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We love short films, if there is one thing we love, it is a good short film to make you feel… tingly? NIGHTSTREAM has been a fantastic experience thus far. We have been able to catch much of what we desired, but since we were able to catch so much we can’t talk about them separately as we are excited about everything we have seen thus far. We want to be able to cover as much as we can of what we saw, so we will be creating “best of” or “must-see/remember” posts. They will indicate a few things we have seen or watched or participated in that we found to be memorable or that we would love to see in the next one or future festivals.
Our third day was filled with more shorts and more incredible filmmakers.
If you have read our previous post, then we try not to spoil much. We don’t want this to be a “we have a press for a festival” and spoil everything. We still want you to be able to enjoy these things, even if you aren’t able to see them right now. In light of that, we will spoil small things, but try and refrain from big moments, especially since shorts are so… well… short. Note: “star ratings” are personal to our viewing, they are not universal to everyone.
1. Facelift (Virat Pal)
- Popcorn Frights
- Midnighters
This fifteen minute 2020 short film begins splendidly. It reminded me of a film – the jumpy camera was frightening and the pan-zoom shot at the beginning was eerie. The dark lead-in seems to make you want to stay and see what happens. What was the point of the dark? What was happening in that situation? Conceptually, Facelift is quite clever in that it targets an aging populace. Everyone, nearly, is frightened of getting older or looking older. This is often countered with the anxiety of their husband or significant other leaving them for someone younger and brighter. The short film covers the terrible feeling of wishing you were a “specific way” and assuring that way is achieved in order to be happy and fulfilled with your existing life.
Although the average person would never open a package that was not their own, especially if a note were left, this is an example of how scary suburban life can be (reminds us of Blocks, another short at NIGHTSTREAM). Culturally, our society’s greatest fear has to do with aging. The concept is quite common: that we will grow older and someday, we will look older. Pal’s camera work is absolutely gorgeous, considering this a fifteen-minute short. The idea is attractive and I believe overall this short is well done. This has been one of our favorites so far at NIGHTSTREAM 2020. What an incredible way to look at feminism and horror. The pressure of looking a certain way, being a certain way, and the theme of mental health is vital. The horror genre can use anything as a subject and this film did a superb job weaving together so many disparate features.
What an incredible short film, one to keep on your watchlist. The camera work is outstanding. Some of the shots make it appear like a… mini-movie? Which is what you expect from a short film, a short cohesive story that is complete in under thirty minutes and this succeeded. We will say that this one is quite spooky, especially based on the realism of the themes being portrayed.
The official synopsis reads as follows: “Things start to change in the life of a depressed middle-aged woman when a mysterious mask appears at her doorstep.”
2. Fatale Collective: Bleed (( Lola Blanc, Francesca Maldonado, Danin Jacquay, Linda Chen, Natasha Halevi, Megan Rosati ))
- The Overlook Film Festival
- Program 3
Produced by Fatale Collective & SheehyTV, this thirteen-minute short is an anthology, which we have not seen before in such a short amount of time. We have seen horror anthologies but they are much longer, so this was an interesting feat to partake in. The shorts concerning feminism have been thrilling and the first in this anthology was quite jolting in and of itself with a segment entitled THE SAFE SPACE which utilized the camera work to terrify the audience with the movement of each character and the mise-en-scene at the table.
What we love is supporting female directors as well as supporting feminist horror because there is a definite space for it, and we truly appreciate it. Each one of these shorts was fantastic, and this article is soon to become some of our all-time favorites. Each director has their own style of cinematography, and they are all horrific and unique in their own right. The ASMR horror short is a great idea, and it is pure gold in my book.
You can find this short on YouTube if you are inclined to watch. The ratings are based on our personal preference, they are not universal ratings.
THE SAFE SPACE
- Writer/Director/Editor: Lola Blanc
- Director of photography: Sonja Tsypin
- Starring: Lola Blanc, Renee Olstead, Ran Wei, Zoe Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth Messick, Devyn Leah
BUFFALO BILL
- Writer/Director/Editor: Francesca Maldonado
- Director of photography: Michael Dallatore
- Starring: Monique Avila, Lexy Valdez, Lavenia (Voice)
SUBSCRIBE!
- Writer/Director: Danin Jacquay
- Director of photography: Kelsey Talton
- Starring: Arianne Few, Alexandria Sloane, Natasha Halevi (voice) Editor: Jason A Pearlman
PANOPTIA
- Writer/Director/Head Animator: Linda Chen
- Animator: Margaret Jung
- Original Score: Octonomy Aka Heidi Lorenze
BOXED
- Writer/Director/Editor: Natasha Halevi
- Director of photography: Sara Garth
- Starring: Giselle Gilbert, Julia Elizabeth Araujo, Joanna Alexandra Araujo, Justin Benson, Carlo Alberto Orecchia
ASMR
- Writer/Director: Megan Rosati
- Director of photography: Sonja Tsypin
- Starring: Brea Grant
- Voiceover: Megan Rosati, Ricky Odriosola
- Editor: Will Lamborn
The official synopsis is as follows: “Micro-shorts from six emerging female directors explore the horror of being a modern woman in this bloody anthology.”
3. Going Steady (Brydie O’Connor)
- Brooklyn Horror
- Slayed: LGBT Horror
If you like vintage horror films, the 1950s Going Steady will be to your liking. Going Steady is a short film about the 1950s that runs eight minutes long. The plot is rather simple, but the visual aesthetic of the short is breathtaking. The film sets a precise ambiance by evoking the feeling, sights, and sounds of the 50s in about ten minutes. As the main character struggles to find the love that she desires, she begins to plan her future with her boyfriend… The camera work is exceptional, but the non-diegetic music is flawless. This was probably a close close second as a fight for the favorite. What a short to keep on your radar if you love authentic narratives, which I do! The dreamy palette is comparable to Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2012). While the ending is much brighter than previous shorts, this one was major cute (in a weird way?)
The synopsis is as follows: “In scenic 1950s Kansas, a discontent young woman daydreams about the love she wishes she had.”
4. Laura Hasn’t Slept (Parker Finn)
- The Overlook Film Festival
- Program 2
The horror short film Laura Hasn’t Slept is terrifying in that it shows you close up the things that will really keep you awake. The wide frame with the blurred background works well to capture the sense of dreaming in the film. I will admit, this terrified us more than these kinds of films are intended to. The eyes, the features, the… darkness. It is all just so scary to watch, and in eleven minutes, we never would have guessed that you could be jolted this much.
The official synopsis reads as follows: “Desperate to rid herself of a recurring nightmare, a young woman seeks help from her therapist.”