PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL SHORTFEST 2025 REVIEW! Communication errors can be comical, but sometimes they can be even more than just a minor annoyance. The 12-minute-long Grave Error, by writer-director Andrew Jonathan Smith and co-writer Abraham Kleinman, is about a woman named Emma (Ellora Torchia) who goes on a journey to get her life back after an administrative error declares her to be legally dead.
Emma finds out the hard way from a waiter (Lucas Button) while at a fancy restaurant by herself that her cards are all declined. She leaves her expensive handbag there with the waiter until she can come back with cash. Then Emma goes to work, at a hospital ironically, and is told that she’s not allowed to work for legal reasons since she’s dead. There’s a twist at the end that delivers a fun surprise.
Ellora Torchia plays Emma, who discovers a major mistake declaring her legally dead, in the comedy short Grave Error, featured at the 2025 Palm Springs International ShortFest.
“…a journey to get her life back after an administrative error declares [Emma] to be legally dead.”
Torchia does some great acting with the frustration of the scenario coming through loud and clear. The actor is careful not to overdo it and enter the Jim Carrey school of comedic overacting.
Grave Error reminds me of the legendary comedy show, Curb Your Enthusiasm. It’s the Larry David school of humor, where a simple error can have a snowball effect that turns quite comical. We’ve all dealt with the frustration that can be life, and the least we can do is have a laugh about it.
Grave Error screened at the 2025 Palm Springs International ShortFest.
"…the Larry David school of humor, where a simple error can have a snowball effect..."
