This weekend, I spent my days at the Chaplain Theater in the Raleigh Studios checking out the 2nd Annual Show Off Your Short Film Festival. True to their mission statement of understanding “the dedication, the labors, and most of all, the passion in which it takes to achieve just one vision or perhaps a sky of visions,” this year’s film festival of shorts showcased a good range of noteworthy films.
Wednesday
Producer Stephen Daldry & Producer/Director Rob Sorrenti
London
An affecting straight-forward film about destiny and fate between Sam (Tom McClane) and Lilya (Sinead Matthews), born side by side on the same day, in the same hospital. Though their lives never cross, it is through Sam’s dying grandmother’s (Ann Emery) wisdom and a not-so-chance encounter with Lilya, who works at the same hospital, that they are able to connect once more.
Zoe’s Day
Writer Lauren Kate Janes and Producer/Director Rebecca Gwynne
USA
An ordinary day turns tragic for 7-year old Zoe (Ruby Jerins). Without giving much away, although the foreshadowing is all too obvious, we get a glimpse of a typical Saturday afternoon with dad (Michael Kelly) at the market. Beautiful shots of both of them walking in the park, playing among the cherry blossoms, and the joy in which she takes it all in contrast nicely with the horror waiting for her back home.
Zombie Love
Producer Aubray Kershner, Writer Darren Herczeg, Co-Director Pravesh Gurung, and Director Yfke van Berckelaer
USA
I’m a sucker for a good zombie flick, unfortunately I haven’t seen a good one in a while. But when I read the premise of this short—a musical extravaganza—I was instantly hooked. And it didn’t disappoint. The tongue-in-cheek performances and the songs that skew some of Broadway’s most popular musicals (i.e. from The Phantom of the Opera to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) are spot on! The story revolved around 200 year old Zombie, Dante (Brad Culver) and his quest to win the love of Claudia (Esme Allen), a mortal. The rest is a hilarious comedy of manners, as he deals with his own immortality while keeping it a secret from his true love.
Renee Turns 40
Writer Nan Schmid and Directors Michael Irpino and Joe Dieti
USA
Renee is turning 40 and all she wants is a damn good birthday party. That is, until everyone starts to hound her about her age. She decides to lie about it and that’s when things turn ugly for her. The look of the film has an almost home-made quality, though I would count that as an asset, considering the brash approach to the storytelling and the campy acting style of the performances. Still, it has an unfinished quality to it as a whole.
Lessons in Humility
Producers Conny S. Reich and Maury Rogow and Writer/Producer/Director Thomas Zinsil
USA
They say comedy is hard to pull off. I say drama is equally as hard. Specifically, this short drama. What should be a lesson about setting priorities in one’s life turns out to be a lesson in melodrama. David (James Bartz) loses his high power job and spends his days lying about it to his wife. Once his secret is discovered, he must rethink his priorities.
Anonymous
Exec. Producer Hugo Serra, Producer Francisco Ramos, Director Cristian Pozo, and Lead Actor Alvaro Ramos
Spain
With what looks to be shot on a budget of a full length feature (in actuality, it was somewhere around $25,000), this visually arresting film dazzles the senses with its rich color palette. Fred (Alvaro Ramos) is trying to beat the clock: his manuscript has a deadline three days away and he is having writer’s block. To make things worse, the gibberish he’s written the previous night turns up on his typewriter as accounts of his thoughts the previous night. Is he going mad or is he dreaming?
These Boots Are Made For Walken
Writer Jude Baas, Producer Christopher Gourlay and Director Jeremy Pack
USA
What do you do when your heart gets broken? You become Christopher Walken and check yourself into the looney bin. That’s what Ronnie (Andrew Bowen) does in this comedy heist. It’s up to his cowboy brother Benny (Daniel Goddard) to talk sense into him. But the real comedy comes when a damsel in distress makes the scene at the hospital. What happens next….well, let’s just say it involves a dog-napping scheme, a flamenco-dancing 80-something year old and a very satisfying end to this short.
Kings Down
Producer Daniel Gardenier and Writer/Director Michael Dean
USA
Subpar revenge short about the underbelly of the betting world. After his younger brother is killed, Alex goes home to track down his brother’s killer. He follows tips that ultimately lead him to the killer. The performances were solid, but ultimately, the film suffers from a weak script.
The Naked Hitchhiker
Writer/Producer/Director Eleanor Lanahan
USA
This one is an animated short along the South Park sensibility, in digital format. The title alone suggests something more lewd than it really implies, but in fact, it follows the inner self-discovery of a recently divorced woman who is running through the forest in the middle of a snowstorm. She is picked up by a truck driver who lends a sympathetic ear. I think I missed something watching this film. Though it seemed a bit on the nose and amateurish in its exploration of the human psyche, it actually won an award for Best Animated Film.
My Mother
Producer Jan Dunn; Writer/Director Elaine Wickham
UK
Kudos to the director/writer for her unflinching treatment of a woman who feels burdened by a mother who is now suffering from advanced dementia. The film is unsympathetic to any of the characters-except perhaps to the aging mother, yet at the same time, you don’t hate them. Realistic slice of human drama.
Under
Producer/Writer/Director Brad Hinton
USA
The theme of awareness during surgery is a timely one. Unfortunately, this film chooses to wear its message prominently on its sleeve, and the lack of subtext in the dialogue makes for a public service announcement on the dangers of anesthesia. Dr. Roth (John Henry Whitaker) constantly undermines Dr. Michael’s (Ben Wells) ability to perform surgery. That is, until he must undergo bypass surgery and Dr. Michael is to perform it. When the anesthesia fails to render him unconscious, Dr. Roth painfully experiences the operation and comes to realize that, indeed, his young co-worker is capable.