Nola's Shorties: Some highlights from Regent Park Film Festival’s 'Shorties' Program

(Nola’s forward)

I’m watching all of this as a Black Southern Sudanese American - So, that's a lot right there. The best part of these movies is that you can watch all of them in a row and it’s less than an hour of your time.

The better part you ask? It’s completely free and it’s completely on demand! All from the comfort of your home/bed/couch/bath (its happened - trust).

Masterpiece directed by Runyararo Mapfumo.

Okay, I love that this film showcases Black art (all art is Black art but etc…) from a non-film perspective.

Listen. You are probably aware that I too - yes me - am an artist. I know, I know! You’re shocked but listen - it’s not easy making stuff. Let alone, showing the stuff you make to your butthole friends that are more prone to reading you to filth just so that your ego doesn’t over inflate so large it carries you off into outer space to float endlessing in a vast vacuum void throughout the universe...forever (See what I did there? I’m an artist)

Also the movie has cute British accents. So there’s that too.

BEEF directed by Jabbari Weekes.

As I mentioned in my forward, I am Black. However, I’m “that kind of Black”. When I moved to Toronto for school, I had no idea about patties. I had no idea about the cultural divide.

My partner loves patties. I mean this movie is about a “battle of the patty”, but it’s also a cross section looking into the East end of Toronto and how waiting for transit sucks out there. So, I learned a lot.

This is one I watched twice in a row just because it’s so dang charming! In closing, I really don’t like patties but I did get a coffee and a chocolate chip cookie on my way to school every morning at Bathurst station. They sell patties there too so I’m repping Bathurst bakery patties by proxy.

Serious Lees directed by Krista Jang.

Wow! This is shot so beautifully - to a point where it made me hungry? Yes. Yes it did. I really enjoyed seeing all the food. Especially fresh food!

I never knew a father and daughter shopping could be so entertaining. Let me just put this out there - I hate, with every fiber of my being, grocery shopping. (I hate grocery shopping with my mother even more - but that’s another story for another time).

I hate it all and yet this short showed me in an introspective way how food can ultimately connect us to our heritage. Even if you have no idea what you’re doing.

Also shout out to Lucky Moose Food Market.*

*I think?

YYZ directed by Omolola Ajao.

I’m pretty sure this is shot on film so I’m biased towards it immediately. It was certainly short and sweet.

I definitely remember traveling a lot when I was younger (Navy brat) and yeah it’s definitely cold up there in the skies. I loved being able to revisit that while also now having something that I can point other people to in order to help them understand what it’s like to not grow up in one spot all your life.

It’s definitely a culture shock. I mean, I had no idea what the fuck a loonie was when we first moved here. I thought I was being insulted ( I wasn’t).

I just loved hearing the filmmaker's mother describe the journey and saying “I think we’re mostly settled now”. (I’m not crying - you’re crying!) Overall, the sense of belonging is always key in the human condition blah blah blah!

These films as well as the rest of Regent Park Film Festival’s “Shorties” program are available to stream free untl Sunday.