The 2017 edition of Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival takes place in Toronto from August 11th – 12th. The festival will showcase 53 short films from artists in the Greater Toronto and Southern Ontario area. Take a peek at some of the films screening in the SPARKS program.
Evolution – Rating 3/5
Directed By Samuel Liu
From ancient primordial seas, the origins of life on earth emerge.
Although I cannot be sure about the scientific accuracy of this short film, I found it still engaging in its presentation. Using stop-motion animation, Liu and team have created a cute and funny film. It is good in length and it will please younger audiences.
My Baba’s Kitchen – Rating 3.5/5
Directed By Stephanie Turenko
Produced By Stephanie Turenko and Matthew Zyla
An exploration of the binding forces of culture, music and food.
In this nicely animated short, Turenko shares a personal story between a grandmother and her granddaugther while sitting in grandma’s kitchen. While making pierogies, grandma takes her grandchild about migrating from the Ukraine to Canada. She talks about the family and friends she met here, and how she met the man she fell in love with — to whom she eventually married and had a family of their own.
The team here has also done a good job with the animation, and the flow of the story itself. The music fits well with story while not being too overpowering. This charming story looks how family history is always interconnected with memories of one’s own culture, music, and of course food.
Toronto Youth Shorts continues all weekend along. For full film listings, venue, and ticket information, please visit torontoyouthshorts.ca.
