Cineform closes, at least for now
If you’ve spent any time looking at the myriad posters put up in downtown Toronto, you’ve surely seen the black and white letter-sized flyers for some of Reg Hartt’s film festivals and presentations, such as The Sex & Violence Cartoon Festival, Triumph Of The Will and Kid Dracula (which uses Radiohead’s Kid A as a soundtrack for F.W. Murno’s Nosferatu). Some of these Reg Hartt presentations have been around for decades.
Now, Reg Hartt has had to shut down his unique film location Cineforum, after receiving a notice of violation from Toronto’s Licensing and Standards division. You see, Cineforum is actually his residence, after moving from other locations. From the sounds of it, the city received a complaint from someone, which forced them into action…
Licensing and Standards chair Howard Moscoe assures me the city didn’t target Cineforum. “The city doesn’t go rooting out people who are violating zoning, so someone must have issued a complaint.”
Likely candidates, says Hartt, who doesn’t make his living from his screenings, are misguided poster-haters at the Toronto Advertising Hall of Shame. A response from Robert Du Ville of that org says he’s unaware of a complaint but points to emails posted on the group’s blog revealing a back-and-forth with Hartt over sign pollution and posting rights. [from NOW]
This isn’t the first time Mr. Hartt’s unique programming looked like it was going to disappear. After it moved from the Spadina Hotel, back in the 1990’s, it was looking for a new home, and less than two years ago, it seemed like Cineforum would be closing down for different reasons, but has remained.
On a more personal note, although it’s been too long since I’ve attended one, I’ve seen most of the film festivals, and I’ve recommended them to others over the years. From the uncensored 3 Stooges (and yeah, it’s WAY more violent and funny uncensored) to the surrealist masterpiece Un Chien Andalou, the line up is eclectic and fascinating. Seeing what amounts to an institution disappear because of a zoning issue would be a real shame. As Hartt has posted on his own website, you can contact local councilors Adam Vaughan and Howard Moscoe to show your support.
Howard Moscoe – councillor_moscoe@toronto.ca
Adam Vaughan – councillor_vaughan@toronto.ca
He’s also requested to be sent a copy: Reg Hartt – rhartt4363@rogers.com
