blog

Everyone loves a famous face, and none more than me, (ok, maybe my sister)! But team those famous faces with ingenious plots and gorgeous cinematography, and you have cinematic gold!

Last night, I caught the ever popular and highly anticipated CELEBRITY SHORTS screening at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. I bought my tickets early for this one—even before I was asked to be official festival blogger—because I had heard such great things about the lineup from people who had attended WSFF in previous years. Not your typical mixed bag of shorts, the films that comprise this programme are all award-worthy productions.

I brought my sister with me (a.k.a. the celeb fanatic), and we both had such a hard time picking a favourite from the top-notch selection. It was almost like lining up Judi Dench, John Malkovich, Charlotte Rampling, Rita Wilson and Michael Fassbender and having to choose the best actor! They're all as diverse as the shorts they star in. So after much deliberation, the winners are...

1. PITCH BLACK HEIST: Absolutely first-class! Not only because it stars the super sexy and extremely talented Michael Fassbender, but because it features a standout performance by Game of Thrones' Liam Cunningham. This intriguing, black and white short about two safe crackers that have to pull off a job in the dark is chock full of elaborate twists, thrills and perfectly placed buffoonery. Bonus: catch Fassbender and Cunningham crooning along to Teresa Brewer's 1960s hit, "If There Are Stars In My Eyes."
2. FRIEND REQUEST PENDING: If you think watching your grandparents try to get to grips with using a computer, (or better yet, a cell phone) is funny, you're sure to get a kick out of watching Judi Dench give Facebook a go! Despite spewing off "OMGs" and "LOLs" like a pro, the Dame succumbs to the antics of an anxious teenager when messaging a man online for the first time. Hysterically funny and super cute.
3. THE END An oh-so-French, existential drama starring an eternally beautiful, Charlotte Rampling, (playing herself), who discovers she's being edited out of all of her movies. Moody backdrops, pithy dialogue and subtle special effects give this short that certain je ne sais quoi.

Honourable mention goes to THE VOORMAN PROBLEM, an incomparable dramedy about an uptight shrink (wonderfully played by Martin Freeman) and an oddball prisoner (portrayed by Tom Hollander) who truly believes he is a god.

Unfortunately, CELEBRITY SHORTS only screens once during the festival. So if you missed out on last night's viewing, mark your calendars for WSFF13 and grab your tickets early! You won't be disappointed.

Following the screening, I got some much-needed sleep. But I'll be back in action this weekend catching another hot programme, SCENE NOT HERD (I'm really looking forward to the after party...), as well as attending Date Night at the CN Tower, a Master Class with celebrated, Montreal-based director Jean-Marc Vallée, and so much more! Stay tuned!