A look at the brilliant short Echo Torch, what is Science Fantasy, and how this film treads between many genres so beautifully! 

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I had the honor of Judging the San Jose 48 Hour Film Project again this year. I love the energy these teams being to creating films over the course of a weekend, and while the films tended towards the weak in the days when folks were submitting them en masse to Cinequest (2004 or so), the quality now rivals a lot of what we see in festival short programs. This year, we got a set of films that were phenomenal, and I'm going to be writing a few of them up. 

The winner of Best Film was Stonewood. It's one of those films that is genre, but in a way that you only slowly wake up to. It's a horror film. Or maybe a science fiction film. Or perhaps a party film. Or maybe it's a drama. From the first first frame, there's a disquieting sense of off-ness about it, something is strange, even in the rather simple party that's going on. When I watched it for the 5 time, I started to note the way the camera lingers, maybe only an inch off of center, producing shots that are weighted to one side or another. That is such a simple trick, and one that gives the film a heft. 

And then there's Dana Morgan. 

The winner of Best Actress, she drives this film by going from being Mrs. Dalloway to Jamie Leigh Curtis in Halloween in the blink of an eye. It's amazing how she portrays her fear, terror, and perhaps her revoltion of being trapped. You'll understand when you watch what I mean. She powers this film into the meat, and her performance is genre excellence!

There are inherent dangers in 48 Hour films. Sometimes, to fit in the required elements, there's a crowbarring that happens. Some filmmakers make this work for them (mostly in the comedies), and if I have to look up what the elements are afterwards because they were so seamlessly integrated, that's a great sign, and that's what happened here. There's the length, for one thing. Short by both necessity and rule, these films sometimes have to rush through material to make it happen. Luckily, here the turn happens quickly, hitting hard, though leaving less time for impact. It barely matters because what we get is a combination of precise editing, intelligent shooting, great acting, a smart script, and just a good, simple, genre storytelling. The perfect 48 Film Project project!

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 Hunt - Miranda Schrade
Simplicity. It's a good thing. In all reality, it is a positive concept to pare a thing down to the bare-bones and work with only the skeleton. Short films often work in that mode, and in The Hunt, we find a competent little picture of a young woman on a sort of scavenger hunt. It's nicely done, if a bit simple, and the story is clear, but it's also a bit messy, as if the story being told is something more than the story we're seeing. Still, it makes good use of less than three minutes. 

Nothing Without God - Keenan J. Robinson
This story is an absolute mess. I could barely follow it, I was lost, I was confused, I g​ot angry. And I also didn't care. This is an excellent example of what 1990s' film movements like Dogme95 have brought to the mainstream of cinema. The way it was shot, and the way the actors played within the frame and their characters, really made this feel like something special. There's a lot here that speaks of the future of underground, or at least regional, cinema. Films like this HAVE an audience out there, and while I'm not always in that audience, I can appreciate that this film will inspire some, and infuriate others. Me? I certainly thought that this was a film that gave me hope in a new voice for cinema. You can learn more at http://www.inspirationallifefilms.com/

Strings - 
Italian Science Fiction. Yeah, in the past, it's been rough. Some of the worst SciFi movies of all-time were made, or at least re-dubbed, in Roma, and it still burns having seen so many of them on Creature Features when I was a kid. Strings is far from those days. In fact, it's one of the more thoughtful and masterfully done science fiction films in decades. The idea is a classic: a mysterious orb gives the user the power to transfer between Earths. David, our hero, knows he shouldn't be tampering with the forces he's playing with, and yet, he has to. The script is incredibly well written, with the acting being some of the finest you're likely to find in SF today. This is a phenomenal film, one that you should actively seek out because it will reward multiple viewings!

Prairie Dog - 
Horror and I have issues. Smart horror films - I love 'em. Prairie Dog  plays out more like a small town family drama with elements of horror than as a horror film, but hold out for a  smart movie, incredibly well-made, exactly the kind of film you might find in a multiplex. It's well-acted, though never over-the-top in that respect, and it's clean. I found the movement a bit thatched, as it would move well, and build strongly towards what I found to be a satisfying, yet somewhat clouded ending. I really enjoyed it and hope this one goes far! You can find more at https://www.facebook.com/PrairieDogMovie

Apple Lane is a fun horror flick that plays out in the fashion of some of those classic 1980s VHS horror films. Director Mike Laflower was kind enough to answer some of our questions!

Apple Lane's a horror film that is incredibly intelligent. What horror flicks made an impression on you?
Well as a young 9 year old, I would watch scary movies that my older brother and his wife would rent. The one that stuck the most and gave me nightmare for years to come was the 1980's cult horror flick, "Dolls They Walk They Talk and They Kill!"
A couple others that made me love horror was, Return of the Living Dead, Evil Dead and House, ding dong you're dead!:) All of these are just a few that made me love all things horror!

The music in Apple Lane certainly helps to establish the tone and mood. As a director, how to you go about working figuring out the proper tonal concepts for score and soundtrack?
The music that I chose was kinda limited since I didn't have a budget to buy music for the film. So I searched all over the net looking for just the right background music that I felt would fit perfectly! I would watch the clip and match up the right music that I felt gave me chills or that certain feeling that puts you in the position of the characters in that moment of terror or suspense. Took hours and hours to make it just right to my liking! Since I was also the video editor, I did it in the comfort of my own home!

What's your philosophy on the use of sex and violence in horror? Do you have a conscious idea of how much is too much?
I think that sexual concept is almost a must in all horror films. Whether it's just showing a little skin, or sexual gesture, it goes hand in hand. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they should be rated triple xxx or anything, but is relevant to the genre. I believe using sex in horror films is attractive to most horror film junkies to keep them excited and on the edge of their seat!

Tell us a bit about your team? Do you have a regular cast and crew? What do you look for first in your actors?
I didn't really have a crew, I had a few friends and even a couple of the actors that would help me out in set. When I started this project I dive head first right into it. I came up with the idea when I worked in Mayfield, Ky. I drove past an old abandoned lane (Apple Lane) that spiked me out and interested me. Finally I drove down it to look around and it just made the hair stand up on my neck. After about 3 years passed, I decided to write a story about, fiction obviously, then write three acts and gave it to a friend to write the screenplay. After months of preproduction, we finally came up with enough money to start filming! I put a Craigslist ad up and found the perfect 16 actors to fill the parts. Some came from Nashville, Bowling Green, northern Indiana and even local Louvillians in Louisville, Ky.
All the actors fit right in with my vision perfectly!

Native Immigration - Eric Romero
There is a concept called "Punching Down" that basically equates to mocking those of a disadvantaged class if you are of an advantaged class. It's a tough idea, actually, but it also makes sense. Native Immigration is an interesting piece, funny, and very detailed, but I worried at times that the filmmakers were punching down. At the same time, I was laughing at the finely crafted gags. Presented as a BBC-style expose of Britons who were only now discovering that they were, in fact, immigrants, it's got all sorts of things to enjoy, from posters in the background, to humorous sub-titles and graphics. There are a few points where I looked side-ways at a gag, wondering if that was offensive in the UK, and realising that there is a significant difference between our countries when it comes to race, and especially class, issues. The film's funny, and a lot of fun. The 'interviews' in the mockumentary are strong, and funny, especially the Kenyan who is a devout racist (and it works on so many levels right now, what with the frequent calls of 'Reverse Racism' leveled at various groups) and the Spaniard who thought he was Scottish. There were various points that if I heard that joke on the streets of San Jose, I would be uncomfortable. Well-made, maybe a couple of minutes longer than the material it presented warranted, and while it made me question my own attitudes, it also presented a powerful form of satire, a near-perfect send-up of the television issue documentary. You can see it at ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZNP7L-brT8

Elsewhere - Misan Akuya
This story of a racer who broke both his legs and now has to deal with his regular life is a pretty picture, one that understands the goal of the film, but also takes a bit of a round-about way to get there. There's a lot to like, from the well-seasoned cinematography to the well-considered sound design. The acting is solid, and the characters and the script work hard. The problem is it doesn't hold you all the way through, and lost me at least twice, though both times managed to bring me back. The thing that brought me back - Dianna Cruz. Her magnetic performance and charm is contagious, and when she comes on screen, you really can't help but dial back in. 

You can find more at https://misanakuya.wordpress.com/

The Device - George Wroe
Science fiction has markers. From the very get-go, you know The Device is going to be a science fiction film, and a time-travel short as well. It's the story of a father and son who develop a device that allows them to go back in time. The Father has a plan, but doesn't share it with his son, not fully at least. They manage to go back, but face a minor set-back. The film has a couple of effects, which is nice, but the most important part has to be the fact that they manage to create a family dynamic that I bought into. If you can accomplish that, the science fiction elements become far less important, and the language of the characters is precise, and that part of the script is strong and ultimately is what pushes the film into its best presence. The production values are strong, and the set and prop work isn't flashy, which adds a layer of believability; if a father-son super-science team was working without a government research grants, everything would be kinda slap-dash! That's a really nice touch. 

All The Better - Rebecca & Thomas Haffey 
This is a tiny, one minute take on the Little Red Riding Hood story. It's a microshort, just one minute, and it doesn't really show too much, just a girl walking, a smash to black, a scream, and a return. That's it, with a lovely and original score from Debbie Allen that I found to be the most memorable portion of the film. At one minute, you can't really do much, but I think what they gave was well-done and I really wanted a little more of this, as I think they could easily handle the material and give us the same story, over two minutes, and be clearer, with a stronger hit. The cinematography is solid, and the forest, and young Ella Haffey, both take to the camera well, and made me want more. Still, that soundtrack alone makes All the Better ​worth it, as it's still running through my head. Also, and I rarely do this, but the design of the poster is incredible. I mean, look at it! You can see it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8-NqaaPN58 

Fruit of the Fungus - Josh Mitchell
The "Un-understood Map" is a wonderful trope of the Adventure genre. Fruit of the Fungus isn't an adventure film, but it uses it to great effect. The script is smart and funny, though things move a bit jumpily, and the delivery of lines ain't quite there, but there is so much fun to be had, you won't hardly notice. I loved the concept, and the way it unfolded was nice, though the pacing seemed a bit off at points, which was a touch frustrating because when it picked up, it was really good, but it would slow again, and so on. The technical aspects were all clean, especially the editing, and it was funny, which was enough for me to give it every chance. The ending was patently ridiculous, but it actually fit in with the oddness of the rest of the short. I don't feel like it failed in doing what it set out to do, not at all, but I do feel like it could have been tightened up a touch. 

Hope - Fabio Ballisco
This short has little to it. A woman, left at the base of a set of mysterious pillars, follows the sound of a hammer contacting an anvil to watch appears to be a forge house in the woods. 

After that, it gets weird. 

This is such a simple story (and we're told that it's a trilogy) that I wondered where things were going. It wrapped up so quickly, with little given to us but a base hint. That's important as we're assuming that this is a linear narrative, that the things shown are connected, but at the same time, we have no certain hook for hanging that assumption on, which leaves us guessing. While it may be easy to see where our minds SHOULD be going, it is also not 100% certain that that is where our minds MUST go, and that sort of thing will drive some crazy. Me? I like ambiguity, and though there wasn't enough to this film for my tastes, I have to say it got me thinking by the end. You can find out more at https://www.facebook.com/JaborandiMovies/timeline

Nightfall of Eden - Daina Papadaki
This is a highly allegorical film dealing with the descent of humanity into war and hatred. We are presented Eden, populated by nymphs wearing only  leaves, who frolic about being all sweet and adorable. The scenario then changes to one where projections of war and death occupy what was once an idyllic garden. We are then taken to Heaven, and then things get metaphysical. The production is beautiful, stunningly so, and the joy of those first shots is improbably effective. The metaphysical portion of the film is beautifully done, though it had a strong scent of Lord of the Rings visually. I enjoyed the message, and particularly the beauty of much of the short, and while I can certainly understand those who might say the message beats out everything else, I do not agree. Still, I am anxious to see more from Daina Papadaki, as her eyes is certainly well-trained. You can find more at https://dainapapadaki.wordpress.com

First Anniversary - James Huang
Kate T. Billingsley and Keith Chandler play a couple divorced for a year who are meeting again a year after a shared trauma, the lingering feelings turning the meeting awkward. That's the basic plot, but hardly all there is to this lyrical short. Director James Huang, screenwriter Chin Yu, cinematographer Massimo Crapanzano, and editor Emma Arnold put together a fantasic looking short that maximizes the impact of the fantastic acting. Perhaps it is Mike Higbee's score that really shines, perfectly completng the mis-en-scene and production values. A wonderful interpersonal short that is truly heartbreaking. The question of whether love is enough is never really answered due to another question popping up - how much time will it take?
​You can find out more at http://www.tentenpro.com 

All Our Yesterday - Jacob Strunk
I find it amazingly complicated to interact with a film where I have nothing to grab on to other than mood. It's difficult because I find myself having difficulty when I want tell, but get nothing but show. Films without dialogue can be a very trying process for me, but All Our Yesterdays managed to do something impressive - it made me forget all that and lose myself in the tone of grief it presented. Jacob Strunk has done a remarkable job presenting us a story of loss. No, not a story of loss, an audio-visual tone poem to loss and loneliness. It it precise and lyrical in the way it allows a character who seems of a single mind, consumed by memory and pain, as she moves wordlessly through the scenario. Yeah, I lost the thread a couple of times, but I was so moved, I didn't really care. 

How Not to Disappear Completely - Stuart Perkins
Every once in a while, young people have to flee their situation. Typically, fleeing only makes the participant realize what they are trying to run away from is their own damn self. Watching How Not To Disappear Completely, a story that revolves around Tom, a photographer who scurried off to India, found himself, has returned and is now looking for his half-sister. Perhaps this dropped so hard on me because of my own story of discovering half-siblings following my Dad's death. Tom's path towards self-discovery is at times lonely, but the overall journey is one that's so valuable. The performance of Damien Walsh was wonderful, and he carried much of the film, but I was completely won over by the electric performance of Emma Whittaker, who imbues every scene she's in with energy and lightens the entire film. It's gorgeously shot, well-acted, and a powerhouse film for fans of emotional journeys. You can read more at https://www.facebook.com/HowNotToDisappearCompletely/

Monsoons Over the Moon: Parts One and Two - Abstract Omega. 
A dystopian future Nairobi is the setting for the struggle of Shiro, an abused girlfriend of a criminal. When a rival criminal group kidnaps her and tries to use her as a vehicle for getting to her boyfriend. She runs, and as part two starts, she is away, but her mind has been opened by an outlawed manuscript. The setting and tone of this short works to bring about the impact of Shiro's travails, and Part two moves between black-and-white and color seamlessly to add to the sensation of other-worldliness. The emotion expressed through the performance of Anita Kavuu Ng'ang'a is palpable; she is a perfect combination of frantic confusion and enlightenment over the course of the two parts. Taken as a whole, this story has elements of The Matrix and Alphaville, but is far more impressive in the ability for us to connect to our character's issue. In short, it is one of the best examples of near-future science fiction on film. 

Sturgis: Rallying Back - 
I only know of the Sturgis Rally from the days when WCW would run the annual Hogg Wild pay-per-view at the Rally. I had no idea that there was a Sturgis, Mississippi which had done a rally called Sturgis South. The nearly hour-long doc Sturgis: Rallying Back documents the fall and re-birth of Sturgis South. The film is well-shot, though early on, it does feel a bit stretched, with the interviews going over the same material many times. That said, it's also an impressive view of what an event like a Motorcycle Rally can mean to a small town like Sturgis. When they get to the point where the Rally preparations are being shown, and the Rally itself, it  becomes a much stronger doc, making good use not only of the sights of the bikes and events, but of those who came in from all over the place. You can learn more about the film, and a bit about the rally at https://www.facebook.com/SturgisRallyingBack

Footprints - Denes Ruzsa & Fruzsina Spitzer
Comprised of held images, captures that appear to be held for a few frames before moving, Footprints gives everything a slightly disjointed look, which makes the more fluid moments in the film a bit jarring. That shows the power of the choice to create the film in that vein. The strength of the film lies in the contrast between images that are natural to our world, shots and impressions of life within the Built Environment, and of Space exploration. The imagery could have straight out of films like Wallace Berman's Aleph, or some of the better films of Robert Smithson. The evolution of human interaction, first with nature, later with the our controlled environment, and finally with space, is apparent as the meaning flows out across the film. This story of our first voyage to Mars is built on impression and metaphor more than delivery and linearity, which makes every image significant. A spider in its web has implications in the thought of humanity as a building animal, and the rest of creation (as we see it) being caught in its web. There is so much here to be waded through that multiple viewing is not only required, but strenuously rewarded. It is a worthy entry into the Avant Garde of the 21st century. You can see more at http://dokuweb.hu/en/footprints/

Four Wise Monkeys - Julija Iruskinaite
There is a new British cinema rising. It's small, underground, but you can see it starting to break through. These are personal stories, typical character studies focusing on young people, and they are typically made on tiny budgets. Four Wise Monkeys belongs in this group, and it is an interesting, if imperfect, entry. The story features Shawn, heartbroken after being dumped, dealing with his friends, family, and life in a very difficult manner. He's the focus of the film, and the performance of James Unsworth is strong, but the flaw is we never seem to connect deeply with the scenario. The scenes play out well, but there is less emotional resonance coming from the characters until the final moments. That is a feature of these kinds of films, something perhaps borrowed from New York mumblecore or the disaffected Millennial cinema that is bubbling up in LA and Austin. The skilled eye of director Julija Iruskinaite, who has produced a film with strong movement, good pacing, intelligent plotting, and wise cinematography, manages to make this a movie that seems to draw you in, but also keep you at something of a distance. You can see the trailer at ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Fy5AVrhEk