#TIFF14: “ZERO RECOGNITION”

Celebrities cope with fame in several different ways – believe me, I’ve seen my share on Stars in the public eye. Some are totally cool with their star status,  and well, some aren’t.  ZERO RECOGNITION, a collaborative Short by Canadian Talents Lauren Collins and Ben Lewis, makes its debut at TIFF ’14.  On one level it is a witty and self-deprecating look at the World of Online Dating.  On another level, it is a multi-tiered look at the at-times-non-existent Star System within Hollywood North and an honest peak at the repercussions of achieving Celebrity at a young age and those icky impacts once it fades.

Many of you might recognize Degrassi: The Next Generation Star Collins, who plays the perhaps semi-fictional former Teen Star Demi Alan.  She puts her pride aside and tries Online Dating, meeting the v. eligible Alan (Lewis).  We get a few good chuckles how serious Demi takes herself, basically working herself into an emotional frenzy, assuming any inkling of attention that comes her way is due to her Celebrity Status.  In ten fun short minutes we see her unraveling.  Some realness going on there.

Learn more about ZERO RECOGNITION, which screens as part of the Short Cuts Canada Programme at TIFF ’14 on Friday, September 5, 2014 at 9:15 PM TIFF Bell Lightbox.