This season is all about animation for the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto. In the next couple of months, LIFT is offering a slew of workshops on film-based animation techniques, as part of its special focus programme on Animating Analogue and Printed Light.

It all kicks off on June 19th at CineCycle with the first in a series of screenings (this one demonstrating what analogue animation looks like) followed by a panel discussion with Jonathan Amitay (check out his Sesame Street clips here) and Chris Gehman, moderated by Ellen Besen.

A few days ago, I took the opportunity to visit LIFT for an animation primer with Gehman. Chris is an animator with extensive experience as a curator and film writer, so I was in good hands. Plus, he'll be teaching a lot of these upcoming courses.

The Revue Cinema pays tribute to acclaimed homegrown filmmakers this summer with a four part series, Canadian Cinema in Revue. Curated by filmmaker and film writer Alan Bacchus (who has his own "insane self-imposed mandate" of reviewing a film a day on Daily Film Dose) the programme pairs some inspired gems that deserve more screen time with shorts of a similar theme or genre.

Explaining how the series came about, Bacchus says that after meeting with The Revue, "they sensed my enthusiasm for Canadian film and suggested to do a Canadian series. From there I ran with it."

On Saturday June 13th Dion Conflict and the Fox Theatre present another installment of Shock and Awe: The Grindhouse Experience - an homage to the classic grindhouse film and viewing experience.

An all-nighter at the cinema, consisting of a lineup of 6 not-to-be-taken-too-seriously 60's, 70's, and 80's movies screened using film projectors (no DVDs here, folks), is sure to bring serious enjoyment. This unique experience is a way to ensure that we'll be thoroughly entertained through the night, sleeping most of the day on Sunday, and groggy enough on Monday. It wouldn't be grindhouse any other way!

blogTO has tickets to give away to a few lucky readers. Check out some trailers and read on for contest entry details.

My baby blue Raleigh succumbed to snapped brakes and old age last fall. Bikeless for the first time in 6 years, I walked over to CineCycle last night to watch other people cycle on the big screen at Bike Month Film Night.

By the time I arrived, kickstands were down and CineCycle was filling up. Hosted by Benny Zenga, filmmaker and producer of Toronto's Bicycle Film Festival (BFF), the screening featured short films and music, plus a sneak peek at what's coming up in this year's festival.

How do you earn a spot in cinematic history? Otto Preminger's formula was simple: compelling characters, good stories, and mastery of the craft. Cinematheque Ontario has tracked down restored, rare, and archival prints to showcase Preminger's distinguished career in a series that will run throughout the month of June, Fallen Angels: The Films of Otto Preminger.

Natalie Portman. Gael García Bernal. Gus Van Sant. Feist... The Canadian Film Center announced its selections for the 15th annual Worldwide Short Film Festival at a press conference yesterday - and the lineup is chock-full of celebrities.

Will there be TIFF-style glitz and glamour? Probably not. But mark your calendars for June 16th to June 21st because the WSFF had nearly 4000 submissions to choose from this year, so odds are that the festival will have some interesting programs.

The WSFF is one of my favourite local film festivals. It hosts young and bright filmmakers and presents a wide variety of genres (indie, experimental, music videos, and so on) from an even wider variety of places (Bulgaria, China, Toronto, and so on).