Originality is vital to keeping an audience engaged, and these shorts have that in spades: Nepotism, Baby! about a neo-baby who will go to the extreme to make it big, Yeah the Boys—a choreographed trance music musical about Australian dude culture, and Saturday Ritual, about three young women who are told a shocking prediction that just may be true.
All of these movies have up-and-coming filmmakers who you should keep an eye on, but some who stood out for exceptional visual and storytelling flair are the directors of Speed Queen 51 (Sarah Nocquet), Loser (Colleen McGuinness), and If I Die in America (Ward Kamel). They each made riveting short films about subjects that could easily have faltered in lesser-skilled filmmakers’ hands.
I attended the Brief Encounters block of programming on Saturday morning of the festival, and these films also stood out to me: After Dark, about a man who encounters a woman who is desperate for help, but he’s unsure about giving it to her. Blueberry is based on a Burning Man type of festival that goes wrong for one half-nude party dude and the poignant help that he receives to get back on his feet. In Our Own Way is one man’s chance to say goodbye to his dying brother, dedicated to everyone who was unable to actually say those words to a loved one.
If I Die in America
Going to the filmmaker after-parties that ShortFest throws each night at a different location is a unique opportunity to rub elbows with some talented young people who, like me, are obsessed with movies. Writer/director/editor Alex Russek is a Palm Springs native who made a sci-fi film called Embryo and fittingly loves to talk about his deep fascination with aliens and UFOs. There are so many interesting people like Russek to talk to at the festival because of their passion for film and other subjects.
Watching filmmaker Michelle Draper (of an outstanding horror short called GREEN) be the first brave soul to dive into the pool at the Avalon Hotel amid cheers and applause is a fun moment that serves as a metaphor for movie-making itself. Indie filmmakers have to dive right into the unknown and hopefully leave a mark while having a blast in the process.
Find out more and attend ShortFest next year along with me at psfilmfest.org!
