EVERYDAY PEOPLE

Directed By Enda Hughes

At 5 minutes this is a cute and clever short doc that speaks to people who have unfortunate monikers.  Imagine being an 18 year old Naomi Campbell and people making cell phone jokes to you, your entire life.  Here we see people talking about sharing a name with a famous person.  We meet George Lucas, Gordon Ramsey, Julia Roberts, Phil Collins, Michael Douglas, Muhamed Ali, Emma Thompson and a few others who talk about the jokes and comments they get by having a name like these.  My favorite is the fellow named Tom Jones who says people are always asking him “Whats new pussycat?” 

They seem to go through life with pathos and a laugh.  It’s a cute film, which seems to transcend its one joke possibility, and finds the person behind the names.  I could see this being a series of sorts, and I for one would be happy to see more.

HOT DOG

Directed By Bill Plympton

Hot Dog is the story of a would be fire dog who’s dream literally goes up in flames.  The hand-drawn animation is beautiful and fun.  The story is cute and clever and the hero is someone easy to root for.  Who doesn’t love a dog?  This is a fun film that like all Plympton cartoons have a style completely unique to the film world.  A plymptoon combines style with subsctance and the experience is always one to enjoy!

EX-BULLY

Directed By Joey Garfield

It has been said to me from many short filmmakers that they key to success is to keep it short and funny.  If that is the truth, then Joey Garfield got this film very right.  At 3 and ½ minutes this film tells the tale of a group of nerds getting revenge on their bullies 20 years later.  Very funny stuff.  The children used in the flashbacks were hilarious.  A very funny film with almost no dialogue.  Keep your eye open during the credits…. Very funny stuff!

CARPET DIEM

Directed By Trevor Anderson

This was like listening to a short standup act while looking at Rorschach pictures.  A man talks about a moment of confusion in his life.  He winds up on a red carpet.  On that same carpet are two STARS, Tom Cruise and Katey Holmes.  His brush with fame is captured in two photographs.  The Rorschach pictures were close ups of pics on the red carpet that when the camera pulls out we see it clearly.  Interesting and experimental.  A real nice companion to his other film ROCK POCKETS which played AFI last year, and which the pic of the red carpet was taken from. 

SHHH…

Directed By Ben Slotover

A man believes his apartment is bugged.  His friend comes over and they begin wrecking the place.  This film is all still photography with sound.  Its quite well done and a lot of fun to watch.  I found myself giggling through the entire 4 minutes.  Cute.

Shane Morton