Films in Student Film Showcase

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  • Lingo
  • Bahar Noorizadeh

  • A boy mistakenly starts a fire in a residential neighbourhood. His mother, an Afghan immigrant to Canada, is interrogated by the police. Protective of her son and hindered by the language barrier, she has trouble explaining with certainty what happened. At times observational, at times confrontational, Lingo takes a close look at panic and isolation.
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  • Sax
  • Dean Heezen

  • A swinging score drives a saxophone player into a hypnotic and colourful dance, as he winds his way through a vibrant, energetic animated film that is simultaneously fast and fluid.
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  • Open Invitation
  • Jae Woo Park

  • A political story told with flair, Open Invitation follows Doo Young, a Korean international student in Toronto who gets a call from his mother in South Korea telling him to come home to serve his mandatory two-year military service. Unable to accept this turn of events, Doo attempts to circumvent conscription. Can he evade his patriotic duties?
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  • Erasermen
  • Jeff Garneau

  • Alex works at a company that erases people's computer records and online identities after they die. Smooth-talking, understanding, and always there to help, he holds a prime position to turn this access into intimacy with his favourite clients: widows. That is, until Alex gets a surprise and roles are turned upside down.
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  • Swift
  • Kristen Campbell

  • A young girl and a red fox follow each other in nature through the seasons. Everything in their environment is seen as potential sustenance. A striking animation, Swift is a playful story about the organic cycles of life and the mental associations that the survival instinct can trigger.
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  • The Great Maldini
  • Lee Ventura

  • A thrilling, lively and stylish romance, The Great Maldini tells the story of a good-hearted barber who falls in love with the girl of his dreams at a wrestling match. The problem is: all eyes, including hers, are on the Great Maldini, the undefeated, moustachioed wrestler. Romantic courage propels our barber hero into the ring.
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  • April Doesn't Hurt Here
  • Matthew Yim

  • Riley and Matt are young, in love, and possibly pregnant. Writer/director/actor Matt Yim hits all the right notes capturing the angst, naïveté, and humour found in facing life’s big decisions before you're ready.
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  • In Here
  • Roman Tchjen

  • Living in a room with no exit, a young man relies on a fax machine for all communication. His imagination is his only chance of escape. Stunningly shot and claustrophobically cryptic, In Here's inspired art direction convincingly creates a new — albeit small — world.
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  • Life Doesn't Frighten Me
  • Stephen Dunn

  • Teenage life for Esther Weary includes her well-intentioned grandpa, friends that suck, and a birthday that couldn’t be more depressing if it tried. Sharp writing and standout performances by Jade Aspros and Gordon Pinsent highlight this coming-of-age comedy.
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  • Tam
  • Toan Nguyen

  • A Vietnamese man's journey from his tortured past to a life of freedom is brought to life in this animated documentary. With the guidance of the man’s narration, hand-crafted cut-out figures illustrate a powerful and personal piece of history.