Short films fit for a short queen!
I have a short attention span, so I love a good short film. This is why I was happy to get access to two blocks of shorts programming at this year’s Fantasia Fest. I was able to check out the annual Born Of Woman and Small Gauge Trauma blocks celebrating some of the boldest and most exciting films I have seen this year. So I picked my three favorite films from each block to talk about below. I highly recommend finding them if/when they roll out and supporting short filmmakers.
Born Of Woman Block
The Anteroom, Directed By Elisa Puerto Aubel
A refugee and her baby reach an anteroom that decides it does not want to assist them in their journey to wherever they are going. The subtitles would not work for this film, and I do not speak Spanish, but it was still possibly my favorite short of the festival. While I could only go off vibes, lighting cues, and Irene Anula’s brilliant performance, this movie grabbed me immediately. I knew there were stakes, and I was stressed.
Don’t Go Where I Can’t Find You, Directed By Rioghnach Ni Ghrioghair
A woman reaches the ghost of her dead lover through music. This short was haunting, beautiful, and sad. The opening moments were a little bit disorienting in the right way and set up the atmospheric world while inducing a little bit of anxiety. I also love that we have another entry into the gothic music horror queer canon. Keep adding to that very specific subgenre, please.
Kin, Directed By Sarah Gross
When the monthly ritual goes wrong, a young woman has to tell her little sister about their family burden. This short came in wild and kept twisting and turning until the very end. It was the ride I wanted to go on again when my time was over. I think the performances, the stakes, and the palpable feeling of the inevitable of the situation made it one of the most captivating of what I was allowed access to this year.
Small Gauge Trauma Block
Scooter, Directed By Chelsea Lupkin
This short finds a woman having a bad night and stumbling into a very demonic and deadly situation. This was as fun as it was twisty. I was here for her stealing a scooter and rolling away from the awful boyfriend vibes and was equally here for the shenanigans she found herself in. Also, I want more demonic shit to go down in fast food parking lots late at night. That is the relatable content I crave.
I Call Upon Thee, Directed By Michael Anthony Kratochvil
Two sisters summon something worse than they imagined while trying to make their home a better place. If you are here for creepy kids doing too much, this is your movie. It was wildly terrifying and as effective as it was simple. Recommend watching this one with the lights off and preparing yourself for the onslaught of nightmares.
Hysteric, Directed By Rod Blackhurst
Two sisters find themselves running for their lives from their mothers late on one dark and stormy night. This short went from three to 90 within the first minute, and I lived! It’s another short anchored by two little girls who understand how to serve creepy. It is a pulse-pounding, anxiety-inducing, film that made me close my computer and go outside when it ended.
Let me know if you saw any shorts at Fantasia Fest 2022 at @misssharai.
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