Power of short Filmmaking in Toronto Indie Shorts

At the dawn of cinema, all films were extremely brief, sometimes lasting only a minute or less. It wasn't until the 1910s that films began to exceed the ten-minute mark. The inaugural films were unveiled in 1894 via Thomas Edison's invention known as the kinetoscope, designed for solitary viewing. Comedy shorts outnumbered lengthy features, like D. W. Griffith's 1915 The Birth of a Nation. By the 1920s, a movie ticket granted access to a diverse program comprising a feature film and various supporting works like a second feature, short comedy, 4–10 minute cartoon, travelogue, and newsreel. Short comedies, often in a serial or series format, were prevalent, such as the Our Gang movies or the numerous adventures of Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp character.

The term "short subject," now seldom used, implies that the film is exhibited alongside a feature film. Short films are frequently showcased at local, national, or international film festivals, crafted by independent filmmakers working with either a low budget or no budget at all. Typically, funding comes from film grants, nonprofit organizations, sponsors, or personal finances.

The Toronto Indie Shorts has organized various competitions endorsed by IMDb, consistently showcasing and supporting short films of diverse genres and artists worldwide. The fourth year of the competition focuses on indie projects spanning narrative, documentary, comedy, horror, and other genres that captivate and amuse audiences. The most recent winners of the fourth year were recently revealed by the Toronto Indie Shorts committee.

Best Indie Short

Quiet City

Director: R. Keith Smith

Best Narrative

Delphinium

Directors: Melissa Puente, Patience Ray

Best Documentary

More Than You Can Know, A Marriage Story

Director: Naomi Guttman

Best Director

Cathy Cahlin Ryan

Loganberry Lane

Best Script

Closely Guarded

J. Aldric Gaudet

Best Producer

Kay L. Sumner &Murray D. Sumner

Survivors

Best Actress

Mathilde Mery

ELLE EST RADIEUSE

Best Editor

Kate Joy

Do Harm

Best Comedy

Sunset Trip

Directors: Luka Dragoyevich & Alon Katz

Best Horror

Orest Leere and His Marvelous, Mysterious, Malicious Empathy Machine

Director: Jeff Smith

Best Science Fiction

Immobile

Directors: Peter Hajdu & Zeynep Erduran

Best Web Series/TV Pilot

Do Nothings 2

Director: Amy Poux

Best Music Video

Happy Sad

Director: J. Aldric Gaudet

Best Animation

Hinter-Land

Director: Chrisopher Angus

Best Experimental

Neurodiversity

Director: Seung-il Chon

Best Student Film

Shut up, dad!

Director: Max Marcus Landergård