Short films get short shrift - it's a fact. But what most people don't realize is there are many rich layers encapsulated in the brief time frame, that get lost or too convoluted in a regular feature film's length. Often, an issue or theme can be conveyed within seconds rather than hours.

Running from June 16-21, 2009 in Toronto, the Worldwide Short Film Festival is the largest short film festival in North America, and one of the key short film festivals in the world. This year, audiences can view a wide-ranging collection of 295 short films, from 46 countries around the globe.

Sitting down to watch hundreds of little movies is more daunting than it actually sounds, but we've emerged from our dark cave with our top 10 picks of the festival. For complete listings and information, visit the WWSFF website at shorterisbetter.com.

Marooned - (Sci-Fi: Out There)
This American short focuses on a nerdy role-player who decides to bring his fantasies into real life. Things go horribly wrong when a mishap occurs, and his life gets rather...complicated. A live action/role player's worst nightmare: when the fantasy world you live in turns the tables on you.

The Survivor of the Hippocampus - (Sci-Fi: Out There)
This film brings to mind (no pun intended) Woody Allen's Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex..., since we're taken into the brain first-hand, complete with cheesy costumes and dialogue. Screened at Cannes, this French short is a laugher: only a good friend would willingly shrink down to enter someone's brain and fix a problem.

Section 44 - (What You See Is Not What You Get)
Who knew that in five minutes, your entire life can be completely destroyed? It happens to poor Richard, who's stopped in the street, hooded, and thrown into the back of a van. He undergoes threat and torture, and can't seem to find his way out. You'll be shocked at the way things turn out.

The Last Breath - (What You See Is Not What You Get)
Current horror films have nothing on this tongue-in-cheek rip-off of nu-apocalypse films like Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later. An idyllic diving excursion devolves into a dark nightmare when the divers resurface to discover that there's no oxygen left on Earth. It's a rush for survival as their air tanks start to run out.

Skin - (You Can't Take It With You)
Ever look at a heavily-tattooed body and think, 'What a waste when that person dies.' It's kind of like a valuable piece of art, thrown away forever. Australian filmmaker Rhys Graham must have thought along those lines, since his short focuses on a man with a floral full-body tattoo, who decides to donate his skin to an art gallery upon his death. Grisly, yet strangely entertaining.

The Spine - (The Edge of Reason)
Voiced by Gordon Pinsent and Alberta Watson, this surrealistic 15-minute short follows the tortuous journey of Dan, whose spine is degenerating in tandem with his 26-year-old marriage. It's a sharp look at the co-dependence of two lovers, who inevitably end up becoming strangers. (We love the marriage counsellor especially.)

Dandurand Cinquieme - (Conflict Resolution)
This French short is a clever little masterpiece. It follows a convenience store clerk whose day keeps getting worse and and worse as people come in and out of his little corner shop. There's a twist as a wanted felon comes into the store and starts demanding things. Will the store clerk come out on top? A festival must-see.

This Is Her - (Conflict Resolution)
A cute film from start to finish, we take a look at a broken-down marriage and the years that lead to the inevitable affair. Speaking of the future over images of the past sparks a jarring juxtaposition that funny, irreverent, and genius. Screened at the Sundance Film Festival, it's another feel-good must-see at the WWSFF.

Boob - (Midnight Mania: Creepy)
The title implies exactly what the film is about: boobs. Sometimes the quest for physical perfection turns ugly. Real ugly. Don't think a boob job could come back to haunt you? This short will have you thinking again.

Mom - (Midnight Mania: Creepy)
I didn't think a 3-minute film could possibly be scary, but it is. Normally you'd call out to your mom if you had a nightmare, right? You certainly wouldn't call her if she was the nightmare, though, and in this short, she's your worst dream come true.

The Worldwide Short Film Festival runs from June 16-21 in Toronto. For a complete list of venues, showings, and WWSFF-related info, visit shorterisbetter.com.