Short of the Week
Short films are a unique art form that captivates audiences with their ability to tell powerful stories in a short amount of time. In just a few minutes, a short film can convey a wide range of emotions, ideas, and messages that leave a lasting impact on its viewers. From experimental and avant-garde films to poignant dramas and heartwarming comedies, the world of short films is a diverse and exciting one. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Short of the Week’s team favorite picks from April 2023. Whether you’re a seasoned film buff or a curious newcomer, join us on this journey as we dive into the enchanting world of short films.
In case you couldn’t already tell, that intro was written by AI, a hot topic in the world of filmmaking at the moment and on Short of the Week/Shortverse last month, as we put together a collection of AI-assisted shorts and took a deep dive into how developments might impact filmmaking. With the robot uprising not far off, don’t be surprised if these BotM article are taken over by a SotWBot in the future, but for now here are the team’s standout short films from our April coverage. – Rob Munday, Managing Editor
Team Favorites
With 15-films featured throughout the 30-days of the month, we took a look at a couple of shorts from filmmakers making waves in the world of features (Raine Allen-Miller and Lee Cronin) and shared an abundance of festival favorites. For the trio of short films selected by S/W team members as their personal picks things got a little slippery as we watched a young man trying to get to grips with grief, got lost in romantic drama with modest mystery elements and intruded on a oily massage.
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Raspberry by Julian Doan
Every once in a while, a short film comes along that connects with me on a deeper level, not just as a programmer or a fan. These are the shorts that I keep remembering and rewatching throughout the years. Other examples that come to mind are My Dead Dad ‘s Porno Tapes and Thunder Road, and it only occurs to me now that what they all have in common is the theme of a son saying goddbye to a parent. Maybe that’s part of it, but there’s also a more universal reason: these shorts take a seemingly simple core idea and make the most out of it in their emotionally, mostly executed in their own unique (bittersweet) ways. That’s why I like them so much. That’s why I love short films. – Georg Csarmann
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Bird in Hand BY Nick Beardslee
A short film as structurally perfect as a New Yorker Magazine short story, and possessing that same blend of literary quality married to contemporary urban themes, Bird in Hand is a revelation to me—a sexy, playful, queer story where the queerness is taken for granted in order to prioritize other elements. At a tight 13min, Brooklyn filmmaker Nick Beardslee has crafted a real delight, economically establishing the world and the context of his characters before colliding them in a tense will-he-or-won’t-he romantic drama adorned with modest mystery elements. – Jason Sondhi
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Wet BY Marianne Bergeonneau, Lauriane Montpert, Mélina Mandon, Cloé Peyrebrune, and Elvira Taussac
Wet is masterfully crafted, both visually and auditorily, with painstaking attention to detail, and the final result is an actual pleasure. This marriage of fun, beautifully crafted visuals and yummy sound design truly is a match made in heaven. It’s also what makes Wet an absolute delight of a film and the filmmakers ones to admire and watch out for. So sit back and get ready for 6 sexy minutes of fun naughtiness that will penetrate your senses and leave you tingly in all the right places. – Serafima Serafimova
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Most Viewed
Kickstart my Heart BY Kelsey Bollig
A film that smashes you in the face with its bold opening, Kelsey Bollig’s Kickstart My Heart is an adrenaline fulled action film based on the director’s own experiences of recovery after a horrific accident. Following its protagonist as she battles her way through a world of demons and zombies, Bollig’s 14-minute film is an emotional ride that manages to swerve the corny potholes that could have easily derailed its lofty ambitions – Rob Munday