Short of the Week
Here at S/W we’ve long wanted to expand our focus beyond the reach of directors and June saw us take a couple of giants steps towards this goal, with the launch of two new editorial pieces. The first, Meet the Gatekeepers, looks to introduce our audience to the people who get to decide where short films are screened. In the first interview for these monthly recurring articles, we were joined by Jess Gormley – exec. producer of Guardian Documentaries – to discuss what the global news organisation looks for in their selected short films. In the future we’ll be talking to film festival programmers, short film distributors and fellow editors of online platforms to gain further insights into what their curation process.
The second editorial series, The Importance of . . ., aims to shine the spotlight on the many different roles needed to bring a short film to screen. To kick of these monthly interviews, we spoke to Loran Dunn of Delaval Film, who discussed the vital role a producer plays in the production of a short film. In upcoming interviews, we’ll speak to sound designers, cinematographers, editors and more.
Alongside these additions to our regular editorial on S/W, over on our sister site Shortverse we introduced some major changes to make the platform more inclusive, including free film pages! You can now also invite collaborators, get feedback and go pro (for even more options!) – Rob Munday, Managing Editor
Team Favorites
When it comes to the films showcased on S/W, June was all about the short short, with 50% of our picks coming in at 10-mins or less. The likes of Dial Tone, Survivers and Mr. Pete & the Iron Horse were are close to making this list, while longer pick, Father’s Day, proved a hit on our YouTube channel. For the trio of picks that made the cut our team fell head-over-heels for a bean-headed being, got swept up in a haunting dance film and became immersed in the lives of two ex-lovers.
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Huella (Footprints) by Gabriela Ortega
Ortega’s approach plays with the codes of genre, as Daniela’s grief and identity crisis are manifested through a curse that she needs to break to be able to move forward. From the sound design to the aesthetic, the director crafts an atmosphere with a strong and captivating visual flair as it alternates between real-life and the dream-like sequences. The dance scenes are especially mesmerizing and emotionally compelling as they allow Daniela to connect with her family. While the scenes of her at work at first have a dash of humor, before turning to something darker as she is thrown into the curse and has to break the cycle to come back.
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Soft Animals by Renee Zhan
Using the draw/erase technique, where each shot is made, then erased, before the next one is drawn on top, is the perfect metaphor for memories. The lingering presence of the previous frame helping to put the focus on the past and in the case of our reunited ex-lovers, the remains of the preceding drawing echo what Zhan describes as “the traces we leave on each other”. The sound design is also quite impressive and is another vital element in immersing the audience in the universe Zhan has created, as it feeds into the (soft) animal side of the characters and intensifies the effects of the images.
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The Tobos by Tobias Rud
The TOBOS is a masterpiece, the kind of conceptually brilliant, emotionally brave, and artistically assured work that exemplifies this site’s long time programming mission of “Head, Heart, and Hand” which graces our “submit a film” page. It’s rare to find a work that accomplishes each in equal measure and, as a random submission, the film invoked a giddiness in me upon first watch that all veteran programmers recognize when they sense a serendipitous but momentous discovery. Danish filmmaker Tobias Rud has made a “best of the year” contender. 4 stars, two thumbs up.
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Most Viewed
Salvation Has No Name by Joseph Wallace
Salvation Has No Name is a masterclass in the art of stop motion animation and storytelling, capturing the audience’s attention with every meticulously handcrafted frame and captivating our hearts with its compelling narrative. It’s a timely, cautionary tale that questions the right we have to tell other people’s stories and demonstrates that perception is easily swayed by the biases of unreliable narrators. And whilst Salvation Has No Name unearths some uncomfortably close to home truths, at its heart, it’s a story of hope that the voices which have been silenced for so long can finally be heard.