Funny films unite by MATTHEW HAYS Montreal's comedy festival, Just for Laughs, is again presenting a film series at this summer's event. And fest organizers are eager to have local film types represented at the screenings. JFL is urging everyone, from professionals to students to amateurs, to send in their short works (must be under 15 minutes) or their feature films for consideration. The deadline for submissions is May 1. For details, e-mail shorts@hahaha.com. In the past, the JFL film event has screened some hilarious entries, including The Spirit of Christmas, the short film which launched the South Park phenom, and The Son of Davey and Goliath, the brilliant, serial-killer animated spoof of that dreadful Sunday-morning Christian-Right propaganda show. Montreal's gay and lesbian film fest, Image&Nation, is presenting several fundraising screenings in conjunction with this year's Bal en Blanc party. They include Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brùlantes, director François Ozon's homage to the man who was arguably queerdom's greatest gift to the film world, Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The film is based on a script that Fassbinder wrote at age 19, one that was left unproduced until Ozon created this film. Gouttes will screen in its original French version this Wednesday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Parisien. The off-beat screenings continue the next day with Goddess of '67, Clara Law's bizarre, Greenawayesque experimental feature about an odd couple taking a road trip to find a Citroeen. Goddess screens Thursday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Parisien. Screening next Friday, April 13 (same place, same time) is Boys Life 3, the third anthology in the hugely popular series of short films by gay men. You read it here first: The Mirror has crucial information about the latest Ben Affleck sighting. (For those of you who need to be told, he's in town shooting The Sum of All Fears.) The Hollywood hottie was spotted in Westmount, driving a red Lamborghini convertible with the top down. Something which, La Informant told me, might be seen as a bit show-offy considering it was freezing cold that day. Anyway, she also said he was sucking on a ciggy like his life depended on it. No word on what brand his smokes were, and she didn't manage to get close enough to inquire about what breakfast cereal he'd eaten that morning. Always standing up for journalistic integrity and getting to the bottom of the truly important stories, we at the Mirror intend to keep you up to date about any- and everything Affleck while he's in town. Turn to us and we will keep you informed of any further sightings. If you happen to be lucky enough to spot him, please try to ask the breakfast-cereal question and e-mail me with the response. Those who submit their sightings via e-mail could be eligible to win a used video tape. COMMENTS: mhays@mtl-mirror.com