Inspired by the poetry of the Irish poet W. B. Yeats, Bat Eyes is a beautifully shot tale of young love and from Australia. Written by Jessica Bellamy and directed by Damien Power, Bat Eyes could be classed as a coming-of-age drama but is very subtle. It stands out because of the cinematography and the acting, both of which are exceptional. It begins with an unkown man having an eye test that laves him recalling a romance from his school days.
Written and directed by Spike Jonze, I'm Here is a long 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.
Celebrating Valentine's Day, Rare Books and Manuscripts is an almost completely dialogue-free romantic comedy from director Bruce Webb. It tells the story of the lonely Jess (Neve McIntosh), who falls in love with a gorgeous gent in the reading room of the British Library. Too shy to speak to him, she starts sending him books with titles that express her feelings. Will her devious plan work in wooing the man of her dreams or is there a twist in this tale?
Like many science-fiction short films, World Builder was written and directed by a digital effects artist looking to display his skills through his own authorship. The American Bruce Branit has worked on Hollywood series such as Lost and Pushing Daisies, and this was his fifth (and by far his best) short film. Like the best sci-fi short films, it marries a simple, strong story with beautifully created visual effects.