Canada’s Top Ten Shorts 2009 — Program 2

Five Hole: Tales of Hockey Erotica — Calgary animator Christiansen’s puckish excursion into hockey’s secret sensual world was written by author and musician Dave Bidini and features an original song by The Rheostatics. Cam Christiansen/6 mins.

Out in that Deep Blue Sea — From the director of Princess Margaret Blvd (Canada’s Top Ten Shorts 2008), the death-of-a-salesman tale of a middle-aged realtor in a serious personal and professional slump. Kazik Radwanski/16 mins.

Naissances — Two strangers tell each other lies about their personal lives in this disquieting, finely-honed drama about ephemeral connections and false hopes from Montreal writer-director Émond. Anne Émond/17 mins.

Danse Macabre — Based on a concept by Robert Lepage, the directorial debut of visual effects artist Pires is a hauntingly beautiful dance film evoking the final spasms of life. Best Canadian Short, TIFF 2009. Pedro Pires/9 mins.

The Spine — The latest computer-animated tour-de-force from Landreth, director of the Oscar-winning Ryan, has a co-dependent couple turning to a support group in order to save their broken marriage. Chris Landreth/11 mins.