shorts fest wraps

Organizers of the first Toronto Worldwide Short Film Festival held earlier this month in Toronto are busy drumming up sponsors for a second fest next year.

According to festival co-ordinator Jordan Stone, attendance for almost all of the programs was over 75%, including a number of sold-out screenings. Overall attendance totaled over 2,000, with $10,000 in total box office receipts.

‘We put on the festival on a shoestring budget,’ says executive director Brenda Sherwood. ‘We originally budgeted the festival around $320,000, but actually did it for $250,000.’

No word yet on sponsors for next year. Sherwood is currently putting a package together to present to sponsors and goals include hooking up with a key sponsor and getting more government assistance. ‘Realistically, we need another $100,000 for next year,’ says Sherwood.

Of the seven winning films at the festival, three were Canadian: best animation, Bob’s Birthday, Alison Snowden and David Fine; best experimental, A Temporary Arrangement, Phillip Barker; and best cinematography, The Traveller, Tony Papa, Dave Frazee and Geoff Wilkinson.

Other winners were: best short, Surprise, Veit Helmer (Berlin); best drama, The Boy Who Walked Backwards, Thomas Vinterberg (Denmark); best documentary, School of Assassins, Robert Richter (u.s.); best art direction; Barber of Seville, Natalia Dabizah (u.k.); Spafax Airlines/Air Canada Award, Da Da, Piet Kroon (Netherlands).

Louis Venosta’s The Coriolis Effect (u.s.) picked up a Special Jury Award and Famous Players selected Bob’s Birthday to screen in its theaters.