Everybody ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ at the feature length movies that get celebrated every year at the Academy Awards. Often, the level of creativity and satisfaction is much higher when it comes to short films, often simply referred to as shorts. They can be just as impactful, filled with pathos, or deeply humorous as anything else that Hollywood can produce.
What’s better? They run for less than half the time of a feature.
How fantastic then that the Edmonton International Film Festival is offering up a smorgasbord of shorts next week. People can take in this unique opportunity to view all of the nominees competing for the Live Action and Animation Short Film awards.
There is much to commend. Creating an effective short film is essentially storytelling on steroids. They don’t always need complicated plots or majestic character arcs, only a hook and a well-executed delivery.
Take DeKalb Elementary for instance. The timely 20-minute live action short was inspired by a real 911 call placed during a school shooting incident in Atlanta. Watching it should be done with discretion. Doing so should make for much discussion.
Another of the other live-action gems includes the lighthearted Australian short The Eleven O’Clock in which a psychiatrist meets with a patient who believes that he’s a psychiatrist. It plays out in a way that I suspect Abbott and Costello would highly approve of.
While these ones are nothing to sniff at, I especially revel in the animated shorts, I must admit. They bring to life such incredible stories where dandelions are heroes or sniffling dragons face their bullies and their shortcomings. They’re all delightful in one way or another.
The shorts will be screened in programs running at 6 and 8 p.m. on Monday and 6 and 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday next week. The Animation shorts program is 85 minutes in length while the Live Action shorts program is 100 minutes in length.
The screenings are recommended at a 14A rating.
These screenings will take place at Landmark Cinemas 9 City Centre. Tickets are $12.99 or $8.99 for seniors and are also available at the theatre box office or online at www.edmontonfilmfest.com. The theatre is located in Edmonton City Centre mall, 10200 102 Ave. in Edmonton.
If you’re keener on watching the awards than the actual films then the film festival is also hosting a watching party on Oscar night. The all-ages event takes place on Sunday, March 4 with doors open at 5 p.m. and the 90th Academy Awards broadcast starting at 6 p.m. It will be held at The REC Room in South Edmonton Common, 1725 99 St. The event is free and will be hosted by Ryan Jespersen and Kari Skelton. There will be raffle prizes and awards for best-dressed attendees.
