New on DVD & Blu-ray: May 31, 2011

This week’s releases include: the tale of upwardly mobile young man; a stunning but draining picture; an action-adventure that takes you from hell and back; a sci-fi series based on a master’s work; and the most recent happenings in Bon Temps.

DVD & Blu-ray June rollout

JUNE 1
Life (Blu-ray)
From the BBC and the Discovery Channel, producers of Planet Earth and The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, comes the newest landmark natural history series, Life. In Planet Earth, they brought you the world as you’ve never seen it before. Now, get closer with Life. Four years in the making, filmed over 3000 days across every continent and in every habitat, with breathtaking new high definition filming techniques not available for Planet Earth, Life presents 130 incredible stories from the frontiers of the natural world, 54 of which have never been filmed before. This 11-part series narrated by Oprah Winfrey captures unprecedented sequences and demonstrates the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive.

Special features include: “Life on location,” a collection of 10 behind the scenes video diaries showing efforts of the filmmaking team; deleted scenes; and “music only” viewing option. (Warner Home Video)

Short films fill tall order for variety and entertainment

The 2008 CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival is kicking off another year of showcasing the best of contemporary short films from around the world.

The 14th annual festival received a record 3,522 shorts for consideration from 61 countries. Of the copious number of submissions, audiences will be offered 31 different programs featuring 268 short films from 31 countries over 6 days and nights.

All the films submitted, however, are available for viewing by buyers and distributors at the Marketplace, making the WSFF the leading venue for the exhibition and promotion of short film in North America and one of the premier short film festivals in the world.

Presenting more than 188 premieres, 70% of this year’s festival is being screened in Toronto for the first time. All in all, there will be 16 world premieres, 60 North American debuts, 72 Canadian premieres and 40 Toronto openings.

Programs are wide-ranging from Official Selection competition screenings to Japanese animation to Sci-Fi to Midnight oddities to Celebrity shorts; there is a category for children-friendly films, cutting-edge music videos and archival instructional footage (for comedic purposes only). Each year, the WSFF also selects work from an exceptional film school to offer local students a peek at what other institutions are producing; this year, the spotlight shines on Argentina’s acclaimed Universidad del Cine.

“This year’s programming covers new and interesting ground in short film and video,” said Eileen Arandiga, Festival Director. “We are very pleased to once again present 12 programs of Official Selection and many special programs including: NEU Europe, a program of shorts that tells stories from a multitude of perspectives in the burgeoning EU, annual favourites such as Midnight Mania – Freaky & Creepy these two programs are sure to keep you up at night.

“We are also very excited about our spotlight on Japanese animation, two omnibus programs from the world renowned Studio 4?C: Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond and a program of auteur animation from Japan.”

Arandiga also highlights a special category added this year to celebrate the Canadian Film Centre’s anniversary. “As the CFC marks a milestone year – it’s 20th we are very pleased to be celebrating this momentous occasion with a screening of the 2007 Short Dramatic Films created by the talented residents of the CFC.”

WSFF will also be presenting top filmmakers with over $80,000 in cash and prizes, including a screenplay giveaway of goods and services worth more than $50,000. The festival boasts one of the largest cash prizes for short film in the world.

One of only three Canadian festivals accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, WSFF Canadian award winners are eligible for Genie Awards, while others qualify for Academy Award and BAFTA consideration.

The WSFF runs June 10 to June 15 in Toronto. For more information, visit www.worldwideshortfilmfest.com

2008 CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival Programs:

OPENING GALA: AWARD-WINNING SHORTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
The Worldwide Short Film Festival Opening Gala offers a selection of the world’s most celebrated films. Enjoy the year’s most acclaimed live-action, documentary, experimental and animated shorts from festivals across the globe.

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Reflecting the diversity and originality of emerging talent across the nation and around the globe, the 12 programs of selected shorts featured in the 2008 Official Selection competition illustrate the universality of true film art. Covering all genres of film, the programs provide a global perspective of the best short work being made by artists from 22 countries.

JAPANESE SPOTLIGHT
Each year the WSFF shines the spotlight on a region or country. This year we celebrate Japanese animation with three programs of recent shorts. From animation powerhouse Studio 4°C, WSFF presents the Canadian premiere of the anthologies, Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond, plus a special program of emerging auteur animators

THAI SPOTLIGHT
In celebration of Thailand’s monarch on his 80th birthday, this program displays a national cinema bursting with talent, fearlessly blending traditional and modern arts.

ARGENTINE FILM SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Each year, the WSFF highlights the work being made at an exceptional film school, giving local film students a chance to see what’s coming out of other academic institutions. This year, the WSFF features a selection of original recent shorts made by students at the internationally acclaimed Universidad del Cine in Buenos Aires. This program is free for students (18+) and seniors with valid I.D.

CFC 20TH ANNIVERSARY: SHORT DRAMATIC FILMS
It’s been 20 years since the CFC first opened its doors. Over 1000 alumni later, CFC is still launching Canada’s most creative voices in film, television and new media to the world. Join us for a screening of the five works created as part of the Short Dramatic Film Program in 2007.

NATIONAL SCREEN INSTITUTE DRAMA PRIZE WINNERS
This special program showcasing the 2007 National Screen Institute Drama Prize winners is an eclectic crop of award-winning films making their debut at WSFF 2008. Filmmakers will be in attendance, so don’t miss the opportunity to meet Canada’s best and brightest emerging talent.

OH CANADA! CANADIAN COMEDY SHORTS
Canadians are funny! See for yourself with this fresh crop of home-grown comedy shorts. Funny and uniquely original, these talented new voices in Canadian comedy serve up offerings that are sure to entertain.

THE NEU EUROPE
A cinematic trip across the continent, this new program offers an array of eye-opening films that illustrate the changing face of the new Europe.

SHORTS FOR SHORTIES: INTO (AND OUT OF) THIS WORLD!
Featuring a selection of amazing animation and live-action shorts from eleven countries around the world, this colourful assortment geared for the little ones will transport you to magical places both near and far, real and imaginary – without even leaving your seat.

ACCIDENTALLY FUNNY: ORDER IS RESTORED
Some films turn funny after they’ve aged a little. This collection of archival instructional films from the This collection of well-intentioned educational and public service films from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s are at times, absurd, charming but always highly entertaining.

SCENE NOT HERD
Scene Not Herd storms back for its fifth year with an array of ground-breaking music videos pairing some of the world’s best underground and up-and-coming musicians with innovative filmmakers

CELEBRITY SHORTS
Made by or starring your favourite Hollywood actors, this star-studded showcase of shorts. features eight highly entertaining fictional and animated films from the UK, Germany, USA , Denmark and Canada. The exciting celebrity line-up features short films starring Bob Geldof, Virginia Madsen, Dakota Fanning, Kelly Preston, Kurt Russell, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase while Hollywood A-lister Kate Hudson steps behind the camera for her directorial debut.

SCI-FI: OUT THERE
Prepare for blast off with the hugely popular Sci-Fi: Out There, a pop-culture program that promises to fascinate, provoke and unhinge audiences with a unique array of science-fiction shorts from around the globe.

SLAP ‘N’ TICKLE
Take a walk on the wild side as one of the Festival’s most popular programs, Slap ‘n’ Tickle returns to spice up your life. The saucy stories in this year’s naughty lineup take a humorous look at love, sex and the lengths we’ll go to get them.

MIDNIGHT MANIA
Midnight Mania pays tribute to the twisted, imaginative and monstrous with two programs – Creepy and Freaky. For your after-dark viewing pleasure we present our annual selection of spine tingling, hair-raising shorts.

WSFF AWARD-WINNERS SCREENING
The festival wraps up with this one time only screening of the 2008 WSFF award-winning films on Sunday evening. Announced earlier in the day at the WSFF Awards Picnic, this screening showcases the best of the fest.