Introduced by Ben Williams
Selected by a panel of filmmakers, programmers and industry professionals
this first program of top ten shorts features a diversity of great films including animator Theodore Ushev’s gorgeously crafted animated film Blind Vaysha, now nominated for Best Animated Short and Rich Williamson’s documentary about the police shooting of an unarmed motorist Walter Scott in South Carolina, Frame 394 (shortlisted for an Academy award) (see website for more films)
These emerging Canadian filmmakers prove that they are talents to watch, with shorts that feature playful animation, delicately captured documentary, and dramatic coming-of-age stories. Ben Williams was on the jury for this year’s Canada Top Ten Shorts.
Blind Vaysha / Directed by Theodore Ushev, 2016, Canada, 8 min
With one eye that can only see the past and one that can only see the future, a girl is tormented by two irreconcilable realities. Nominated for Best Animated Short at the recent Academy Awards, Blind Vaysha is a vivid and gorgeously crafted 3D fable about living in the present.
Frame 394 / Directed by Rich Williamson, 2016, Canada, 30 min
Shortlisted for an Academy Award, Rich Williamson’s documentary explores ideas of truth in images. When a Toronto man analyzes the shaky footage of police shooting unarmed motorist Walter Scott in South Carolina, he finds himself entangled in one of America’s most high profile and racially-charged cases.
Emma / Directed by Martin Edralin, 2016, Canada, 13 min
Fourteen-year-old Emma struggles to hide her alopecia areata, a condition of rapid, unpredictable hair loss. Director Martin Edralin delicately details the uneasy path towards self-acceptance in this quiet and sublime film.
Her Friend Adam / Directed by Ben Petrie, 2016, Canada, 17 min
A boyfriend’s insecurities spark an argument that spirals into a full-on emotional meltdown, in this powerful single-take drama featuring a Sundance Special Jury Award–winning performance by 2016 TIFF Rising Star Grace Glowicki.
Fluffy (Flafi) / Directed by Lee Filipovski, 2016, Canada, Serbia, 24 min
Boris and his family are preparing to leave his hypochondriac parents and their impossibly tiny Belgrade flat for a long-awaited new life in Canada. However, his 10-year-old daughter Ljubica has entered a contest that is about to subvert everyone’s plans.
Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival – Now in its 16th year, Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival highlights the best features, shorts, and student shorts from across the country. The breadth of programming selected by filmmakers, programmers, critics, and industry professionals represents the creative strength of the country’s best cinema.
