The Ballerina, Her Shoemaker and His Apprentice

6

Exquisite cinematography, set design and costume coupled with charming storytelling and captivating performances result in a film that is enchanting. The narrative flows well with well written dialogue, with strong direction and high quality production.

SNIP

9

A peculiar juxtaposition of charming animation and devastating storytelling. Utterly beautiful filmmaking mixing a clever use of visual storytelling and heartbreaking narrative writing.

The Long Bright Dark

6

An atmospheric exploration of a little seen world. A wonderful use of music helps provide tone alongside some well executed and produced visuals and first hand accounts that are curious and compelling.

Wine and Eggs

8

Simple, yet utterly captivating. Wine and Eggs is simple in every respect. Dialogue the is sparse and straightforward. One setting. Two characters. Yet there is a tension to it that holds the audience until the disturbing end.

Underneath

6

A dark and gritty short film that utilises it's visual aesthetic to highlight its theme. It feels as dark and melancholic as its narrative is, in a good way. The performances feel quite natural and the characters are well rounded.

Odayaka-Ya

6

Odayaka-Ya provides some stunning cinematography and a delightful insight into this world. The music is slightly intrusive, however the message and story remain clear throughout.

Alba - Yesterday belongs to the dead

7

Emotional and full of heart, this film offers an original look into homelessness as well as giving an insight into relationships and mentality. The relationships between the children and the homeless man are well developed and written giving the film an overall feeling of sadness tinged with hope.

We Came in Springcarts

6

An excellent insight into a community that many otherwise wouldn't see. Respectfully made with a variety of perspectives.

Summer

6

A simple yet intriguing concept that is made all the more intriguing by excellent performances and well written dialogue. Production quality suits the gritty feel of the film but never feels cheap or under developed.

Lost Beneath the Stars

7

Funny, original, quirky. All words that can be used to describe this dry short. Excellent performances, well written dialogue and narrative and strong production quality.

'Til Death

5

A film that deals with a difficult topic, but seems to skim over a lot of it rather than delve into it. The performances are good but some dialogue is cardboard and expositional. An interesting take on a deep rooted relationship.

The End of Time

5

An interesting concept, that feeling of time stopping at a completely random moment, but one that everyone is enjoying. A shared happiness. The execution of the film is original and superb in its quality.

Adonis and Aphrodite

8

Monologues are a bit of a dying breed, mainly because they're incredibly hard to pull off (unless you're Alan Bennett). Adonis and Aphrodite has a particularly charming feel to it, something decidedly British that befits a monologue. The lead actress gives a flawless performance and manages to give the role personality and heart. A beautifully made short film.

HORIZON

6

For a film with no dialogue, Horizon does a good job of holding the audiences attention. The narrative is actually fairly simple but asks an interesting and complicated question, which adds to its intrigue. An admirable performance by the lead actor, given that he had no dialogue to utilise. An interesting and original piece of film.

Agrinoui (English Audio)

5

The message in the story isn't exactly original, but it has heart and thats what matters. The film is fun and inspiring despite some of the poor dialogue/voice acting, which can be easily overlooked. A pleasant watch for children.

Reconnection

6

We all need to escape sometimes, but do we really know where we are escaping to? This heartwarming and insightful film delving into character and relationships. Some dialogue is expositional, but on the whole the film handles its topic well with strong production quality.

Le

6

An excellent character piece, driven by a group of friends on the verge of a new era and waiting for that change in dynamic before a new housemate arrives and one leaves. A simple piece of film that hinges on it's dialogue and the connections of the characters, which it does admirably.

Mimicry

8

An interesting and original look into the future of having children, and one that doesn't actually seem that far fetched, which is part of why this film works so well. The lead females emotions and mentality are put under investigation as we see her struggle to decide how to have her baby. Strong performances make the emotion in this film tangible and relationships believable. Completely engrossing as a piece of film.

501 Days

6

Science Fiction is an incredibly hard thing to achieve well on an indie budget, but there are ways and 501 Days this has been achieved. Utilising simple but effective sets and focusing the narrative on characters rather than visuals provides the audience with an intimate setting that aids in allowing the audience to really connect with the characters and story. The dialogue isn't always great, and the performances could be better but overall the film really comes together well.

Silent

7

It's easy to assume, in todays society, that acceptance is universal. Silent brings forward the idea that actually, it isn't. Homosexuality is still scary and taboo in many areas and this short film offers an insight into that. It delves into the psyche of men who feel they have to hide who they are for fear of negative exposure. Whilst the acting isn't always top notch, the message remains strong and powerful. A well written and layered short film whose beauty lies in its simplicity.

Must Kill Karl

8

Everyone has that one guy in the friendship group, right? That one guy who irritates the hell out of you and no one knows why he's still included. Must Kill Karl is here to offer you some catharsis through its murderous narrative. Funny. well produced and with a great script, Must Kill Karl is the light relief we all need in a world full of Karls.