SHORTS Film Festival – Night 2 (Sunday)

Night 2 of this year’s SHORTS Film Festival contained 12 films including two from the UK.

In the first half, the Victorian, Like It Was Yesterday was the stand out. The tale of a young man finding ways to communicate again with his father afflicted by dementia through old photos discovered that carried detailed notes and letters on their backs was a fresh and moving exploration of this increasing issue in society. The D’Souza family production team involved skilfully stayed clear of layering on unnecessary additional sentimentality through careful use of their climax scene.

WA entrant, Jackhammer may get marks for technical production effort but many fewer for their story. The depiction of how law schools operate and the conflict developed between legal and moral obligations was simply silly bordering on crass at times. Tegan the Vegan was a delightful ACT animation except that it unfortunately failed to go beyond being a ruse for a short ‘shy boy meets odd girl’ tale. Magpie, filmed from high up on an office tower was commendable for it seeming being done with one continuous shot, but again the story after a promising start sort of petered out when perhaps something with a little more farce may have made it more rewarding. Then, Showing The Ropes, from Tasmania contained probably the best acting of the session with its depiction of medieval hanging, but again the story kind went nowhere by the finish.

After the break, The Burnt Cork (NSW) may have been covered thick in the soot of indigenous political correctness in its depiction of the wicked white world and the stolen generation but stripped back it was simply dopey and completely lacking in credibility. And while Kevin is… was a nice take on our consumer and technology driven world full of excitable acting, the two best films came late in the piece. Restare Uniti was the tale of Italian men and boys incarcerated during the Second World War and its impact on those interned and their mothers, wives and sisters left behind to fend for themselves for four long years. Frank Fazio, as the young man at the centre of his ethnicity battles, probably deserves recognition as the best actor of this evening’s set.

Finally, The Winking Boy (Vic) was a funny and clever tale of a supposedly invalid inpatient at a hospital using his hidden mobility and an abundance of cunning to get the nurses he wanted to do as he pleased and woe betide any who dared get in his way.

As always an interesting mix of styles, stories and production valaues with no doubt plenty of contrary views to these expressed possible, making the prospects for the rest of the week delicious.

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