I Had Fun - Scott Cunningham
Dating. Yeah, it's tough; always has been. And now with the Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and and Snapchat and you name it, it ain't gotten any easier. Scott Cunningham's I Had Fun is bsically a horror film when it comes to romantic comedies... or maybe it's a relationship drama. Like Friends Effing Friends Effing Friends, it straddles that line very well, venturing to both sides of the divide with clarity and alacrity. The performances are a bit uneven, with Chad Burns' charisma saving some scenes where it seems the thread gets lost. Christy St. John is solid the entire way through, and perhaps it's because the writing for her is easily the strongest for any single character in the film. When she's on screen, there's seemingly chemistry bouncing off of every wall. This is a local production, designed, manufactured, and delivered from Pittsburgh, PA. I'm a big supporter of local cinema, films that reek of their hometown, and this kind of film does the movement justice. While it could use a bit of polish, It's a really fun view! 

Fable of the Mind - Lea Marinova 
Non-narrative's been my jam of late, especially for my personal video projects. Fable of the Mind pretty much qualifies, though it's also a scifi, dystopian paranoia film at times. The power of it is in the eye, not only the eye of the viewer who takes in such measured and powerful imagery, but also in the eyes of our lead, which even in extreme close-up, tell the emotional story. Maybe it's not full non-narrative, but it's timeline is disjointed, like afflicted memories of trauma and loss. That fits in with the themes of the film. Also, I have to give a shout out to the graphic title designs. Beautifully done, and such a strong contrast to the rest of the film that it heightens everything. 

Fistfull of the Undead - Todd Sheets
It shouldn't be too hard to guess what this film is from the title. It's a mash-up in the vein of Seth Graeham-Smith's works. Basically, it's a zombie spaghetti Western. It's wordless, no synch sound I think, and it's basically an excuse for a lot of blood and gore effects. It's shot very nicely, and all the vistas and brooding cowboy sentiment is there. There's not a lot of story, just a lone figure in repose takin' on zombies. It's fun, seven minutes, and while I kinda wish it felt like there was something tangible at stake, for fans of gore and Morricone, this is a film for you!

Dark Noon - Vangelis Papadiochos
As soon as I have kids, there are all these movies about people losing children! This one, a lovely and well-constructed Greek film, details a woman who lost her son to the sea due to simply not paying attention. I get that. I damn near let JP fall off the couch once because I was trying to send a text (don't worry: fast hands made the save, and he actually seemed to enjoy the sliding downwards!) and I can see how the combination of factors of life, and parental exhaustion, could lead to such things. Still, she comes off less as the monster, and more like The Doctor. She's so troubled by her failure that it effects every aspect of her life, especially her job and relationship with her husband. It is a heavy film, but one with some good writing, and sparse dialogue that allows the important stuff to make an impact. I should note that the subtitles had some issues, but that's OK, they're still readable. I thought the acting bordered on stiff at times, and then I found a naturalistism to it that actually made the entire film feel more afflicted. 

Mad Politics - Itzhak Begerano
This is to political discourse as South Park is to social structure. Mad Politics is aptly named because it's more than a little bit crazy, a story of a political mess in the Middle East and the figures who are tasked with solving it. Of course, they're all madness and ego and id and so on. The animation style is nice, if un-nuanced, and the audio isn't great, but the script is funny, and funnier if you are actually aware of what's going on in the world. A fun short. 

3 1/2 - Life of an Innocent Child - Hemantha Kumar
There are some films that you can never truly enjoy, no matter how amazing they are. This was the case for me and 3 1/2, not because it was not good, but because it was so heavy, so full of death and loss, so dark, that I found myself begging for relief. The story focuses on slavery, poverty, and loss, death is a looming presence in the film, and while it's incredibly well-produced, I don't think I can watch it again unless I've had days worth of my babies' smiles and cuddles. It's well-produced, and while some of the acting will strike an audience brought up on watching Western movies as either hokey or over-the-top, I found it powerful and impressive. The sound design, in particular, is a driving force, and takes the film into a realm where it is not merely a Von Trier-ian exploration of the ills of a society, but a powerful statement about why these ills exist and how we often push them ahead instead of putting them aside. Powerful, without question.

They Will All Die In Space - Javier Chillon
I'm a scifi guy. We all know this, and They Will All Die in Space is a science fiction film that goes beyond what I would expect. A long-run ship has people in cryogenic storage, and they are adrift through space, doomed to slowly parish. That alone is enough to keep me watching, though there is a certain slowness to the film that I would rather consider deliberate than dull. There are moments when I tuned out, but the film reads as a hybrid of classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, and Alien, which it holds up well alongside. The acting is spotty at times, but never feels overly forced. The script is strong, if a touch laconic, and the cinematography, stark black-and-white, is perfect for the mood, the tone, the setting.

The First Session - Ryan Logan
One of the absolute joys of programming for Cinequest this year was the huge number of great comedy shorts that passed in front of me. HUGE and hilarious shorts like the German flick Chasing Daycare or the suitably weird Mr. Egg. These I'll talk about in a while, but the highlight for me were the smaller, fast as a hiccup films, and The First Session  was one of the best, and one that you can actually see! A couple goes in for couples therapy. Now, they're not exactly wasting any time doing so, and that's where the comedy comes in. This is a short made to give actors a chance to play with material. Fawzia Mirza and Mouzam Makkar are great as our couple, and the wonderful Parvesh Cheena (from my favorite sit-com Outsourced) is perfect trying to unravel what's going on. It's a comedy that clocks in at 7 minutes, and it's 7 well-spent minutes. It's well-shot, perfectly paced, and the performances are strong. For my money, it's one of the best comedy shorts of the last decade. Watch http://www.hulu.com/watch/876113 and you'll understand!

Derniere Nuit - Emmanuel Roudaut
Dark comedy. I like it, and thus, it's obvious I would love a black-as-sackcloth film like Derniere Nuit. It's your basic partying-goes-wrong film, and it's so well done that it made me forget that there are a lot of other films in this specification. Added to that is the race against the clock element, as the movers are on their way. The way the event that goes wrong actually manages to go wrong is shocking in both suddenness and the reaction being so measured. The following scenes are dark, funny, and played for both serious drama and comedy. It's a fun short, and one where the actors have to walk a line between believably creepy and over-the-top. These guys manage it brilliantly. Maybe it goes a minute or two too long for the material, you'll hardly notice because everything in it is fantastic. 

The Red Umbrella Diaries - David Kornfield
The only ting I can say is wow. This is a project documenting a project that is amazing, important, and beautiful. It's basically the Sex Workers' version of the The Moth, where they would take over a venue and tell stories, and in some cases confessions. The event was important, and powerful, and the documentary is so perfectly constructed, telling the stories of both the Red Umbrella Diaries and the storytellers themselves using the night of performances as a framing device, but also giving us the performance, which is where we see the reality of the individuals away from the stage and the stage persona.. The camera is precise, the editing wise, the hand of director David Kornfield deft at every corner. It is a magnificent movie, and you should find out more at http://redumbrellaproject.org about the project and the documentary. 

Bridgebuilders - Jordan Blazak & Alan Dembek
There is a kind of story that I have found myself a part of many, many times. I will whole-heartedly believe something, and then be presented with the appearance of something so completely contrary to that belief that I have no measured reaction. Bridgebuilders presents that scenario fairly well, with exceptional cinematography, and simple choices made to heighten the story of a barkeep living in remarkably strange times. These kinds of stories are made on the backs of actors, and while the reactions of our lead come off as fairly stiff, the setting of that flawed stone is strong. The editing, camerawork, set directions, and especially on-set lighting effects, all make an impression. A fun, well-paced film that will certainly appeal to the Conspiracy Theorists among us. And they are among us...

Help! - Mahnaz Yazdazi
There are few films that better criticize my life than Help!. The story is simple: a guy hangs off the ledge of his apartment building, but instead of helping him, folks take pictures, which leads to a funny situation. This Iranian minute-long comedy really hits home. It's easy to watch and claim you're "documenting" a scenario, but more often than not, what's needed is action, and in Help!, no one wants to miss out on what's going on, but also, no one is impelled towards taking what could be hugely significant, life-saving action. This recent journey of reviewing shorts has brought me a much greater appreciation for films coming out of Iran these days, and this tiny miracle is a really fun short. 

The Last Line - Beverly Tan
​Poetry. It is difficult, I believe, to tell a story poetically, though poetry, without relying on the experimentation that comes with the exploration of extremity. The bigger problem, of course, is how to keep from being pretentious when your main character is a poet, and the entire structure of your short relies on her delivering her poem. Last Line does this so well, being almost entirely a film where a poem is read in voice-over across images of a bartender's relationship with a woman, a talented woman. Every aspect of production, with the exception of one hiccup in the sound mix, is phenomenal, and it all heightens the impact of the poem, the performance, the passion. When we come to the eponymous last line of the poem, and we are greeted with a beautifully ambiguous (though strongly hinted at) truth, it both stings and draws you into yourself. In this short, as in love, as in faith, as in loss, as in memory, things are not what they say they are.

Domingo - Erika Oregel
The most exciting thing about programming film festivals is getting to see filmmakers before they break. I have no doubt that the name Erika Oregel will be gigantic in her native Mexico, and quite possibly beyond. Her first narrative short, Domingo, is a lyrical masterpiece, full of grace and compassion that flows from every frame. This film is sparse, and deliberate, but it's also quite affecting. Oregel brings us the story of two women preparing to hear Mass, and the preparations that requires for them. The story could easily have turned emotionally manipulative, but this is far more powerful for the fact that it never demands we feel a certain way. It is a painting, full of creams, beiges, whites, and bone. It is a film that announces a bold new voice to narrative filmmaking, and one that I hope we hear much more from. 

L'été Indien - Yanie Dupont-Hébert
Let me get it out of the way - Moonrise Kingdom is one of my favorite film. From the very beginning, L'été Indiene made me feel as if I was watching what would happen is Wes Anderson had been French (well, Quebecois...) and decided to make a film about a tortured childhood saved by another tortured childhood. Mike learns that he is adopted and is actually a Micmac and has to go into the forest to explore his heritage. Mirka is a romantic artist whose parent's divorce is crashing her world down around her. This is so Andersonian as to be nearly criminal, but director Yanie Dupont-Hebert manages to make so much more commentary in her piece that it feels more like the kind of cinema you'd see in a Cineclub of the 1960s and 70s. Mike has to reconnect with his roots, but has no clue what that means beyond the Westerns he's such a gigantic fan of. Mirka wants to give in to love fully, but is too young to truly understand what that means. It is a difficult position both these children are in, and they see their recent circumstances as the call to grow-up, but really, it's just a difficult moment they need to get through as children. That is a theme much more complex than anything Anderson has ever tackled, and it is so well-done, that I would say the next disaffected youth film I see is Dupont-Herbertian. 

Lack of Cockery - Josh Mitchell
There are movies that are not made for certain people, that could not be appreciated no matter how good they are for one reason or another. There are other films that no matter how bad they are, you're gonna love 'em. Lack of Cockery is a film with a lot of problems, chief among them the pacing is weird, and some of the performances are rough, but the script is fun, the view of the LA and-or Silicon Valley lifestyle so in-tune with my personal experience, and the shooting is strong. Perhaps the scene that hit me the hardest was a stand-up bit in the first five minutes or so. It was delivered by a woman with a huge nasal accent, who had a certain quirky charm, talking about her lack of sexual experience. If you've been around the comedy world, especially among the post-Dane Cook era, you'll understand just how painfully accurate this performance is, and the line "I'm no Dr. Ruth, but I fantasize about bangin' her" is balls-out awesome. If you approach this cold, without the knowledge of that world, without having hung around with the Venture Capital set, without knowing the post-Factory indy art world, without having been to life/work/party spaces, you might not take it in, but for me, this was a film that perfectly captured those worlds. The fact they apparently made this for fifty grand when it looks like a million dollar picture is more impressive, but shooting with Black Magic'll do that for ya. You can learn more at http://www.breezewayproductions.com/index.html

Two Rivers - Melonie Gartner
It's difficult to make a movie as talky as Two Rivers and still be of interest. I mean, My Dinner with Andre managed it, and to a lesser extent, My Breakfast with Blassie, but they are few and far between. Director Melonie Gartner manages to make Two Rivers with an assist from Mark Borchardt, some beautiful cinematography, and her own strong performance. The film details Emma, played by Gartner, and her abusive dick of a husband, Borchardt. There's a bit of unevenness to the script, as it starts as a group of friends talking for a long time about the troubles of the town, and then gives us Emma and her plight. It's a long open, and it makes Borchardt's arrival a bit more brutal. It ends a bit slyly, and it makes brilliant use of music as we see Emma on her final stage. It's a gorgeous movie, and one that makes me hope for more from Gartner.  

Sundays - Benjamin Noah
Visually stunning. That is absolutely the first thing that comes to mind watching Sundays. An incredibly well-shot film about a man alone in the wilderness on a quest. The landscape is beautiful, but seems unforgiving and harsh. You can argue that this is merely a music video, but it's much more as it tells a story of discovery, albeit in a subtle way. Our lead actor, Greg Brown, is excellent at appearing to be the mountain man, on a quest. There are some phenomenal make-up effects, and the New Foundland setting is remarkable. It's a gorgeous short, and works on several different levels. Also, that is a PHENOMENAL poster design! I mean, look at it! It's amazing!

Somebody's Mother - Gabriela Tollman
The power of a filmmaker is best estimated by the ability to make a close-up work. And not just any close-up, but the extreme close-up, where you've largely thrown aside context in favor of texture, connection. Dreyer's legendary The Passion of Joan of Arc features this to maximum effect, and few others have been as good at it. Somebody's Mother manages a rare double. First, it does the extreme close-up really well, and that imparts emotion. Second, it gives us texture, grain, grit, and sorrow in a world whose sun seems just a little dimmer than our own. This is a film that deals with the challenges of motherhood, of loss, of not belonging, disconnection from others, and themselves. It's a difficult role for the stars, Evelyne and director/actor Gabriela Tollman. The film's toughness is supported by a haunting beauty, and strong performances of material that seems both utterly real and fantastical at the same time.There are some moments when things get a little too heavy, when is crashes in a bit too much, and it's overwhelming, which lead me to lose the thread, but I never lost the awe and weight of the material, nor my appreciation for what these actors manage to create. A wonderful, and difficult film. 

Friends Effing Friends Effing Friends - Quincy Rose
There are a couple of ways to look at this film. It could be a sex comedy; a film built around the difficulties of relationships, and how sex is often the defining thing within, and outside, of 'em. It could be a relationship drama that just happens to have questions of sexual fidelity at it's heart, and a dirty dirty mind to go with it. It could simply be a buddy picture, designed to show off how relationships between friends can sour for various, sex-enhanced reasons. All of these are valid readings of the material, and there are good reasons for that. The script doesn't over-commit itself to making a statement. Instead, it allows itself to explore all these aspects, pretty much simultaneously. That is a feat worthy of praise, and what more important, it does them all very well. There's comedy that's funny (and cringe-worthy) and there's real conflict and drama. There's a beautiful series of interactions, and there's a difficulty between the men and women, perhaps a stiffness is the best way to see it, but when characters of the same sex interact, things are very naturalistic, which is a nice touch. The bookending of the story is smart too, and the pacing just flat keeps you in it. Well-worth watching out for.

Speedwriting - Michael Russnow
Sometimes, a joke runs thin. That's the case in a lot of short films that just don't understand pacing. Sometimes, they come back, and once in a while, a thin joke is made funnier by the fact that it's a thin joke that a smart director knows what to do with. I'd say that's what Michael Russnow has done with Speedwriting. It's a get-rich-quick scheme comedy in which a young guy (played very smartly by Santa Cruz County's own Michael Beardsley) develops a 'system' to write and sell screenplays. It's not a real system, of course, it's barely an idea, but they play with it really well, and the scene where he's constantly stopping a pitch, sometimes to give completely contradictory information, is really funny. It's not a comedy that goes a lot of places, but it's one that delivers on the places that it DOES go, and one that had me laughing. 

Jobless - Alessio Colia
The economic downturn hit everywhere, and Italy actually got it worst than most. This story, of an experienced guy being sacked and pushed aside for lesser employees, then trying desperately to get something new, is a classic, and the way writer/director Colia handles the material is clean and smart, in a sort-of neo-modernist fashion with touches of Bergman. It's a powerful film, and a descent into madness, but not an entirely internalistic one. Perhaps Jobless is best viewed as a document for the descent of the international job market and economy into madness and infinite peril. Either way, it's a film I really enjoyed seeing more than once. 
​

Dead Sharks - Nic Barker
If you're going to open with a Woody Allen quote, you better bring your A-game... unless it's from a court transcript. Either way, it sets a table, and you need to be able to deliver quality that matches up. Nic Barker's well-made, often hilarious, and gringingly-real life film Dead Sharks not only works in the 1990s-Allen vein, but he manages to out-mine him as well. The segments are perfectly timed, immaculately-paced, and just smart, and there's a certain comedy to it that might be coming from my own personal experiences. The opener, where we are greeted to a series of voice messages being left, ala Swingers (only with a far more real feel, and far more personally familiar) and it's super-funny, while also moving a story along.Fiona Norman as Paige is just note-for-note perfection, and sets up the rest of the film so well. It's situationally hilarious, and very dramatic, much like any good (or completely failing...) relationship. It reminded me of one of my favorite shorts, Insomniacs, and I can't fault a single aspect of the production. I really wish this would become a feature.

El Tambor y La Sombra - David Bisbano
A re-telling of a folk story in computer animated form will usually work if the filmmaker has any sort of talent with the writing and a certain reverence for the material. David Bisbano does a remarkable job telling us the story of a healer who duels with a shadow-spirit. This is a compact film, making perfect use of all four-and-a-half minutes, and the animation is strongly stylized, yet still accessible. This is exactly the kind of film that should be powering through the festival circuit these days. 

Cows: A Moosical - Sandra Boynton
I'll admit it - a large part of why I programmed Cows in the Animated Worlds program at Cinequest was the fact that my twins love her board books. Also, I'm a big fan of cows. This lovely little three minute music video is just plain fun. It's a MOOOOOOOOsical, and it's simple, and sweet. It's also the first film I know, for a fact, my youngest boy Benjamin ever watched. He adored it, and it may just be that it was the first thing he ever saw flashing across a screen that wasn't a heart-rate monitor, but he smiled and laughed. So, thanks, Sandra Boynton, for making the first movie I could share with my little guys!