NXNE announces the Canadian premiere of The Disposable Film Festival

The 2011 edition of Toronto’s North By Northeast Festival is turning into quite the cinematic event—alongside the 650 bands performing, the festival will screen 60 films, including the Canadian premieres of a J.X. Williams film, a movie about ’80s band The Replacements and the much-anticipated Jay Reatard documentary. NXNE has also announced another addition to its film component, the Disposable Film Festival, which celebrates unique short works from directors around the world. Read about some of the films debuting at the Toronto launch of the Disposable Film Festival after the jump.

Making its Canadian premiere at the Disposable Film Fest this year is Lou Reed’s short documentary Red Shirley, in which Reed interviews his cousin Shirley on the eve of her 100th birthday. The trailer reveals that Shirley’s century-spanning life has been a colourful one: a Polish immigrant, Shirley worked as a seamstress for 47 years, eventually taking up the fight against unfair labour practices that earned her the nickname “Red Shirley.” Also debuting are Bloodied But Unbowed, a look at the first wave of Vancouver’s punk scene from director Susanne Tabata; The Rise and Fall and Rise of Sensational, a feature documentary from director E.A. Moore that tells the story of a hip-hop figure who calls himself Sensational, but whose lifestyle of substance abuse and botched career beg to differ; Shlemiel, from Toronto director Chad Derrick, which follows the band Men With Babies, a group that wasn’t accepted to the NXNE festival in 2007 but performed in the Discovery Series anyway; and 6ft. Hick: Notes from the Underground, a Canadian premiere from Australian director Marty Moynihan that explores the importance of touring for indie bands. Okay, the last movie concept seems like it probably doesn’t require dissecting, but it beats sitting at home watching Runaway Bride with the curtains closed.

All films will be screened at the National Film Board of Canada’s Toronto Mediatheque or the Toronto Underground Cinema between June 13 and 19. Purchase tickets online at the NXNE website.