Toronto audiences will be able to catch the “cream of the short film crop” at Carlton Cinema with this year’s Animation Show of Shows courtesy of the program’s curator/producer Ron Diamond. As much as movie goers should always show support for short films, this year’s showcase (consisting of eleven international films) ranges from ingenious to pointless.
Allow me to preface this by disclosing my biases: I have a strong love for Canadian cinema and coming-of-age stories, and I truly believe that Canada perfected the coming-of-age story. That being said, Philippe Lesage’s Les Démons is a fitting addition to this obscure canon.
Miguel Gomes’ Arabian Nights trilogy is an interesting project if only because its tone is inconsistent without harming the films. In fact, that inconsistency is what makes this project often work.
What we have here is a patchy documentary that works to great effect in spurts.