Testimonials



A festival with an intriguing mandate and a sense of genuine discovery.
- Norman Wilner, NOW Magazine, Toronto Youth Shorts Jury 2010


"This gathering of young local talent easily stands out among the mass of film fests that pop up around the city each summer."
-The Varsity


"A great resource for film fans and young storytellers in the surrounding area"
-BestUniversities.com


The films themselves were as diverse as the individuals who dreamt them up. And in the end the audience was given a a visceral experience that explored both the everyday life and the abstract of what it means to be a part of the cityscape that is Toronto.
- Genevieve Walker, SceneCreek


Toronto Youth Shorts is possibly the best film festival in the GTA for up-and-coming filmmakers. The screenings feature short films from students and young filmmakers from a variety of schools and backgrounds and each day of the festival includes networking opportunities and highly effective and informative Q&A's. One of the only local festivals to include a thorough adjudication session where each film is discussed by the jurors, Toronto Youth Shorts is truly about the filmmakers and their advancement.
- James Vorstenbosch, FilmArmy


The Toronto Youth Shorts Festival organizers need to be commended for their vision and their hard work creating this great annual venue for young filmmakers in the GTA to show off their art. There are few places where young filmmakers can get their films showcased in this way. The films in the first two years have been thrilling, innovative, and cutting edge. As the festival grows, it has the potential to become a giant in the local filmmaking scene, rivalling even TIFF in its relevance to young filmmakers. So many young filmmakers will never be able to say they got their first big break from TIFF; many, many filmmakers will be able to say they got their first big break from Toronto Youth Shorts!
- Matt Guerin, Toronto filmmaker (Golden Pin, Best Canadian Short winner at Inside Out), Toronto Youth Shorts Jury 2009


The festival is not only a great showcase for young emerging artists’ work, but it also provides a venue for these artists to hone their skills and get feedback on their work from industry professionals.
- Jovana Jankovic, Toronto Film Scene


I’m glad something like this exists. It’s not very often that you would find something that will take student projects and encourage the growth of young filmmakers.
- Bert McKinley, Winner of Excellence in Film Direction Award 2010 (The Human Project: Scars)


The Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival is truly the best place for both established and new filmmakers living in the Greater Toronto Area to showcase their work. TYS has strong values in promoting new work, local work and reflecting Toronto's rich diversity. If anyone is looking to join a network that will excel and showcase talent in their work on an established and professional level, there is no better place than the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival.
- Ally Rheaume, Winner of Cultural Relevancy Award 2011 (My Brother's Keeper)


I've been lucky enough to have had two different experiences within the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival: one as a participant and one as a judge on the jury panel. Both experiences have shown me how this festival is an amazing outlet for youth filmmakers to support each other, network, and develop their craft--not to mention that it's a guaranteed good time!
- Karen Forhan, Winner of Excellence in Film Direction Award 2009 (Along the Lines of Connectivity), Toronto Youth Shorts Jury 2010, Toronto Youth Shorts Programmer 2011


The filmmakers, judges and staff of the Toronto Youth Shorts Film Festival displayed an undeniable passion that made participating in the festival an invaluable experience. Henry and his staff have created a professional and exceedingly friendly forum for emerging filmmakers to share their work and network with their peers. After completing the film production program at York University, I was fascinated to see the work that had come out of neighboring film schools; the festival grants local filmmakers a great opportunity to continue their growth through showcasing their own talents while simultaneously learning from others.
- Matthew Yipchuck, Winner of Achievement in Screenwriting 2011 (Bad Luke)


The festival was a great opportunity to showcase my short films and gain recognition in the Toronto film community. The support and feedback I received from the festival team was invaluable and an incredible environment to meet other inspiring filmmakers.
- Ashley Bowes, Winner of Excellence in Art Direction Award 2010 (Toyzilla)


Toronto Youth Shorts is a great launching point for any aspiring filmmaker, especially those from the Greater Toronto Area. It gave me my first festival experience and the staff accommodated me with warmth and kindness. I will continue to come back until they get annoyed with me.
- Philbert Lui, Winner of 2011 T24 Visual Thesis Award (S2)


In my opinion the T24 Project film challenge is close to being an essential task for any up and coming film maker. The learning curve is steep and even if the result of your film is less than amazing what you learn about the process and demands of film making is priceless.
- Chris Laxton, participant of the 2010 T24 Project


The T24 Project was one of the best experiences in filmmaking that I have had to date. Bringing together a team of top notch filmmakers and producing a short film of such excellent quality over 24 fun and exhilarating hours was the highlight of 2010 and will be again an amazing experience in 2011. I gained an excellent understanding of how I work under pressure, as well as learning a lot about the different skills that my crew had to offer. It was a tiring and difficult endeavour that every filmmaker should try, at least once (if not every year that Henry decides to keep it running!)
- Jamie McMillan, participant of the 2010 T24 Project