Film Categories: Portraits

  • White Sound

    An experiential trip into sonic landscapes, “White Sound” explores the notion of a ‘soundless’ existence. Visualised through Deaf and hearing impaired observance, White Sound is a space where noise, silence and imagination converge. As auditory chaos increases in the world around us, silence is a sound in itself. The loudest sound of all.

  • General Idea: Art, AIDS and the Fin de siècle

    “General Idea: Art, AIDS and the fin de siècle” is a humorous, informative and ultimately poignant documentary about the internationally acclaimed Canadian artists’ collective General Idea. Formed in 1969, they produced art that targeted and mimicked media, consumerism and celebrity, creating a revolutionary new spirit of art making. Interviews with AA Bronson, the sole survivor of the trio, lends personal relevancy to this poignant story of art and sexual politics. “GENERAL IDEA: Art, AIDS and the fin de siècle” is a tale of love, fame, overwhelming loss and, ultimately, renewal. Selected screenings: Canadian Art Reel Artists Film Festival, 2009; Hot…

  • Others, The

    Of Spanish, Scottish/Irish, Chinese, Filipino, Hawaiian, and Cherokee ancestry actor Lou Diamond Phillips is an icon of difference and otherness due to the numerous ‘ethnic characters’ he’s played in Hollywood movies (primarily in the late 1980s and early 1990s) including Mexican, Navajo, Inuit, Lakota, Puerto Rican and Arab. “The Others” features found footage of Phillips’ numerous ‘ethnic characters’ and places them in dialog with each other, literally, by employing classic Hollywood editing style and storytelling tropes. Through these conversations comes an investigation of identity, ethnicity and authenticity. “The Others” is part of the Trinity Square Video Themed Commissioned Project: ICONS.…

  • Broken Telephone

    A surreal short film in which a young woman ponders the relationship she has with her own identity.

  • Boy

    “Boy” is a short film that touches on sexual orientation, homophobia and acceptance. An animated figure swings at the viewer while a robotic voice whispers so that no one around him can hear. Slowly descending into self-doubt, he questions his choices and what he has become.

  • Pat’s First Kiss

    The sad-but-hilariously-true story of the filmmaker’s first kiss with an undesirable stranger he met overseas. “The animation is bold and stylish, the writing hilarious.” – Glenn Sumi (NOW, May 14, 2009) Selected screenings: Toronto International Film Festival, 2008; Vancouver International Film Festival, 2008; Palm Springs International ShortFest, 2008

  • Stubblejumper

    In the fall of 1975, while attending the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, Doug Wilson placed an ad in the student’s newspaper, seeking to start a campus gay group. This seemingly benign action would serve as the catalyst for a dramatic unfolding of events, shaping the future of Wilson’s life. “Stubblejumper” is a 48-minute biographical docudrama on the life and work of gay activist Doug Wilson – a story filled with activism, poetry, performance, politics, and a touching yet tragic love story.

  • Secret Place

    A glimpse of a secret place within the busy Toronto neighbourhood of Queen West.

  • v=d/t

    v=d/t is the physics formula which calculates velocity by dividing the distance traveled by the time required to travel that distance. This film explores the possibility of measuring distances between loved ones through time zones. The sound track is comprised of personal and tragic phone messages left on voicemail when individuals could not connect due to great time zone differences, while the visual elements present simple and contemplative images of antique telephones.

  • Fallen Flags

    A layered tapestry of trains and underwater footage exploring the realms of fear death and transience, this film places the traces of human voices amidst the flickering light and shadows of empty passenger cars.