Norwich Film Festival (Mix Tape Vol 1 & 2)

14 min readNov 18, 2021

Well, here we go: Due to the short amount of time that I currently have these reviews may be short and I don't want to publish an overwhelming amount of articles so combined strands. This one features my reviews and descriptions of Mix Tapes Vol 1 & 2.

VOLUME 1

Faleminderit by Maximillien Jadin

This truly highlights the power of chocolate.

Faleminderit is a film that is based on ‘half truths’ focussing on a photographer attending a meeting between ambassadors. The ambassadors are debating the border between a newly independent country. Doing research I now notice where the half-truth lies but overall the information I learned remained valid. If you take away the ‘comedy’ and the story I walked away learning a historic fact.

Directed and written by the Austria director Nicolas Nauhold. Although this (somewhat) piece of history is brought to life with an excellent payoff, sadly, the story never gripped me. This was because I never truly cared about the negotiations or where they were heading. I was honestly more concerned about them damaging the map which was a subplot that had me scared. The humour somewhat was lost and there was little tension but as stated once the film concluded I understood the purpose of this film. The payoff was not only educational (somewhat) but furthermore the point where I did not care about the negations but still felt a sense of accomplishment.

The acting is great with Gem Shimaoka (the Japanese ambassador) and Adrien Papritz (the secretary) being the true stand-outs. Music at the start and the end also are memorable as we watch the cartographer walking in a desert landscape. Just for me, needed a little tweaking in the script to make me more engrossed in the story.

You never truly know how helpful a piece of chocolate can be until you watch this short.

Foresight by David Yorke

David Yorke highlights how much you can do within a less than a minute film. The film is about Tessa (played by Rachel Lin) clearing out a room when she comes across a wooden box that will change her life forever. The tension this short creates is insane as I was waiting for something to scare me but instead was left with an outcome that left me shocked. Due to the shortness, the film has no time to rest and is relentless. There is not much I can say other than watch without much knowledge and prepare for some fast-paced clever writing and directing.

If you have a minute (which we all should have) watch this short, I was giving a standing ovation in my head.

The Phoenix by James Baines

Well, this is the definition of being inspired.

From the moment you press play, you are hit with an insane montage followed by a devasting first line. The Pheonix is a documentary that follows Pete who tells us his honest/truthful story and ends it with a message/mindset we all need to have. Being honest as someone who has zero interest, passion or understanding of sport, I still appreciate it and know how crazy fans can be and much sport can help people. To me, this film represents how people deal with the wrong/sadness in their life and finding that way out. Pete shares his personal story that does not only resonate with him but many and it's an important one to tell.

Luke Exel who did the editing was the stand-out for this short from the opening montage (getting you engrossed) to the fast-paced nature of the mixes of pieces to camera, stock footage and more.

Would I recommend watching? If documentaries are your thing then certainly give this a shot but if not then it could be a risk but like me, I pleasantly enjoyed hearing Pete’s story/message.

The Scarecrows by Dan Hodgson

I have to say I would not want to stay in this village.

Similar to how the town is sparse with residence, this short lacks sound and focused heavily on diegetic sounds (One element that stood out to me.)

The documentary uncovers the Nagoro village, deep in the mountains of Shikoku island where the are only 27 residents and because of the dying population, they have started creating scarecrows that populate throughout the city.

This sadly dragged on for me as I felt like everything was said within the first 5 minutes. I felt it needed an interesting story or an extra layer for me (ie: go deeper into the scarecrows being scary?) to make this documentary work. It was interesting hearing about the town, people living/used to live in the town and why the scarecrows mean so much but nothing had a stand-out moment (like what I suggested would have done) as when things were brought to attention they were quickly moved to someone/something else.

Positively, Dan Hodgson who did the cinematography (also the director) did an excellent job with the shots. Everything that was done felt like it had a purpose and truly emphasised the quietness, emptiness but also how in the middle of nowhere the town is.

Love a good slow documentary then I highly recommend it, if not then I would sadly maybe give it a miss (unless you have time.)

Please Care! by Bertie Gilbert

Now this film took me back to drama classes and I loved it for that reason (and many others.)

This short centers around Max, a teacher played by Hugh Skinner and his drama class. In order to deal with his feelings, he has written and asked students to perform his life with the short taking place on performance day. Due to the characters past the short does deal with themes such as toxic masculinity and in what ways do we deal with our feelings. This makes it a hard-hitting, emotional film however throughout there are senses of humor that certainly made me chuckle. Furthermore, having my own flashbacks to school performances (ie: the ‘invisible actors and acting) is certain to make you laugh as I reminisced about those days. So the script is the star of this short as the audience is on Max’s journey and is curious to see how this emotional time comes to an end (annoyed trailer and screenshots do ruin it.)

The acting is great too with Hugh Skinner really driving a character who is willing to heal but is struggling and Bella May who plays a character that has moved on and is angry in how things are being dealt with. Although intentionally their acting is not supposed to be great, the student actors who are in the play give you an authentic feel of a mediocre school play.

As a short, that is the poster to this Mixtape does it deserve that crown? Yes, it does and I certainly feel like everyone should watch this short.

Blue Bison by Camrus Johnson & Stefano Pennisi

Blue Bison was the one that I was most excited for and luckily it did not surpass my expectation but it definitely met them.

The short follows a gang that abducts wrongdoers with the aim to get a confession. Though this time things take a turn and have drastic consequences. Following this story, things got intense as my mind was racing with what was going to happen in the end. The ending was satisfying and left me wanting to explore more of this group and its characters.

The script is neat with humour, tense and clever lines throughout with the actors nailing the delivery as you truly feel every emotion and the jokes landing. The script has left me with so many questions but instead of them being things that are unanswered they are questions of me just wanting to know more (ie: their backstory, why animals and who picks.) This could be also because they are so many characters it felt like so little time but lots to develop and tackle.

So in the end; I would highly recommend watching this one and as you can already tell I have hopes of this becoming something bigger but if not this taster is a great treat.

Silence Undone by Director Kristjan Knigge

So I did not expect this one to be as crazy and deep as it went. The title is also excellent.

This short basically follows Sophie as she delves into her thoughts filled with her darkest memories. Sounds interesting and this short got very dark but just not my favorite. The middle sequence when entering her mind-maze was a standout. It was creepy, tense and dark as the deeper into the mind-maze we went the more gripping it was. The start of this took ages to get into and the ending felt obvious but now writing that is the issue… it’s obvious but for the character and people, it’s not and sometimes difficult for many to share. It’s grown on me on the power the ending possesses. The message I understand is important and I do appreciate it for that element, in terms of viewing experience however the middle segment truly is the standout.

With this being based on a true story, I feel like this will resonate with so many people and I hope it helps them as it is such a beautiful representation of how these people are feeling in the inside.

I will mention if you are affected by the subject of the film then go to their website: www.silenceundone.com but also check it out if you're wanting to learn more about it as it's fascinating and educational. So I would recommend viewing this as it's important and impactful to hear people sharing their stories to help others.

Powerful, creepy and dark…if this is your type of short film then give this view.

Volume 2

Tap Boy by Will Kenning

I did not expect to get into this one a much as I did.

Tap boy follows Noah a boy who has trapped into a drug gang but finds a passion in tap dancing. Though Noah must now decide between his new love of tap dancing or selling drugs. The idea alone sold me instantly and as the more the short continued the more attached I became to Noah. A brilliant script and editing that is joined by Hip-Hop music all combine into one here. There is a scene that truly stood out when Noah is faced with someone under a tunnel. The sequence of events was unexpected, I was in my cheering element until the final moments that left me speechless. It is a moment where it highlights how genius the script/editing was but also was getting way too into the music (Shout-out to Micheal Rouse who is behind the music.)

To me, Noah made the correct (and obvious) decision. Seeing how things would transpire is what interested me as I think we all know his decision (right?) It does go for a classic final shot which I’ve seen many times but somehow still cannot get enough of. Do not fully understand how he was brought into this in the first place but it’s a question that does not truly have to be answered as it mainly focuses on his character's discovery of dance.

Overall, I would highly recommend this one but you better get your tap-shoes on as you will be wanting to join in.

Barrier By Niels Bourgonje

So this one was a nice surprise and I would say a hidden gem.

The short is about the story of 1926 when two Canadian soldiers spot a boy that was washed up on the beach. So, to many he is just a boy washed up on the shore but little did we know the importance he will have.

The mystery and suspense around this premise is enthralling mainly due to the sound. There is a huge eerieness and lack of sound in the first half before the tension-filled music that builds in the second creates a creepy atmosphere. It’s truly chilling with the black and white cinematography adding to the atmospheric feel this short creates.

The ending left me feeling like one of the characters in shock about how and what we have just witnessed. The story is simple but is baffling. It depicts a small moment in history that possibly had huge implications that many will have no idea about. The acting sold me as I was completely fixated on the screen in what will develop to the characters while feeling what they are going through. Without saying very little you can easily feel the emotions and thoughts of the characters.

Overall, I love when a film surprises you and gives you a slap in the face for doubting it. Definitely give it a watch.

Just Delivered by Rosie Gaunt-Mathieson

So this short just delivered a mediocre experience.

The short is a romance/drama (it says comedy but I never saw it) on the character Daniel and his new job as a delivery driver. On his journey, he regularly attends a chip shop where he meets Kelly. There is some competition, love and things take a turn for the worst but I think with a premise like this we can see where it was heading.

This was not the biggest issue I had with the short. The biggest issue was that it was a little boring. There are only so many times I could watch Daniel on his travels before I wanted the story to move along. It needed some oomph to energise this short because when we get to the ending it falls flat. Maybe this is my dislike for these types of storylines but maybe it was just me that wanted some drastic drama. It felt like storylines went nowhere and ended with a sense of, well that was obviously going to happen.

Let’s try and be a little bit positive. The actors do great in making you adore them. Daniel Brahaim as the delivery driver was fantastic at making you feel his highs and lows. The true stand-out is Maia Watkins, I just adored her character and nails being the love interest.

So in the end, I am uncertain if I recommend this or not. I am not a fan of these storylines but if you are then this will be perfect for you but if not just skip this and try something else.

Choulequec by Benoit Blanc & Matthias Girbig

What the hell just happened, can someone please explain?

Allow me to try and explain what this is about as it 100% swings in the absurd genre. A father is on the hunt to find his daughter but on his travels, he comes across this town. During his stay, he comes across wacky characters, rules and a videotape which causes the storyline to turn into being even more bizarre. Confused? Well, so am I but in the sense of it worked. This was crazy but even though my mind was baffled it was loving the humour and the terror of it all. Thought I can see this not being for everyone as it is certainly out there.

The actors are the highlight with the actor playing the officer which…just well what a fun character to play. Nailing every joke, getting serious when needing to be, just a top-tier actor in a top-tier character. The person who is the man on the hunt plays almost like the audience; baffled about what he is experiencing but also extremely terrified. Two great actors who sell everything and bring a wacky script to life.

In the end, this goes into the realm of being essential viewing for me. This one just ticked all the boxes and my type of film.

First One Away by Zak Harney

What a story to tell, how has he kept it a secret for so long?

Paul is trying to leave his night out with the lads but first, there is a story he has to tell. Through many flashbacks, we uncover more of this bizarre story that he has somehow kept under wraps for so long.

So this one took a while for me to get invested but once the story is starting to be told I was immediately hooked like the fellow characters also listening. I think the editing is what makes this short as its transitions are fast the story keeps on hitting you with many twists. The story is just fun to follow which highlights the success of the script. Not much care about the characters just a film with a great story to take.

Do I recommend watching this one? It’s a tough one there are definitely more that I would say watch over this one but also I feel like you are missing out if you don’t. I guess if you are scrolling through the shorts and interested in this one slightly then give it a watch…it will be worth it.

Just In Case By Kirsty Robinson-Ward

Just in case I get hate for not enjoying this one, I understand how powerful and helpful this short can be.

The main topic that is highlighted here is bipolar disorder. Racheal is living with this condition and it's starting to show. Finding themselves at a usual service station both Racheal and Mark discuss the future and the struggles she is going through. So the subject matter is hard-hitting and important to share and if you are affected by the issues in the film or want to learn more then please visit: www.bipoloar.

However, this one bored me and I can say it’s a personal preference. If people like acting pieces set in one setting then this one would be ideal but for me…I prefer shorts where the craziness happens. Yes, their acting is superb and the subject matter is important to share but it never appealed to me. With that being said because of the set-up the script has to shine and there were some lines in there that made me nod my head (almost acknowledging how good the writing is.) Everything is beautifully crafted but sometimes it is just not in your ball-park of things you enjoy.

So for me, I would give this one a miss but if this is your type of film then I can sense this being many people's favorite.

In the end, these two strands featured an overwhelming amount of incredible shorts compared to misses. I would highly suggest checking out both the strands.