Worldwide Short Film Festival Program Announced!

TORONTO, May 23rd, 2006 – Welcome to Midnight Mania, the program that celebrates the weird and wonderful nuances of all things dark, monstrous, offensive, revolting and fiendishly cute. Join the Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival (June 13 – 18) for a splash-happy plunge into nonsense-land that will add spine-tingling glee to your after-dark viewing pleasure. This year Midnight Mania tackles bloody limbs, bitten lambs, horny werewolves, and a big dose of Extreme Entertainment. Sit back and salute the freakish infidels that keep society interesting while we take you on a ride you won’t soon forget.

A Little Taste of FREAKY (AKA Mom’s Least Favourite Dinner Guests):

YESTERDAY, I THINK (Becalelis Brodskis, UK - Canadian Premiere) – Murderous and overwhelming rage follow the birth of a baby boy. Blood never tasted so metallic.
MR. SCHWARTZ, MR. HAZEN, MR. HORLOCKER (Stefan Müller, Germany – North American Premiere) –
Dear Mr., Mr., Mr. Your fetish crack parties are disturbing my sleep. Kindly keep volume to a minimum.
Sincerely, Mr., Mr., Mr.
JONA/TOMBERRY (Rosto, Netherlands- Toronto Premiere) - Prepare to have your head shrunk, pruned, pressed, tied in bows and chopped into cookie cutter shapes while watching this hallucinatory investigation into an apocalyptic future of alter-egos and parallel worlds.

… and a Little Taste of CREEPY (AKA Things That Go Bump In The Night):

MONSTERS (Robert Morgan, UK - Toronto Premiere) - From the director of THE SEPARATION comes a dark
and startling drama about sibling rivalry and runaway imaginations. Don’t worry honey, it’s all in your head. . . .
THE ANIMAL (ELUKKA) (Tatu Pohjavirta, Finland - Canadian Premiere) – A shepherd’s son and a pregnant sheep switch brains after a freak car accident. To make matters worse, all the lambs appear to have had a bite taken out of them, and Dad’s beginning to look a little hairy. . . .
WHO I AM AND WHAT I WANT (Chris Shepard, David Shrigley, UK - Toronto Premiere) From the brooding imagination of the director that brought us the award-winning short DAD’S DEAD. A bitterly unwanted outcast makes an unapologetic declaration of self. Heads will fly.

Now in its 12th year, the Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival is the premier venue for the exhibition and promotion of short film in North America. Taking place from June 13th to 18th, 2006 the WSFF will present 250 films from more than 30 countries. Offering one of the largest prize packages for short film in the world, top WSFF winners are eligible for both Academy Award® and Genie Award consideration. The WSFF Short Films, BIG IDEAS Symposium offers renowned professional development, while the WSFF Business Centre is home to the largest short film marketplace in North America. For more information please visit: www.worldwideshortfilmfest.com . One Ticket. Lots of films.