PRESS ROOM

11/07/09: The Beat (view source)
Upon entering the theatre, ready to view the London Short Film Showcase, I was already aware that I was not particularly educated in the genre of short films. Knowing this, I entered wide-eyed and ready to see what my local creative community could teach me. What I found was much more than I originally expected.
Sitting in the showroom with approximately fifty other “film lovers,” as the initial brochure referred to us as, I was immediately impressed to be introduced to a surprisingly welcoming environment. Kicking off with a commercial regarding one London charity, OFTEN, the screen read, “For filmmakers, for fans.” For one reason or another, this was one of the lines that caught my attention during the evening. Next, as I was caught off guard by a compelling, captivating, and completely hilarious take on a “please turn off your cell phone” preview, I knew I was in for something fresh and new.
The film Easy Pickins managed to attain a perfect balance of comedy and professionalism in its well thought out yet not overly serious plot. It was made evident that the writers had fun with this film, which made me, as a viewer, far more prone to laugh along and enjoy it. Who would have thought a bank robbery to be so seriously comical? It was the three stooges modernized. This particular film contained brilliantly written dialogue, as well as a Scotties Kleenex commercial as the credits rolled which was a wonderfully executed addition to the piece, which kept the audience laughing until the last second.
Beautiful, charming, inspiring, and positively enticing to view was A Short Love Story. The music in this film fit the tone of the piece to a tee. I felt inspired and hopeful throughout the entity of this particular composition as the director somehow created an amazing full circle effect paired with enchanting character development in so little a time. I felt the passion was clear and had been portrayed in such a unique, almost innocent manner which overall made me rethink my views on love. A Short Love Story was utterly profound, and a wonderful perspective to experience.
My Charlotte was my personal favourite film of the night, as I realized I never felt manipulated as an audience member. It was as if I was looking onto the director’s ideas without having them forced upon me. I felt able to let the plot affect me, without feeling as though anyone else could possibly be planning the emotional attachment I experienced. The overall flow of this piece built up so wholly, and was accompanied by such terrific acting, that the film’s scheme just made sense to me. The second line I scribbled down as soon as I heard it this evening went something like, “I can’t play her last note, or else I’ll forget her… Like all the rest.” Let me tell you, if this film were shown to a group of teenage girls, you’d get squeals. Fortunately, I am not a squealer. I am however, the type to rave about eloquent lines such as this one, and take the time to scribble it all over notebooks until I feel someone has connected with it as I did. In this case, I believe the director simply found a more effective means in which to share their idea. To this director I would just like to say, “I get it.”
The concluding film entitled, Buried Over The Roofs, gave me mixed emotions at first. Primarily, I was plain old confused. All I know is that there were speedy subtitles, a few different fast-paced stories emerging at once, and something about renting rooms and snorting cocaine. Looking back at my notes, the very first thing I scrawled down was, “Unless I spoke Spanish, I couldn’t have deciphered this one.” That pretty much summed it up, or so I thought.
My next tactic was to basically give up the idea of even attempting to understand the lingo reinforcing this plot, and try focusing on the imagery. I stopped reading, and once I really watched I came to the realization that the cinematography in this film was stunning. It was captivatingly shot, and the acting looked believable and sincere, but perhaps that was because I was unable to comprehend the words coming from the respective actors. Either way, I certainly did not care. I began to understand this was a sort of spoof regarding the cost and quality of apartments in our modern economy. Soon enough I was giggling along to the humour that is realtors and renting crappy, yet insanely expensive, apartments. Perchance the full concept slid over my head however, Buried Over The Roofs made up for the perplexity with its ending. In the final scene, in order to avoid dealing with apartment troubles altogether, a tent is pitched triumphantly on a rooftop, along with another, and then another, and then another. I found my jaw dropping with the simplicity of the plot that by some means appeared within me. Suddenly, I somehow understood that through all the confusion and lies and hardships and questions, there could be simple answers.
Now, if a few short films can teach me this all in the time span of approximately sixty minutes, I say more people need to be attending these viewings. I had the pleasure of viewing seven short films throughout the evening, and found the selection a pleasing eclectic mix that certainly portrayed a wide variety of local talent. The showcase proved to be a profound combination of locally created comedy, realism, fantasy, and moreover pure passion in filmmaking.

11/07/09: London Free Press (view source)
This weekend's London Short Film Showcase is designed to promote the local film community and its members, while also celebrating its work.
But it's not just local projects you'll see.
"This is a film festival for local student and independent filmmakers in the London area, but we also have a great selection of international films this year. We are very excited to bring 27 great films to the people of London including 21 local films," said the festival's president, Jason Clarke.
Clarke started the film showcase in 2007 along with Darryl Callcott.
International films have come in from Spain and the United Kingdom and include Something for the Wickend, a comedy about a man who starts work at a candle production company and struggles to cope with the motivational techniques of his new boss.
The showcase continues today at Museum London with three screening times.
Also today, viewers can vote for their favourite film with the honours presented tomorrow. The prizes are the People's Choice Awards and the Best of the Fests Award, which is new this year.
The top films from other festivals in London are competing for the Best of the Fests title and bragging rights as the top local short film of 2009.
An award winner from another contest is To Whom It May Concern, directed by Soo-Hon Kim.
It won the London Fringe 62-hour Film Contest. The film shows how our small actions can make a big difference and confirms the adage that we can find happiness in the simplest things in life.
Another winning film is One Word: Mike, which placed first at the Western Film Festival. Directed by Sommer-Leigh Landry-Miller, Darren Yan, Matt Matlovich and Genevieve Megan, this mockumentary follows a day in the life of a socially inept man-child.
Besides film viewing, the showcase included a free networking night for artists, writers, professionals and businesses to meet and greet and tomorrow night's closing gala.
The top seven films chosen by a screening committee will be shown at the gala, along with the award winners. Tickets for that event, at Museum London from 7 to 10 p.m., are $15.

11/05/09: London Free Press (view video)

10/27/09: The Londoner (view source)
Ever wonder who is making all those short films being nominated for Academy Awards or getting posted all the time on the Internet?
Well, some of them – and a growing number at that – are being produced right here in London.
To help publicize not just the movies themselves, but the local artists and production companies creating them, Jason Clarke helped create the London Short Film Showcase, which is celebrating its second – or perhaps third – anniversary on Nov. 6-8 with the screening of 21 films at Museum London and The Arts Project.
“This will be, well it’s a cause of debate, it is either our second or third year,” says Mr. Clarke, president and chairman of the showcase. “It is officially our second year as a non-profit. We did do one in 2007, but it only had four films, it was more of a pilot project. We tend to say it is the second annual, but I like to think of it as the third,” Mr. Clarke says.
The showcase – which this year will feature 21 films, including 16 local films – was created to help bring greater exposure to London’s film community.
“When we first started it was basically four films. As a filmmaker myself, we looked for a way to showcase our film in London and found that really there was nothing here to be able to do that,” Mr. Clarke says. “So we decided we would take our film, we had a couple other friends that had films as well, put them together, go to a bar and screen them there. We had a bunch of people come out and it was born from there.”
From that small beginning, and in a very short period of time, the showcase has seen a definite growth in popularity.
“Last year we were able to go from four films to 20 films, and I think eight of those films were local. This year we have gone to 21 films, but 16 local films. We are very proud of the fact we have been able to raise the exposure for London filmmakers,” Mr. Clarke says. “The main thing we try to focus on is giving local filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work. Provide them with networking opportunities. That is very important.”
As to just why it is important, Mr. Clarke says the London film community may be small, but it is one he sees having great potential.
“There is this great little film community that is lying in the weeds. As much as the showcase is our focus we are just trying to bring that community together, give them that voice and a venue to show their stuff,” Mr. Clarke says. “It is a growing industry in the city, within the arts community at least. It has just gone unnoticed for so long. Especially with (the University of) Western (Ontario) and Fanshawe (College) both having amazing film programs. The problem being is that these film students come out and look to London, but don’t see anything there so they ship off and go to Toronto or somewhere else.”
By helping to further grow the city’s film community Mr. Clarke says he hopes filmmakers will decide they can make a living here in London.
“It not only a matter of the people here in the city, giving them exposure, but in turn having people coming out of school see there are opportunities here,” Mr. Clarke says. “Last time I counted there are over 25 production companies in the city. Not necessarily all film-related, but it is a large community. There are people doing creative things in the city and being successful at it. It was just a matter where do they have a venue to show that or talk about that.”
If the showcase was created to give local filmmakers opportunities here in London then Mr. Clarke says they have proven very thankful for that opportunity.
“We got a lot of great feedback (to the showcase). Prior to when we started the showcase last year there was really only one open submission festival, which was Film on the Fringe. They do a great job at promoting film, not only short film, but full-length film as well. But it was limited; it’s a new program for them,” Mr. Clarke says. “The only other film festival out there was the London Canadian Film Festival and they did mainly full-length, but they did shorts. The problem was it was all student, you had to be a Fanshawe or Western student to participate. So the fact we opened it up, that the requirements were it had to be 15 minutes long, that was it. If you had something to show, you were open to submit. It was really well accepted that way.”
Another reason filmmakers enjoyed the showcase, Mr. Clarke says, is the possible financial help that can come along with showing.
“When you are accepted, all the filmmakers, all 21 filmmakers will participate in profit sharing. So 60 per cent of our profits will be divided up among the filmmakers. So it encourages them to bring out their friends, their family,” Mr. Clarke says. “As well it helps to promote more growth in more film happening in the city. Helps recoup their costs from the film they made or give them seed money to make a new film. Last year being the first we weren’t able to give them a large sum of money, just cover the $10 submission fee. But I had a lot people come back saying they didn’t want the money. They said keep it so you can be successful next year, we just wanted a place to show our film. ”
That idea of a filmmaker seeing their film up on the big screen is something Mr. Clarke is proud to make happen.
“They wanted to be able to see it on the big screen. You make these films and you throw them on You Tube or have some friends come over and watch them on your TV and that’s great. But it’s the idea of going out, going to an event. It is more than just the screenings. It is the whole weekend. It is networking; we have a big closing night reception. The whole event is a big entertainment thing. Makes people, filmmakers feel good about being a part of it. It was a great feeling for me last year and I didn’t even have a film in it.”
While short films are not perhaps not the medium many people look at as a first choice for their entertainment dollar – or even recognize all by itself – Mr. Clarke says is an industry that is going to continue to grow.
“Moving into this new generation of You Tube and everyone wanting so much fast information. There is becoming a larger market for short films. As far as creating them, it is a great stepping-stone for filmmakers because they can cost little to no money or you can invest a lot of money into them and have really high production values. They are a great way to learn; to test some things out, to take an idea you can’t develop into a full-length film and still be able to get that idea out there. And have that creative art form take shape.”
The excitement, Mr. Clarke says, isn’t limited to just the filmmakers.
“For people who come see the films it is entertaining for them too. Everyone wants fast information. It’s variety; it averages out for each of our screenings about seven films. We are able to throw in a comedy, a drama, a horror, all these different elements of film in that hour. So it is more than just one film it is a whole variety of fun stuff.”
And although the showcase draws a lot of friends and family, Mr. Clarke says he does want the general public to come out and enjoy the experience as well.
“The community should be coming out and recognize there is this great talent in the city, showing their support for that. The people of the City of London do a great job supporting visual art and theatre art and all that. This is just another avenue of that. They need the support just as much as anyone else,” Mr. Clarke says. “There are a lot of high-calibre films, all sorts of different variety of stuff. It can be a real fun evening for just $10, it’s comparable to going to any big theatre and you would be supporting someone local.”
That idea is one reason Museum London was happy to partner with the showcase. Not only is the museum’s program director a member of the showcase’s selection committee, but partnerships assistant Matt Thomas says it is a natural location to help screen the films as well.
“The museum’s role in the city is as the arts and cultural hub. There is this growing movement of 20-, 30-somethings who are very creative, but get no exposure. So the museum is trying to fill that void by supporting this,” Mr. Thomas says. “London is this unique city with this really creative movement within younger people, and in general, but isn’t recognized yet. It’s exciting to see all these different organizations throughout the city coming together to promote themselves. The museum saw potential in this. We are a regional museum and we should be supporting the local film industry. So it is exciting to be a part of it.
Mr. Clarke is also quick to add the Museum London association helps take the showcase to the next level.
“We’ve been thrilled to partner with the museum just because not only do we get a great facility to host our event, but add that extra little level of credibility as well. And it goes back to trying to make this a classy event. It isn’t a closing reception it’s a closing night gala reception. It is meant to be the red carpet. It just adds that extra level of class and excitement.”

10/19/09: Fanshawe News (view source)
The London Short Film Showcase (LSFS) is a local non-profit organization that works to celebrate, link, and promote the local film community and its players.
On November 6, 7, and 8, 2009, the Showcase returns to celebrate the achievements of our independent short film talents in London, and provides the public with an opportunity to share in the experience.
Director of Marketing Marc Raffa says, "We encourage Fanshawe faculty and students to support their peers as several selected films are the work of Fanshawe graduates."
Over this three-day weekend, the Showcase will feature three events:
Friday evening (at The ARTS Project - FREE!) FilmWorks Networking Night;
Saturday afternoon (at Museum London) - three separate Screening Showtimes;
Sunday evening (at Museum London) Closing Night Gala with Screenings and Awards.
New this year - the Best of the Fests Award:
A collection of first-place winning films from other film festivals in the London circuit compete for the coveted 2009 Best of the Fests title, to be awarded at the Closing Night Gala.