After two years of COVID restrictions, film school graduates at Toronto Metropolitan University — formerly known as Ryerson University — will get a chance for maximum exposure. Their annual film festival will be held at Ontario Place’s iconic Cinesphere and their films shown on the giant IMAX screen.
“We decided to go big,” said Lina Li, who organized the re-branded festival, which takes place on May 3 and 4, along with fellow graduate Matthew Downs.
Downs said he got the idea when Joel Coen, of the famous filmmaking Coen brothers, brought his newest film, The Tragedy of Macbeth, to the Cinesphere last December.
“Coen said, ‘it’s funny, before today I’ve never seen one of my movies projected on an IMAX screen.’ If the Coen brothers have never seen one of their films on a big screen like an IMAX, what chance have the rest of us got?” Downs said.
“It got me thinking how cool would it be if we could be at this historic landmark location and how much prestige would that give this festival,” he added.
The festival, usually held at the school’s theater — which is currently under renovation — was canceled outright in 2020 and went online last year. But Li said that even before that, the event — formerly called the Ryerson University Film Festival — was in serious need of re-editing.
“To be honest, it hasn’t been the most captivating event. It’s been more so of the aunts and uncles of the fourth year students coming by familial obligation. As a student, it didn’t feel very engaging,” Li said.
“Our mission statement was to create a really unforgettable experience because, for the past few years, a lot of things have been a bit forgettable,” she added.
So the event has been re-named the Image Arts Film Festival and a red carpet, merch tables and two days of master classes and panel discussions have been added to the screening of 19 short films (the thesis projects of the graduating students) over two nights.
The Cinesphere, built in 1971, is the world’s first permanent IMAX theater and has been substantially upgraded in recent years with the latest light and sound technology.
The theater seats about 600 and scores of tickets have been set aside to entice members of the city’s vast film and television production industry to attend to see the works of students who are poised to enter the industry.
“We’ve got plenty of production companies and agents and other talented people who are going to be coming to the festival so I’m very excited,” Downs said.
Event volunteer Charlie Hill said the past two years have been particularly tough on film students.
“It’s a strange thing. Film is such a team effort and when you’re forced online and you’re not allowed to see anyone apart from the people you live with, it’s very hard to make film,” Hill said.
The university also placed restrictions on filming activities throughout COVID — though they have recently been eased — including having as a few as five people on set, including actors, Downs said.
In January, when COVID test kits were nearly impossible to find, the university also required rigorous testing on film sets as the students were making their final projects, which meant delays in filming, he explained.
“Filming stretched into March and some people were a little bit panicked. People were really rushing to finish,” Downs said.
Despite filming under the shadow of COVID, Downs said the films, ranging from five to 20 minutes, will be audience pleasers.
“Creativity flourishes under restrictions and a lot of people really thrived. . .and made some really amazing stuff,” Downs said.
“It’s hard to make a movie at the best of times. Right now, it’s even harder. So having the screening (at the Cinesphere) is just a small way of saying, ‘you made it – congratulations.”
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