Worldwide Short Film Festival - Preview #5

Worldwide Short Film Festival Preview #5
Comedy Without Borders

The Fest runs June 1 - 6 and you can check out full details here.


A funny crop of shorts with everything from social commentary to romantic comedy.

Customer Support (Brukerstøtte)
André Øvredal Norway (2009)
5 minutes DigiBeta Fiction - North American Premiere

It's a bit deadpan in the effect, but a cute idea in a blow by blow help desk kind of support for a woman attempting to open a door.

Dinner Date

Tom Antos Canada (2009)
4 minutes DigiBeta Fiction - World Premiere

It doesn't cover any new ground conceptually, but it's a clever look at two dates - and four points of view.

Instead of Abracadabra (Istället för Abrakadabra)
Patrik Eklund Sweden (2008)
22 minutes 35mm Fiction - Toronto Premiere

An inept magician practices for his parents and languishes in their house until he meets the beautiful blonde next door and wows them all with his magical prowess at his father's birthday - or does he? It's a nicely observed comedy, with some great moments with the long suffering parents.

Drunk History: Douglass & Lincoln (Laughter Without Borders)
Jeremy Konner USA (2009)
6 minutes Beta Documentary - Canadian Premiere

Is is politically incorrect to laugh at drunk people these days? If so, you'll have trouble with your chortling at this very funny "documentary" where one Jen Kirkman, having drunk two bottles of wine, relates the story of Frederick Douglass, a black man, and Lincoln. Her exact words are acted out by Will Ferrell and Don Cheadle, with Cheadle saying lines like "..like, if there's prisoners of war, don't fucking kill them..." The actors sometimes react to her odd choice of words - it's hilarious.

Homeland Security
Isaac Cravit Canada (2009)
8 minutes Beta Fiction

A border guard takes out his growing marital frustration and jealousy on a group of women looking to go on a bachlorette dirty weekend to NYC - only to find his worst fears realized. A clever plot and nicely twisted sense of humour.

Dock Ellis & the LSD No-No
James Blagden USA (2009)
5 minutes DigiBeta Animation

This drawn animated short tells the (apparently) true story, as narrated by Dock Ellis himself, of a historic no hitter he pitched as a Pittsburgh Pirate on June 12,1970 - while high as a kite on LSD.

SEX! With Hot Robots (Laughter Without Borders)
Jay Dahl Canada 2010
11 minutes DigiBeta Fiction - World Premiere

The one note joke really does go on too long in this story about the robotic revolution that starts with sexy housekeeping robots. It would've been much funnier at half as long.
   
False Start (Faux départ)
Sébastien Trahan Canada (2010)
7 minutes DigiBeta Fiction - Toronto Premiere

Thanks to a small portable time machine, a man gets to rehearse his break up with  his girlfriend over and over until he gets it just right - only to find that he really doesn't have all the cards in his hands after all. Clever scriptwriting.

Drunk History: Tesla & Edison
Jeremy Konner USA (2009)
6 minutes Beta Documentary - Canadian Premiere

Another episode in this very funny concept series, with Duncan Trussell after six beers and half a bottle of absinthe relating the story of the rivalry between Thomas Edison (played by Crispin Glover), proponent of the DC or direct current, and Nicholas Tesla (played by John C. Reilly) who was a proponent of the AC or alternating current - often called the War of the Currents. The unfortunate Duncan almost doesn't make it through this one, which includes a scene narrated near the white porcelain bowl.

Seeds of The Fall (Slitage)
Patrik Eklund Sweden (2009)
18 minutes 35mm Fiction - Toronto Premiere

Only Scandinavians, I think, could make a comedy about destructive accidents, death and paraplegics and make it work in a dry and laidback kind of way. It begins and ends with an older couple in bed, including a steamroller crash through the house, marital tensions, guest insemination and a great middle-aged marital sex scene along the way.

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