An inspired ride

After announcing their Greening Toronto - Ideas for a Living City contest a few months ago, the Onestop TTC network is ready to showcase eight environmentally themed videos by local students. The assignment was to make a video inspired by an ecologically sustainable Toronto.

“What we were asking for was for people to imagine positive, possible futures even if it’s crazy. What was easier for students was to give me the negative possibilities for Toronto – the smog and congestion – (the) response I’m trying to avoid. I’m trying to go for something more hopeful,” said Sharon Switzer, the founder of the Art for Commuters project. “I know what it is to be a young video artist/filmmaker, how hard it is to get started. I think of this as a launch pad for them as emerging artists.”

“I’m hoping the ecological theme will energize people a little bit as they go through their daily lives,” said Switzer. “A lot of it tends to be animation or hybrid animation. When you’re asking people to imagine a possible future it’s easier to do that as an animation. A lot of it has to do with actual greenery, flowers and growth. Some of it is kind of playful work.”

Submissions were received from OCAD, York/Sheridan and Humber students. The competition will screen every 10 minutes on TTC subway screens for the month of February. Each week will feature two student shorts, with the two films cycling throughout each day.

SELECTED STUDENTS AND FILM SCHEDULE

Week One
Chris Tew, Integrated Media, OCAD
Lena Chun, Integrated Media, OCAD
Week Two
Kat Burns, Printmaking, OCAD
Ryan Patterson, Integrated Media, OCAD
Week Three
Rusiko Lomtatidze, Integrated Media, OCAD
Angel Carrillo, Integrated Media, OCAD
Week Four
Jingyao Shen, Integrated Media, OCAD
Steve Shaddick, Integrated Media, OCAD

A four-person jury will select first and second place winners, whose shorts will run from Friday, February 29 to Sunday, March 2, with a designation of their win displayed on the screen beside the film.

Another Art for Commuters video series will air in July. The deadline for submissions is May 15. Check out the Art for Commuters website for more details.

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