FILMSSHORT WINNERS - 9
Below are the best short films from the 8th FILMSshort competition.
Valse by Chris Keller (2013) (UK) (4m) *
Written and directed by Chris Keller, Valse was judged the overall winner in the 8th FILMSshort competition, nudging drama Friday Tigers into second place. Valse is an unusual love story starring two snails. Can these romantic molluscs find love in our human dominated world? Keller, a compositor at one of London's leading VFX companies, also photographed the film, while the all important music was composed by Alex Wallace.
Friday Tigers by Aidee Walker (2013) (NZ) (17m)
Written and directed by New Zealand filmmaker Aidee Walker, Friday Tigers was the People's Choice and runner-up in the 8th FILMSshort competition. The talented Walker also stars as the single mother trying to combine motherhood with a university degree and a blossoming romance with a fellow student, while also dealing with a complicated and unhappy past. Superbly acted by all, including the young Anysia Davies, it is a subtle, beautifully rendered drama with a dash of animation.
Seraphim by Kip Kubin (2014) (USA) (4m) *
Written and directed by Kip Kubin, the visually stunning Seraphim was a finalist in the 8th FILMSshort competition. It is a simple sci-fi story set in a dystopian world, which is being overrun by unknown creatures. We find one of the survivors living alone in a caravan but on the lookout for any of those frightening aliens. Can he really defend himself against one or is he and the world doomed? You can see competition winners here.
Phoenix 9 by Amir Reichart (2014) (USA) (22m)
Written by Peer Gopfrich and directed by Amir Reichart, Phoenix 9 was conceived in Germany but filmed in the USA, and a finalist in the 8th FILMSshort competition. It is a science-fiction short film set in a post-apocalyptic future and full of extremely well-made visual effects. It begins before the nuclear war before showing us a weary group of survivors walking across the wastelands of America. When these people take shelter in an underground bunker, they find there may be a way out of their current nightmare.
