AGF is a big Canadian film fest sponsor, and has done spots to air before each screening at the Toronto International Film Festival for the last five years. Like the films they open for, the spots TBWAToronto has produced earned rave reviews and awards galore, including at Cannes.

For the new pool about to unspool, the ‘What do you love to do? Why aren’t you doing it?’ theme is once again mined, this time in three scripts that touch on various filmmaking professsions.

‘Drivers Licence’ depicts a Ministry of Transport clerk who wants to be a make-up artist, and therefore elevates the dreaded licence-photo snapping to hitherto unknown heights of artistry – ‘Free that hair, let’s let it go…eyebrows, hello!’ Beyond the concept being hilarious to anyone who’s dealt with the seemingly Soviet-trained government workers who spew out the Most Wanted licence mugshots, the finely tuned straight treatment of the spot makes it even funnier.

In ‘Construction,’ a contractor with a hankering to create cinematic lighting leaves a startled couple with something a little more dramatic than the reno they were expecting, including a fire engine red bedroom. ‘You gonna love the bedroom, I give you more colour, you know, like Almodovar, Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down….’

And in ‘Director,’ which opens on a scene from ‘Licence,’ the camera pulls back to reveal the shoot behind the first spot, and the carping of a boom operator who wants to be a director. This sequel airs towards the end of the fest, and features the director of this pool and last year’s award-winning spots, David Wellington.

We laughed out loud. In a good way.

client: Tammy Scott, AGF Financial Services

creative directors: Simon Creet (writer) and Simon Duffy (art director)

agency producer: Angela Caroll

prodco: Steam Films

dop: Andre Pienaar

prodco producer: Caroline Gaylor

editing: Chris Van Dyke, School

sound: Vapor Music