backflip by Nikita Diakur

Inspired by “Youtube’s self-improvement culture”, Diakur’s 12-minute short features an avatar of the filmmaker attempting to teach itself the titular gymnastics move through machine learning – watching videos and learning from its mistakes. The result is repeatedly humorous and utterly fascinating. While it’s easy to get caught up in the entertainment value of the film (it really is satisfying watching Diakur’s digital form crumple over and over again), the film tackles some topical themes and has a meaningful message.

[Read the Full Review]

Hidari by Masashi Kawamura and Iku Ogawa

Described as “Japanimation meets stop-motion” by its team, the short’s slick, action-packed visuals are one of its main selling points. Essentially one long fight sequence, the stop-motion footage and the edit had to be razor sharp to land its killer blow on its audience and it really doesn’t disappoint. Some of the most exciting stop-motion we’ve seen in a while, the kinetic camera movements and constant changes of pace are truly exhilarating.

[Read the Full Review]

Les Larmes de la Seine (The Seine’s Tears) by Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer & Alice Letailleur

With the nine-minute short largely presented through the camera lens of Kamel, the protester documenting the event, this specific point-of-view gives the film an intimate and immersive perspective, placing its viewers at the centre of the demonstration. It’s a clever move, as authenticity was key in the creation of the film, with the directors aiming to “stay as close as possible to the real events”, and the feel of the handheld camera is an important reminder that the incidents on screen actually happened.

The TOBOS by Tobias Rud

If what you want out of a film review is to learn what a critic thinks about a work, I’m happy to clear that up top—I think 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.

TRICHOTILLOMANIA! by Kelly Schiesswohl

Created in her childhood bedroom during lockdown, on an old iMac donated by the college she studied at, the US based director’s first short film is a window (or rather multiple windows) into the spiralling human psyche during an online search. Confidently conceived, TRICHOTILLOMANIA! is a dazzling labour of love with every scene so overloaded with visual and auditory information that it might require a second or even a third watch to fully process and appreciate – not a bad thing considering how unique and disturbingly delightful the animation is. 

[Read the Full Review] 

Ball People by Scott Lazer

A documentary that provides focus on those you’re supposed to ignore, the unsung heroes of all tennis tournaments. From the application process to the tournament itself, Lazer follows the ball person journey, capturing it with sensitivity, humor, and lightheartedness, subverting the tropes of the conventional sports doc along the way. 

[Read the Full Review]

Coming Home by Naim Naif & Margot Bowman

In Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City, there’s a collective of Palestinian-American performers, who connect with their culture and folklore through a Levantine dance. Known as the Freedom Dabka Group, its members are looking to strengthening their ties with their local communities, and with their homeland, through this shared tradition. In this powerful short documentary, Coming Home, directing duo Margot Bowman and Naim Naif join forces to profile the group, honoring both Palestinian identity and the art form of Dabka.

[Read the Full Review]

Holy Cowboys by Varun Chopra

In a monumental work of short filmmaking, returning artist Varun Chopra (Lyrically Bleating Horns) has found the fulcrum upon which his country’s future rests and determines that it is based on a “potent irony”. A story of politics at the micro-level, Holy Cowboys is a dispatch from rural India at a momentous time for the country as the world’s largest democracy threatens to slide into an authoritarian-lead religious nationalism. Ignoring the power of its subject matter it is also simply one of the most beautiful and innovatively constructed short films of the year

My Duduś by Tom Krawczyk

Away, studying photography in Poland, director/cinematographer Tom Krawczyk was quite surprised when his mother introduced him to a new family member upon his return. Wishing to sharpen his cinematography skills, and being immediately struck by the connection that had developed between the squirrel and his mother, he explained that “my intuition told me to pick up a camera. I knew something special was happening”. It’s easy to relate to the feeling of being left alone when the kids leave, so picturing the joy that Duduś would bring to Czesława doesn’t require much from the audience, but still, Krawczyk portrays the beauty and genuine love of their bond with a delicate touch.

[Read the Full Review]

Puffling by Jessica Bishopp by Stéphanie Clément

Birta and Selma, two teenagers living in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, have a unique pastime. Instead of going out to parties, or playing video games, at night they drive around their town on a mission to locate lost pufflings (puffin chicks) and rescue them, guiding them back to the ocean. In awards contender Puffling, director Jessica Bishopp follows the inspiring conservation efforts of these young women, while also crafting a compelling and multilayered coming-of-age narrative between the girls, the young birds and their island.

[Read the Full Review]

Don’t Go Where I Can’t Find You by Rioghnach Ni Ghrioghair

Grief stricken, and haunted by the memory of her deceased lover, composer Margaret desperately attempts to communicate with her through music. In Don’t Go Where I Can’t Find You, writer/director Rioghnach Ní Ghrioghair immerses us in her main character’s pain and chaos with a distinct and elegant visual flair and astounding sound design. There are films we like a lot, then there are films we love…this is one we fell in love with!

[Read the Full Review]

Freelancer by Rosco5

A mixed-media film in which live-action segments will seamlessly segue into animated sequences based on Ganjei’s comic art style, the 8min is not just funny, but visually fresh. Art Director Ellen Amann Johns makes the most out of very little and, in the hands of Rosco 5, the visuals often are able to perfectly enhance punchlines or create comedy all by themselves. 

[Read the Full Review]

FROM.BEYOND by Fredrik S. Hana

Whether or not you believe that aliens exist, Fredrik S. Hana’s FROM.BEYOND presents an uncanny representation of how mankind might take in such a world-altering revelation. No stranger to exploring and critiquing people’s dark obsessions with the unknown or the perverse nature of what it means to be human – who could forget his ‘nunsploitation’ film Sister Hell – Hana’s unsettling experimental sci-fi/horror doesn’t feel like a work of fiction. Utilizing old school film techniques, stunning practical effects, and an unorthodox approach to screenwriting, FROM.BEYOND is as disturbing as it is beautiful.

I Have No Legs, And I Must Run by Yue Li

As a talented short-distance runner struggles with the fact that his body is failing him, he quickly has to come to terms with the possibility that his best days might already be behind him. In I Have No Legs, and I Must Run, writer/director Yue Li crafts a gripping psychological thriller that captures an intersection of universal themes with a remarkable attention to detail, making the film both utterly compelling and emotionally relatable.

[Read the Full Review]

Pussybaby by Derek Milton

Pussybaby humorously grapples with some big questions—society’s expectations for masculinity, online pile-ons, and the deleterious effect that sudden notoriety can have on “normal” people in a social media age. It would be wrong though to imply that Pussybaby is motivated by any grand point to be made regarding manhood, the struggling creative class, or even culture at large. The script proceeds loosely, even playfully, like an exercise in where the premise will lead, and there is a lot of pleasure in following the twists and ramifications that Milton is able to spin out of Shaliek’s viral humiliation. This is paired with a masterful production, however, with great design, cinematography, and performances.

[Read the Full Review]