The Toronto Smartphone Film Festival (TSFF), formerly known as the Arirang Korea Smartphone Film Festival (AKSFF), was back for its third installment in 2014. The only smartphone film festival in Canada, TSFF encourages aspiring and experienced filmmakers to showcase their talents without the restriction of expensive equipment.
“This year, we’ve put together a great and exciting lineup showcasing a varied spectrum of genres and themes,” says TSFF Marketing Director Hanee Park. “As you can see in our official trailer, audiences will get to watch animation, experimental, documentary, comedy, drama and more. I am particularly excited about screening animated shorts this year.”
Jose Marquez’s film Perpetoom and Dimitar Dimitrov’s The Day of the Bleeding Gums were two of the festival’s heavy hitters.
When the original AKSFF was launched, the theme centered on Korea and mainly attracted Korean filmmakers. This year, the transition to TSFF is balancing the desire for both festival curators and interested filmmakers to cater to a more inclusive and diverse audience. They’ve received a great deal of international submissions for 2014 and are emerging as a platform for all aspiring artists.
The rapid development of smartphone camera technology has spurred a great deal of creativity within the medium. TSFF organizers are encouraged by the limitless possibilities that come with the accessibility of smartphones.
“We got feedback from the filmmakers – they really appreciated having this opportunity to make films using their smartphones and showcasing them on a big screen,” says Park. “So we wanted to give people an opportunity to experiment and utilize tools that opened doors for unlimited creativity.
“We like the idea that anyone with a smartphone can record and make their own film.”
TSFF screenings took place on May 22nd at 6:30pm at the Scotiabank Theatre. Guests were able to walk the red carpet at the event and have their photo taken by Jenny Lee Photography and participate in the “2014 TSFF Most Photogenic Contest.” Photos will be uploaded to the TSFF Facebook page and the photo with the most likes between May 23rd and May 30th will win a new Samsung Galaxy Tab.
For more information about the Toronto Smartphone Film Festival and to check out the full roster of trailers and winners, visit TSFF online and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Think you have what it takes to be a part of the Toronto Smartphone Film Festival? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.