By HiMY SYeD

Toronto has become a city of Films and Festivals. Hollywood North churns them out, then Hollywood itself shows up each September for TiFF, the Toronto International Film Festival.

Now it’s November and time for CLiFF, The Canadian Labour International Film Festival.

The first ever National Film Festival to be launched (next weekend) in close to a hundred cities in and outside of Canada with their Festival In A Box.

CLiFF Toronto‘s Opening Night is tonight at the Bloor Cinema at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday night, CLiFF had their inaugural Grand Opening at the Sheraton Hotel downtown with filmmakers present hosting sneak peaks at films which are playing all this week at the Bloor Cinema.

Min Sook Lee, director of Hold The Line, spoke about how challenging it is for any filmmaker to raise the money needed to see their production all the way through. Labour and social justice themed documentaries even more so.

Min Sook highlighted an oft forgotten reality that neither Government nor the Corporate sector’s mandate is for social justice, it is the Labour movement by definition who is interested in social justice.

Hold The Line is one of four films screening at as part of CLiFF’s opening night.

Monday, 23 November, 2009 – 6:30 p.m.
Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor St. West

Six Weeks of Solidarity
Director: Victor Dobchuk • Canada, 10 min, 1995
A look at the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, 75 years later.

Hold the Line
Director: Min Sook Lee • Canada, 16 min, 2009
A restrained story-telling of the 2009 CUPE strike in Windsor, Ontario. Excellent shots of Windsor backed by a moody soundtrack, this film tells the story of the Windsor CUPE strike from the workers’ point of view.

Northland
Director: Edie Steiner • Canada, 16 min, 2007
A touching look back at the director’s father, Albert Steiner, and his life as a miner. Detailing his death, caused by working in the mine and the reality of getting compensation from mining companies at that time.

Tanaka-san will not do Calisthenics
Director: Maree Delofski • Australia, 75 min, 2008
Filmed in Japan, this film follows Tanaka-san who was let go from his job at Oki Electric Manufacturing Company 25 years ago when he refused to conform to militaristic working expectations. Tanaka-san sings in front of his old office each day.

• CLiFF Opening Night tickets are FREE
• First come first served at the Bloor Cinema Box Office.