BFI London Film Festival Shorts 2022 [Online]
The festival is here and although there is plenty of feature films to escape into this will highlight most of the amazing shorts on display that deserve your attention that are online and free.
Drop Out by Ade Femzo
The lengths we would all go to, to follow our dream…right?
Drop out is a 7min story that perfectly encapsulates a tough problem Tobi has to face when going after his dreams of being a rapper. Tobi gets offered a job that could change his life but he will have to drop out of university meaning he will have to confront his mum. A simple story that I believed was going down the ‘realistic’ route until a surprise element was added which I was unsure of. When I finally accepted this change the film is delightful and showed Ade Femzo adding his personal touch to a story that could of went down a boring realistic route.
The stand out for me was the mother (played by Kemi Lofinmakin.) This character I instantly fell in love with and without spoiling the surprise element, there is no changing her mind. Everything else was good and compared to others it does slightly do enough to stand out. This short is really good however compared to other shorts many have blown me away in terms of cinematography or originality (for example) while this felt like ‘oh well that was pleasant.’
Overall, Drop Out is a good little short that successfully grips the audience in wanting Tobi to succeed.
The Ritual to Beauty by Maria Marrone and Shenny De Los Angeles
A short film that is just made with so much love.
This gorgeous film tells the tale of a family discussing topics like men, hair, and other various topics relating to them. It feels like such a personal narrative as the family opens up with a script that is incredibly written. The opening moments instantly made me feel warm as I sunk into the couch under the mesmerising lyrics and visuals. In contrast, the ending makes its statement and rounds this entire documentary off.
The sunflower scene perfectly captures what this film is doing and my points mentioned above. As Maria and Shenny have directed a project that is stunning-looking visual poetry. A documentary that won't appeal to everyone because of its slow calming nature that leaves the audience time to think about each scene/line that is being said.
A recommended documentary that got me feeling warm inside.
I Have No Legs and I Must Run by Yue Li
Whoah the production & editing on this is insane.
This short is about a running group who are constantly training extremely hard while a new member joins. This causes jealousy for one member as this new member is surprisingly outperforming everyone. This story is done in the most visually appealing and fast-paced way.
The visuals are great (look above) which feature an overwhelming use of red and pig noises that clearly have deeper meanings throughout the film. Yue Li feels like they have catered this film to film fans as so much could be pulled apart and analysed. Everything feels thought-out for example looking at the production and the sharp editing.
Yue Li has left their mark on this short and created something that feels truly special.
Its Raining Frogs Outside by Maria Estela Paiso
It’s Raining Frogs…Hallelujah, it's rating frogs.
So being honest the narrative of this one got lost on me but when looking it up, I don't feel terrible about it. Looking at the bible and plagues, with the end of the world is symbolised here as frogs raining from above. Maya looks back on the life she has lived. The whole narrative feels somewhat depressing as we explore her thoughts about life in general and how the world views her.
What kept me invested as the narrative was lost on me was the visuals. The short features so many techniques and at times was incredibly disturbing especially when it came to the GCI. It feels like a fever dream as the film leaned on being absurd which made it a crazy watch that left me focused more on what I was seeing than hearing. The team working on this I would be excited to see what they have in store next as they truly produced something that felt like the final act of an art house film.
If the title or that photo above does not get you to watch then I have no idea as this was certainly an unforgettable short.
Rosemary A.D. (After Dad) by Ethan Barrett
Who knew childish art could produce such a work of art?
This dark but heart-filled story tells the tale of a new dad who imagines a world where he is not in it and the repercussions this will have on his family. It is a tale that is wild but certainly will leave some darkly imagining along to if they have truly made an impact on this planet. From punk rocker to drug taker this short is a blast before rounding it off in such a charming way that certainly made me smile.
The animation on this is creative and effective as to me it created a more personal (truly looking inside the dad’s head) narrative. The three different tales all are written well with the options becoming wild with creative ideas. There are some darkly comedic elements to the piece but it feels like it’s conveying this depressing tale that possibly many dads go through.
This is a must-see for animation fans or people that just like to have some really deep thoughts.
An Avacado Pit by Ary Zara
What a complex story that I was immediately sucked into.
An Avacado Pit is a gritty story of a complex bond between two characters; a cis man and a trans woman. What starts out as an unfriendly bond slowly turns into something that even the characters find hard to truly explain. Although that is the story it does deal with multiple topics that transpire in arguments or smiles which makes this short truly something that is enticing to watch as you have no idea where it will go.
There is however an absurd ending that left me feeling unsatisfied and unlike most shorts in this article, this one felt it could do with an even longer running time. This highlights the stellar script which is so rich and deals with these complex characters which we know very little about. The acting was also fantastic as the film's full attention is on these two characters as nothing else really matters thus showcasing how compelling these performances were.
This was an excellent short that fully immersed me and kept me invested until the unfortunate ending.
Checoslovaquia by Dennis Perinango
To be honest this one took a small while for me to get into.
A slow-burn character-driven story that follows Diego beginning a journey of discovery. After spying on a trans woman, Diego and his friend Pedro (who he catches doing the same) bond is entering unknown territories. With an incredible ending that truly takes the film full circle by the end, I appreciated the story and how it dealt with this topic.
I believe what took me a while to get into this film was because everything is somewhat stripped back (the sound, the production), the performances are good but are almost monotone with the coloring just incredibly bleak. With this being a short film it took until the halfway mark before I found myself invested to continue (possibly due to the reasons mentioned above. This is not to say this short film is terrible and it is far from it but compared to others in this article, I am just stating that for me personally I was gripped compared to however some might find this immediately invested in Diego’s journey.
I would recommend watching this one as by the end you would feel that the payoff was completely worth it as it is an excellent short film.
#Generationnow section.
The Riley Sisters by Julia Jackman.
Sometimes a short film surprises you with its ideas and this one certainly did that.
We follow two sisters that are on the search to prove that their brother is innocent of a crime. It seems like a simplistic concept for a story but this script is so cleverly done with it being tailored to the idea of following one of the sisters who is deaf. What makes this short unique is the use clever use of subtitles that takes the audience inside the mind of the deaf sister Izzy. The story is compelling as from the moment the short starts I was glued to finding out the ending of the story.
What also stood out to me was the cinematography. There are some shorts like the one above that are just really beautiful to look at and mixed with the subtitles at times it somehow gave me a video game feel (like the looks of Oxenfree. ) The sound is also great for a film with no out-loud speaking (shots are muted then replaced with edited sound) it draws the audience in and was an experience to my ears.
I am excited to see what Julia Jackman has next in store as this felt like something special, highly recommend checking this one out.
Yung Micheal by Štěpán Fok Vodrážka
Yung people these days, the things they would do for ‘fame’
This is a bizarre modern story of a young person that wants to become an Instagram influencer which surprisingly only takes 1,000 followers. Whilst chasing this Micheal has to sadly deal with working in a fast-food restaurant. The film does go somewhere that nobody can expect halfway through but when that element is sadly shown the rest of the short because somewhat predictable. Most of the characters are unlikable but still Fok makes it works in getting the audience glued to the short.
Even though this is a short film, its pacing to me was a slight issue as I kept waiting for things to happen including the predictable element. There was something really poignant about the ending that I don't want to spoil but it truly sums up the world we are living in today online in trying to be the best. Nothing is terrible but just minor things as mentioned made this not extraordinary.
This is a modern short that I would certainly check out as you will definitely be surprised by where it goes (mid-point.)
Birds by Katherine Propper
What we would all do to be young again.
Katherine Propper has directed a short that truly has no cohesive narrative but a project that captures moments in young people's lives in Austin. I could be looking really into it but with one scene sort of confirming my idea, the short plays like social media stories give a snippet into a key moment in these people’s day.
It is a gorgeous looking short with at times feeling like we are just peeking into these people’s life with is further emphasised by the subtle acting. Though these people are unprofessionals it was a clever choice in offering a more ‘authentic’ look at their summer. Katherine describes this short as a “love letter to Austin” and its shows with the heat shining, everyone out partaking in summer activities, and throughout its just happiness.
It is something that won't be for everyone that looking for something instead of a section of clips but others will fall in love with it.
Sticks of Furt by Yuan Hu
We all know how competitive video games can truly be.
What is a simple story is just pushed to the most extreme but creative way. As two friends are playing video games, Tobz is confident to put these youngsters in their place. What transpires somehow balances hilarity with a sense of uncomfortableness which was a joy to watch. It's an argument that many families have possibly faced but I am unsure if anyone has witnessed the outcome of this scenario.
Demmy's acting elevates this play as the audience feels every emotion he is experiencing. Yuan does a good job directing but their editing that stands out with some incredibly smooth transitions. This makes the short film its unique style and is the creative element that pushed what is a really straightforward narrative.
What a fun lighthearted story to unwind to that is worth checking out.
Groom by Leyla Coll-O’Reilly
What a first day on the job….I have to say.
Groom tells to story of a young 15-year-old school drop-out which has resulted in her mother dropping off Hannah for a trial shit at a salon. This follows a first day that is truly like no other because it's just and from the description of this project is certainly intoxicating to watch. It truly is a beauty salon that has been pushed to the extreme, especially with the many odd characters working at the salon.
The stylist's choices of the short are truly original as it has an overwhelming amount of extreme close-ups and a lack of sound with the little there being uncomfortable to listen to. These choices create such a bizarre, strange atmosphere that brings this story to life and creates her mark on this project. The cinematography other than the number of extreme close-ups is also incredibly creative for example when looking at one scene especially using a single mirror. This is a well-directed, written project with the cherry on top being the acting.
This could be the best of the bunch because it truly was such an original, unnerving but enjoyable watch. Loved this.