Rob Munday
The branded First Shot series from Jameson has become something of an annual event in the world of short film. Running for five consecutive years now and always featuring a famous face in front of the camera (previous stars have included Kevin Spacey, Willem Defoe & Uma Thurman), this competition prides itself on providing ‘a platform for emerging filmmaking talent to get their writing/directing skills noticed’.
This year’s competition once again offered up-and-coming storytellers the chance to bring their scripts to life, with a little help from Kevin Spacey and the Trigger Street Productions team behind the camera. With the on-screen talent of Maggie Gyllenhaal at their disposal, filmmakers Cameron Thrower , Kat Wood and Jason Perini (whose acting talents were witnessed in the SotW featured A Little Bit Behind) transform the actress into an 80’s door-to-door cosmetic saleswoman, a heartbroken romantic on a date to forget and a homeless person whose pride won’t let her accept help
The film’s are all well-made with Gyllenhaal proving a captivating watch in each of three of the shorts and although none of the narratives feel like they’ll linger long after watching, it’s hard to deny the entertainment factor here.