TORONTO - Short films from directors Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Neil Labute and actress Rachel Weisz are among the star-studded works set to unspool at the CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival.

Big-names appearing in the flicks include Colin Firth, Anthony Hopkins, Chloe Sevigny, Scott Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Max von Sydow, Steve Coogan, Keira Knightley and Montreal supergroup Arcade Fire.

Organizers says this year's showcase features a record number of A-list celebs who either perform, write and/or direct.

The lineup of 275 shorts comes from 36 countries and includes live action, documentary, animation and experimental films.

Organizers say there were a record-breaking 4,200 submissions.

The CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival, billed as North America's largest short film festival, runs May 31 to June 5.

"This year the WSFF has really come into its own," festival director Eileen Arandiga said Wednesday in a release.

"Short films have never been more popular. The record number of submissions received is clearly a testament to the growing popularity and importance of short film. This is a very exciting time for shorts, and we have never seen so many recognizable faces both in front of and behind the camera."

Fresh from his Oscar-winning performance as a stuttering monarch in "The King's Speech," Firth stars in the 16-minute "Steve" as an odd tenant who demands a cup of tea from the woman above him, played by Keira Knightley.

Jonze collaborates with Canadian uber-band Arcade Fire for the 29-minute "Scenes From The Suburbs," billed as a "slice o' suburban life in wartime."