A remarkably high percentage of my interactions with women involve expressions of shock, dismay, and outright disapproval that I have not done something that they feel I should have. I have had such an encounter repeatedly in the TIFF press office this week as a consequence of my admitting to not having had seen any of the films of Jamie Travis, an acclaimed short film maker from the west coast of Canada. The upside to these particular encounters is that the woman in question had both a very good read on my tastes and Travis' short films on DVD.
Loaded with intricate set designs, strong cinematography and a mordantly absurd sense of humor Travis lies somewhere between the worlds of David Lynch and Wes Anderson. An odd combination, yes, but a remarkably compelling one. There are a trio of Travis short films in the festival this year, the bleakly hilarious The Saddest Boy In The World and the concluding two thirds of the Patterns trilogy - part one screened last year - and the official websites and trailers will explain what these are all about far better than I could.
The Saddest Boy In The World Website (multiple trailers within)
The Patterns Trilogy Website (multiple trailers within)
Patterns Two TIFF Page
Patterns Three TIFF Page
The Saddest Boy In The World TIFF Page
