As Errol Morris’ latest film, The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography, opens this weekend, I decided to spend some time revisiting his influential canon. If you are new to Morris’ films, and are wondering where is a good place to dive in, then I am here to help. Over at In the Seats, I looked […]
June
22
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography
posted by Courtney Small
It is rather fitting that Errol Morris’ most gentle film to date focuses on a photographer who has no interest in taking unhappy photos. His latest work The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography is a loving tribute to his good friend Elsa Dorfman, a self-proclaimed nice Jewish girl from Massachusetts who found her calling in […]
June
16
Changing Reels Ep. 21 – Wonder Woman
posted by Courtney Small
Breaking records at the box office, and sparking tons of thought-provoking articles in the process, Wonder Woman has become the must-see movie of the summer. In this special episode we are joined by freelance film critic Kristen Lopez to discuss the representation of women in the film, the role of minorities, how the acceptance of […]
June
09
Awakening the Zodiac
posted by rmpixie
The Zodiac Killer has baffled experts for decades. Authorities have never been able to find this sensationalized serial killer who was most active from the 1960’s-70’s in the San Francisco Bay area. He is known for murdering or seriously injuring several victims, reaching out to police via taunting phone calls, and demanding that newspapers publish […]
June
08
CSFF 2017: The Surrounding Game
posted by Courtney Small
Despite being played by over 40 million players worldwide, the board game Go has yet to reach the same level of obsession in the West as in the East where it originated. Created in ancient China, and currently the oldest board game to be played in its original form, Go is known for its meditative […]
June
08
CSFF 2017: Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
posted by Courtney Small
The 1936 Olympics in Berlin will always be remembered for Jesse Owens’ four gold medal performance which was viewed as a triumphant defiance to Hitler and his ideology on race. Though he captured much of the media’s attention, Owen was not the only African-American to make waves at the games. In her latest documentary Olympic […]
June
07
CSFF 2017: Crossing The Line
posted by Jay
Danny Lee Harris, 1984: an American track and field athlete who ran the 400-meter hurdles and won silver medals at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was the guy who always finished behind Edwin Moses, a track and field phenom, known as the guy who never loses – and he never did; he had […]
June
07
CSFF 2017: Hillsborough
posted by Plot and Theme
The worst sports disaster in the history of England occurred on April 15th, 1989 in Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield during a semi-final match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. During the match, overcrowding in a pen lead to an alarming number of deaths. Daniel Gordon’s documentary Hillsborough recounts the story of this disaster, its causes, and […]
June
06
CSFF 2017: Keepers of the Game
posted by Jay
High school funding for sports, and girls’ sports in particular, is on the decline, but fundraising isn’t the only issue for the members of the Salmon River High team. As the first all-Native girls’ lacrosse team in their section, they’ve got something to prove, and not just to their rivals, but to their own community […]
June
06
CSFF 2017: The Boy Who Learned to Fly
posted by Courtney Small
Usain Bolt’s athletic ability and undeniable charm has made him one of the most popular Olympic athletes in recent years. While he exudes confidence on the track, Limbert Fabian and Jake Wyatt’s animated short The Boy Who Learned to Fly shows that this was not always the case. Commissioned by Gatorade, working in conjunction with […]
June
05
Wonder Woman
posted by Courtney Small
One of the most stunning things about Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman is not its thrilling action, but its overall ambition. Rarely has a summer blockbuster been so in tune with the foibles of mankind while still being a thoroughly entertaining ride from start to finish. It is not everyday you come across a film that […]
June
04
Changing Reels Ep. 20 – Magic Mike XXL
posted by Courtney Small
What do male strippers and diversity in cinema have in common? It turns out a whole lot. This week we kick off the summer by taking a joyous road trip with the boys from Magic Mike XXL. In diving into Gregory Jacobs’ film, we touch on topics such as female empowerment, racial and gender depictions, […]
June
03
Murphy’s Law
posted by Courtney Small
Life can be summed up as a series of journeys. Each experience takes us down a new road that helps to shape who we are. However, sometimes we can get lost on once familiar paths and loose sight of ourselves in the process. This was the case for Megan Murphy who, after a recent breakup, […]
June
02
Interview: Director Steve James talks Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
posted by Plot and Theme
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail tells the story of Abacus Federal Saving Bank and the Sung family that runs it. To date, the bank is still the only federal bank to be indicted for fraud in connection with the 2008 financial crisis. Therefore, the film is a tale of family, community, perseverance, and the unequal […]
June
02
Graduation
posted by Courtney Small
Part of parenting involves doing everything in your power to give your child the tools to succeed in life. This includes instilling a core set of values that that will help them to make the right choices when confronting tough moral decisions. As we see in Cristian Mungiu’s latest film, Graduation, just because one teaches […]
June
01
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
posted by Plot and Theme
Thomas Sung owns and operates Abacus Federal Savings Bank in New York’s Chinatown. The bank, with his daughters Jill (President & CEO) and Vera (Director), serves a clientele composed primarily of local small-business owners of Chinese descent, many first-generation Americans or direct immigrants. Hence, Abacus is an important part of this community, as it gives […]
May
31
Talking Inside Out Film Festival on Frameline
posted by Courtney Small
A few days ago, I had the pleasure of appearing on the radio program Frameline to talk about a few of the titles playing the Inside Out Film Festival. Hosted by Barbara Goslawski, Frameline airs on Regent Radio, a local station in Toronto, most Thursday evenings from 6 PM to 7 PM. Below you can […]
May
30
City of Tiny Lights
posted by rmpixie
Gumshoes, mysterious women and broken hearts are the stuff of classic film noir. In City of Tiny Lights, a novel written and adapted for the screen by Patrick Neate, we get this with a modern and diverse twist. Tommy Akhtar (Riz Ahmed) is a private detective. He looks after his feisty but ailing father Farzah […]
May
28
Inside Out 2017: Picture This
posted by Courtney Small
Andrew Gurza and Stella Palikarova may be in wheelchairs, but they refuse to be confined. The brains behind Deliciously Disabled, a company designed to breakdown the traditional stereotypes of disability in pop culture, the pair gained international attention when they decided to throw the world’s first sex-positive party for people with disabilities. Though their intent […]
May
28
Inside Out 2017: I Like Girls
posted by Courtney Small
Diane Obomsawin’s delightful short film I Like Girls finds four women sharing their experiences around when they first discovered that, as the title suggests, they liked girls. Ranging from funny to sad to whimsical, and conveyed through colourful animation, the tales offer an intimate portrait of key moments in each woman’s life. Whether it is […]
