The following article was originally published in the Globe & Mail on March 24, 2012. It appears here in a slightly edited form. When Shirley Hughes launched the Toronto Silent Film Festival in 2009, she never thought that a modern-day silent film like The Artist could claim the Best Picture Oscar, sparking a revival of interest in early cinema. Closing tonight, the festival has long placed importance on connecting the past to the present. The opening night film, Our Dancing Daughters (1928), starring a young Joan Crawford, draws many parallels to the Oscar-winning film. “It’s a great example of a … Continue reading Modern-day silent films at the Toronto Silent Film Festival