ONLY THE BEST SHORT FILMS
Film of the Week: Last Call Lenny by Julien Lasseur
Last Call Lenny by Julien Lasseur (2016) (USA) (12m)
Last Call Lenny did very well on the short film festival circuit, and is now a finalist in the FILMSshort competition. It tells the story of Gabe, who has decided to end his life, but needs a little help. Lenny offers his services for people in such a situation. However, the talkative Lenny does not like to make things too simple, and also has to avoid being the one to actually pull the trigger. It seems that Lenny is a disaster looking for somewhere to happen.
Dawit by David Jansen (2015) (Germany) (15m) *
A competition finalist, the dialogue-free Dawit (or Daewit) was a huge hit on the short animation festival circuit around the world. The baby Dawit lives with his violent father and fearful mother on a small island, before his mother decides his best chance of survival is elsewhere and puts him in a tiny boat and sends him out to sea. Washed up on a beach, Dawit is brought up by a pack of wolves before humans intervene. But can Daewit live in our human world and can he forget his dark past?
Two Birds by Brendan Beachman (2017) (USA) (6m)
A finalist in the latest FILMSshort competition, the chilling Two Birds presents us with Flynn, one half of a young lesbian couple, who has a feeling that something is not quite right in the relationship. When two birds fly into her kitchen window, killing themselves, she is prompted outside and then down into the dark cellar. She will find something that will explain why she has been having second thoughts about her lover.
I'm Here by Spike Jonze (2010) (USA) (30m)
A look back at I'm Here by Spike Jonze, a short film reminiscent of the video promo he made for Daft Punk's classic Da Funk. Instead of personified dogs, in I'm Here we have robots living among us; a kind of social underclass who aren't allowed to drive cars and can't dream. One of these robots, played by Andrew Garfield, falls for a kooky female robot who defies the rules but has a habit of losing bits of her hardware.
The Baby by Ali Asgari (2014) (Iran) (16m)
Directed by FILMSshort competition winner, Ali Asgari, who shares the writing credit with Farnoosh Samadi, the drama short film, The Baby (Bacheh), was a hit on the festival circuit. It tells the story of Narges, a young Iranian woman whose parents do not know she has had a baby. With her parents coming to visit, Narges and her friend are desperately looking for someone to look after the baby for a few days. However, afraid of any ramifications in their strict Islamic society, few are willing to put themselves out for the helpless mother.
A Single Life by Blaauw, Oprins & Roggeveen (2014) (Holl'd) (3m) *
A Single Life is somewhat reminiscent of the feature comedy, Click. Instead of a remote control either fast forwarding or rewinding to a different age in someone's life, it is the position of the needle on a record that determines at what stage in her life our heroine suddenly finds herself. Beginning with a pizza, it is then taken to its logical conclusion. It is a very well-made and fun animation, but perhaps not completely original.
Bear Story by Gabriel Osorio (2014) (Chile) (10m) *
Bear Story (Historia de un Oso) won the Oscar for Best Short Animation in 2015 and is a fine example: dialogue-free, beautiful and sentimental. It also has a strong message - that animals should not be stolen from their habitat and made to perform in circuses. The continued enslavement and murder of animals is indeed the greatest crime in human history. Bear Story follows a bear who has created a mechanical diorama telling the story of a circus bear who was torn away from his wife and child.
God of Love by Luke Matheny (2010) (USA) (18m)
God of Love won the Academy Award for Best Short Film in 2011. Matheny plays Ray, a hopeless romantic whose cabaret act consists of singing and playing darts at the same time. When he receives magical darts that act like Cupid's arrows, he decides to use them on Kelly, the woman he adores. However, they will only work for six hours, meaning he has to ensure her infatuation turns into something more permanent before the time runs out. Will he learn the meaning of true love?
Cindy's New Boyfriend by Robert Brinkmann (2015) (USA) (23m)
Written by Sean Sellars and directed by Robert Brinkmann, the comic Cindy's New Boyfriend was a finalist in in the 9th competition. Cindy is the ex-girlfriend of Spencer, who persuades his friend Nick that he should use his acting talent to scare off Cindy's new boyfriend. However, things go wrong when Cindy's new boyfriend turns out to be a man not easily scared. Brinkmann is better known as a cinematographer, shooting such films as The Cable Guy.
Cooped by Mike A Smith (2014) (USA) (9m) *
Cooped, a fantastic hand-drawn animation, was selected as the Best Short Animation in the competition. Written and directed by American Mike A Smith, Cooped is a comic short film that tells the story of a poor dog that is stuck inside all day while his master is at work. The hound can see the amazing world of squirrels and tennis balls that exists outisde his place of imprisonment, but is unable to open the door. With his master only ever coming back to sleep, it seems that our canine hero will never get out...
