A scene from the short film "The Tape"
Director Matt Austin Sadowski's short, which was presented at Cannes as part of Telefilm Canada's Not Short on Talent program, begins with a man digging through boxes in his attic to find a tape, and it is only when he finds it that the real problem begins. It's a VHS tape and he sold his player long ago. So he begins a journey across Toronto trying to find someone with the outmoded technology that will allow him to watch the tape. There is a funny encounter with a child, but Sadowski smartly avoids the temptation to let the material turn farcical. Instead, he has created a charming film with an ending that is perhaps too sentimental but nevertheless explores a theme we can all relate to, and all in a six-minute run time.
Wednesday, Sept. 12, Tiff Bell Lightbox 2, 6 p.m.; Thursday, Sept. 13, TIFF Bell Lightbox 4, 2 p.m.