by SARAH ROWLAND

There's nothing new about unemployed art grads desecrating, defecating and slaughtering in the name of art. In most cases, these "artists" get their 15 minutes on the evening news and this short-lived controversy becomes the total sum of their creative legacy. Not so with Jesse Power. While the Toronto poser may not go down in history as a multidisciplinary master, thanks to director Zev Asher's creepy documentary Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat, Power's fame will live a little longer than the friendly neighbourhood kitty that he and two friends nailed to a wall, beat, and disembowelled. When faced with charges of cruelty to animals, Power wisely pled art, stating the videotaped ceremony was a protest against the hypocrisy of meat-eating pet owners. The cool-headed sociopath goes on to raise questions like, why is it that, we as a society, can stomach watching footage of the Rwandan genocide on CNN, but the death of one measly feline evokes so much indescribable rage. And knowing about the beef industry's inhumane practices, how is it that carnivores can justify playing a game of go fetch with their pooch, then turn around and BBQ a steak? These are some of the many thought-provoking issues the Montrealer deftly explores in his arthouse hit, which will screen at this year's International Festival of Films on Art.

Along with this profile of a cowardly kitty killer, the 23rd annual competitive showcase boasts more than 270 films from 25 different countries - covering every form of creative expression from limbless street performance to parking lot choreography.

Among the standout lit docs, we have Guylaine Dionne's Mary Shelley, a biography about the 19th-century Frankenstein author. Here we see a fairly budget, but intriguing, look at her life and the equally fascinating people who helped shape her young progressive mind including; her father, a celebrated British philosopher; her mother, a revolutionary feminist, and her womanizing husband, none other than the renowned poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. This romantic and tragic epic begs for a screenplay adaptation. And since the leading lady requires an English accent, my money's on Gwyneth Paltrow being cast in the lead.

In the visual arts, we have Mr. Patterns, an Australian film about Geoff Bardon, the man largely responsible for bringing the Aboriginal dot painting movement to the attention of the world's most influential curators. Sadly though, the elementary school teacher, who seemed to have a child's heart, paid a huge price for defying a racist government that resented him for putting its virtually forgotten indigenous people on the international art stage.

Another highlight comes from Jane Crawford, who will present her magnificent film Matta: The Eye of a Surrealist. The Connecticut-based filmmaker captures the essence of Chile's underrated genius, who inspired the likes of Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell and Arshile Gorky. Throughout his interviews, Matta never stops painting; and like his murals, his mind seems to be operating on several channels at once. Across the final piece we see him working on, he paints the words "The And of the World," perfectly summing the never-ending curiosity of a true master.

The International Festival of Films on Art screens Thursday, March 10 - Sunday, March 20. For more info, visit www.artfifa.com

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