijing Film Academy. He returned to China to work on a number of television documentaries. His film Rouge Sang took best feature at this year’s Canadian Film Festival.

- John

On the 30^th of April I had the chance to see Unclaimed at Hot Docs, where it received a standing ovation from all of us. As I tweeted that night: I cried, the person to my left cried, the person to my right cried.

UNCLAIMED follows Vietnam vet, Tom Faunce, desperately tracking an old man living in rural Vietnam who claims he is in fact US Special Forces, Sgt. John Hartley Robertson,  who was shot down over Laos in a classified mission, presumed dead, captured by enemy forces and eventually forgotten by all including himself. This man is 76 now, missing most of his teeth, and has little memory of the past. He doesn’t even speak English. He suffers from what the psychologist in the film calls second-language syndrome, which I assume is some form of language attrition.

Do you regularly attend Film festivals like TIFF and Hot Docs and wonder how such an event is put together? Are you a regular film festival volunteer who’d like to be part of a worthwhile and established community project, or a student or recent grad who’d like to gain some insight into special event operations? Do you like to watch films that are outside the mainstream? If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you should consider joining the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival team!

We are currently seeking volunteers to assist with our festival which takes place on June 15th 2013. Roles will include sales for box office and concessions, front of house work such as line management, ushering and ticket collecting as well as general theatre operations. Volunteers will also assist in the setup of our space, which will also be used as an art gallery for various installation projects, as well as a media wall.

Shift Times: 2pm-6:30pm or 6pm-10pm on Saturday June 15th

You will also be expected to attend a short orientation session at the venue prior to the festival in June.

We are looking for volunteers with the following skills and qualities:
-Personable people who are able to work successfully within a large team.
-Ability to work in fast paced and crowded environments -previous experience negotiating crowds of people an asset.
-People who are good at interacting with the general public – previous experience with this definitely an asset, previous experience working at other festivals a plus!
- Good numerical skills – cash handling experience and/or previous box office/concessions experience an asset.
-Ability to stand for the duration of your shift.
-Interest in independent film and filmmakers and/or art and new media.

As a volunteer you will be able to watch some of the films we show, however please bear in mind that you will be unable to watch screenings in their entirety. If you are a highschool student looking for volunteer hours, we can provide you with a letter detailing your hours worked. (Note: Highschool students may not be permitted into all screenings as per certification restrictions).

If you’re interested in joining us and can commit to the above shift requirements, please send a resume and cover letter to Natasha at tysff.events [at] gmail.com with “Volunteering” in the subject. Please state what skills you have and how you feel you can contribute to the execution of the festival. You don’t necessarily need to have any previous experience, but a positive attitude and ability to work effectively as part of a team are a must!

Looking forward to meeting you!

- Natasha

A few weeks back I took to this blog to list the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival’s four favourite locally-based Cinecoup projects. Over the course of the last week teams have been throwing their #BeEventful launch parties in an effort to spur voting for last nights Top 15 cut. Unfortunately, of the four favorites only Orangutan Guerrillas made the cut.

The good news, however, is that Toronto projects managed populate five of the fifteen spots! Not to intentionally advocate a Toronto vs Canada way of viewing of this film promo democracy – we love all of Canada! – but instead in an effort to keep a finger on the pulse of local independent films and filmmakers, here they are for you to judge. The full Top 15 can be found here.

Orangutan Guerrillas – documentary

What happens when a bunch of activists & non-conformists set their sight on a seemingly insurmountable crisis between rainforest & palm oil?

Directed by Mark Bochsler. Produced by Sandra Leuba and Emily Hunter

Post-Apocalyptia – adventure, drama

In a Post-Apocalyptic future you either adapt or you die; if the world ended tomorrow, would you have what it takes to survive?

Directed by Dan Slater. Written and produced by Adam Booth and Matt Purdy

The Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival is still a month away, but if you are itching to experience some young filmmaking talent before hand, have no fear! The Multimedia Film Festival of York Region is fast approaching!

Celebrating its fourth year running, this festival is dedicated to showcasing the work of York Region independent and professional filmmakers, including students, expressing the diverse experiences of living in York Region.  This exciting festival features both film and digital photo submissions covering a wide range of topics, including social justice, multiculturalism,  the environment, and the struggles of youth from the unique vantage point of the various communities of York Region.

This year, the Festival will be running from May 6-16, with screenings taking place in each of the Region’s cities and towns. For the full festival schedule, as well as information on purchasing tickets, and archives of the festival’s past films, visit: http://www.yorkregionfilmfestival.com