The Toronto International Film Fest and RBC Royal Bank are conducting an Emerging Filmmakers Competition. They've invited 25 filmmakers to submit a 3-4 minute short film around the theme of "water." The top five films will be judged during the 2010 festival by an official jury as well as online voters.

Following are three promo videos that were produced by BBDO/Toronto and director Steven Tsuchida of Holiday Films.

It was 1982, and the movie-going world had been recently, and repeatedly, knocked on its collective keister by visual effects masterpieces such as Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and The Empire Strikes Back. Then Ridley Scott came along and slathered a layer of grime on the future with the “truckers-in-space” aesthetic of Alien, and established the look of science fiction films for the next 20 years with the dystopian Blade Runner. I thought I had seen it all, and couldn't imagine how anyone—ever—could top these last two entries in my personal pantheon of science fiction film favorites. Frankly, to date, none have. However, there have been bright blips on my geek radar from time to time. One such blip was a little Disney flick called Tron, which once again re-imagined the science fiction universe, this time within the world of computers.

Tron's story concerns a computer programmer (played by Jeff Bridges) who finds himself digitized and transported into a computer system, where he must engage in vicious gladiatorial contests in his quest to shut down the malevolent Master Control Program and gain his freedom. It was a fun movie, but, really, it was the look of the film that ignited my imagination. The concept design—some of which was by one of my favorite illustrators/artists, Jean “Moebius” Giraud, who had also lent his talents to my beloved Alien—was slick, brightly-colored, high contrast, and unlike anything I had seen before. I loved the clean lines of glowing “circuitry” that adorned the characters’ costumes; the geometric precision of the buildings and gridded digital planes; the sleek, compact lines of the “Light Cycles.” I didn't know it at the time, but the film broadly described an aesthetic which I would continue to admire in my personal and professional lives.

So, why the trip down memory lane? Why this excerpt from “Portrait Of The Geek As A Young Man?” Well, because there's going to be a sequel. That's right—it only took Disney 27 years to get around to it (28 by its slated release in 2010), but it looks as though they're going to reboot the world of Tron, and plug in the imaginations of a new generation of fans with Tron Legacy. Judging from the visual effects test, there will be fans aplenty.

Disney and Tim Burton recently combined imaginations on the new film Alice and Wonderland starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway as the White Queen, Mia Wasikowska as Alice, and Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum. You'll have to wait for the fun to begin, though; as the film is not slated to release until spring of 2010. To read more, visit ComingSoon.net

—Tristan

I know, right!?! Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) has become increasingly sophisticated and photorealistic throughout the years. A few films, such as the recent Beowulf, have even gone so far as to relegate flesh and blood actors to voice work in favor of eerily accurate CGI avatars. So, it's no surprise that film makers have once again stepped up the high-tech wizardry to bring more popular TV shows and major franchise sequels to the big screen this summer. For all cartoon, animation, classic television, and CGI enthusiasts, this summer is going to be a complete geek-fest! Here are a few of the titles we'll see this coming blockbuster season:

Star Trek in theaters May 8, 2009

Terminator Salvation in theaters May 22, 2009

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in theaters June 26, 2009

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra in theaters August 7, 2009

Land of The Lost in theaters June 5, 2009

—Tristan

Ever wonder what you do when you're sleeping? Chances are your somnambulistic activities are not nearly as vigorous as those of the young woman in this music video, or you'd wake up exhausted! Directors Oren Lavie (songwriter artist), Yuval, Merav Nathan, and photographer Eyal Landesman, took great deal of time and patience to create this wonderful stop-motion piece. Enjoy!

To learn more about Oren Lavie, visit at http://www.myspace.com/orenlavie

—Tristan

Another creepy/cool offering for the Halloween season comes via this awesome bottle design for Crystal Head Vodka. Given the extensive sales pitch by actor Dan Ackroyd on the product website, there was some early speculation that this may not be a real product, but an early publicity stunt for the forthcoming film Ghostbusters 3. In order to get to the bottom of this mystery, this intrepid reporter has selflessly offered to do some thirsty research on the skulled spirit once it becomes available. 

Recently, I came across a video on AdPulp which elegantly demonstrates the power of words. Copywriting is something that far too many take for granted. Clients often choose to write their own rather than turning it over to a professional. Maybe it's a budgetary decision. Or, perhaps they feel that they will be better suited to draft the copy due to their intimate understanding of their product or service. Trained copywriters and advertising professionals have spent years honing their craft and possess the skills necessary to select the perfect words to capture attention, engage the reader, and ultimately persuade them to take action on your message.

With Halloween just around the corner, it seems a perfect time to offer, for your consideration,  Fears of the Dark. An official selection at this year's Sundance Film Festival, the film is a collection of six animated shorts by some of the world's leading graphic artists. Each haunting short is presented in black and white...with, perhaps, more than a touch of red.