Despite the similarities in name, The ReelWorld Film Festival has nothing to do with unknown celebrities in contrived scenarios as in the MTV television show, but is an annual film festival based in Toronto. Currently in its seventh year, The ReelWorld Film Festival manages to focus both on diversity within films, and the broad range in homegrown Canadian films.

The eighties are making a comeback in film this year. Whether due to a lack of imagination, or a general interest in the return of our favourites characters from a bygone era, several franchises are set for rejuvenation in 2007. Weí¢â‚¬â„¢ve already had Rocky Balboa and Die Hard, Rambo and Indiana Jones are all set to make a comeback over the next 18 months. Yet the rejuvenation is not limited to action pictures as animated childrení¢â‚¬â„¢s hits Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (or TMNT as they are now known) and Transformers are also set to return in a big way. TMNT is already upon us and cleaning up at the box office, while a new big budget, live action version of Transformers is expected in a few months. Inevitable cash in or a valuable trip down memory lane? Ití¢â‚¬â„¢s a tough call.

Everything below here is from the Diversions issue í¢â‚¬“ April 2007.

I have to admit that when I read the blurb for first time writer/director Paul Andrew Williamsí¢â‚¬â„¢s London To Brighton, I experienced a familiar sinking feeling.í‚   An í¢â‚¬Ëœindependent British gangster/thrillerí¢â‚¬â„¢ with an unknown cast and low budget immediately put me in mind of such recent cringeworthy Brit crime flicks as Crank, Revolver and Layer Cake only with lower production valuesí¢â‚¬ ¦ Thankfully though, London To Brighton is actually quite good. í‚  

In the baffling and often mind boggling, Suicide Club<!--[endif]-->, director Sion Sono, weaves an almost hallucinatory tale of an epidemic of rash suicides striking Tokyo. Young people throw themselves in front of trains, off buildings and out of windows, in an apparent new trend makes death í¢â‚¬Å“coolí¢â‚¬ . Detective Kuroda (Ryo Ishibashi) and his squad are called in to investigate, finding that a mysterious website and a rather odd teen pop group may have something to with all the suicides.

The BFI London IMAX is an ever-present background entity to all those who leave Waterloo International and descend the steps into the city. Since its erection in 1999, the structure has achieved a slightly uneasy integration with the urban architecture fanning from Londoní¢â‚¬â„¢s South Bank. The í‚ £20million building attempts a statement of modernity, and always proclaims its latest cinematic offering with outward-facing banners that rival the format itself for sheer enormity. As the exotic alternative to traditional cinematic spectacle, the IMAX sales pitch tends to begin with the venue.

Dragons Den is the premiere UK website dedicated to martial arts movies that recently held their first Kung Fu UK Film Festival. The impressive line up included two old school (Invincible Armour and The Mystery of Chess Boxing), two new school (Kampfansage and Contour) and one bona fide classic (Drunken Master 2). Fans were able to revel in the mix of martial arts styles the films presented, from the complicated and sustained (and sometimes humorous) fight sequences in Invincible Armour and Chess Boxing to the to the break-neck, stunt filled fights of Contour and Kampfansage.

Within the world of cinema, short film has often suffered the same kind of criticism levelled at its literary counterpart. Among the myriad of disparagements, one of the most common and frequent is that it is impossible to tell a real story in less than twenty minutes. Surely the story, characters and style have to be simplified and diluted in order to squeeze them into the restricting time frame? Well, quite often the answer is yes. Many short films, and especially micro shorts, rely on gimmicks and cheap plot twists to push the story along. But equally, many doní¢â‚¬â„¢t and it is often a lot more difficult to tell a good story effectively in 15 minutes than 115. Another claim is that short films are nothing more than a platform for new directors to show off their talents, intended purely as a kind of one-way ticket into feature film. Again, fair criticism for some, but the best short films manage to stand as works in and of themselves as well as acting as a showcase for the talents of the director.

Every month Capitalmag.com will be showcasing some of the best short films from around the world, beginning with the multi-award winning About A Girl from British director Brian Percival. This stunning portrayal of a young girlí¢â‚¬â„¢s aspirations delivered in a monologue and inter-cut with flashes of her real life earned Percival a prestigious BAFTA award in 2002. A stunning performance from Ashley Thewlis and an unforgettable ending have earned About A Girl a well deserved place in British short film history.

Everything below here is from the Flux Issue, put out in March 2007.