ONLY THE BEST SHORT FILMS
Film Of The Week: 8 by Acim Vasic
8 by Acim Vasic (2010) (Serbia/ Swiss) (9m) *
Written and directed by Acim Vasic, 8 was the winner of the fourth FILMSshort competition and is a masterful example of how to create a film with no dialogue. Two soldiers from opposing armies (the naughts and the crosses) find themselves alone in a snowy forest. A game of cat and mouse ensues as the pendulum swings between them - but there are ultimately few winners in the game of war!
Mister Hollow by Gudiño & 
Marcone ('08) (Canada) (6m) *
The Facts In The Case Of Mister Hollow is one of my peronal favourites. It was co-directed by Rodrigo Gudiño and Vincent Marcone with the writing credit attached to Gudino. Once again, Canada brings us the best in animation with this deceptively simple short horror flick. It is apparently based upon a real-life photograph from the 1930s, while its title references The Facts In The Case of M. Valdemar, a short story by the grandfather of horror, Egdar Allen Poe.
Punta Salinas by Maria Del Mar Rosario (2023) (Puerto Rico) (12m)
Puerto Rican drama Punta Salinas tells the story of a young woman who loses her virginity at a party but does not take any precautions. With the boy in question proving hard to reach, she is left waiting for her period to see if she has fallen pregnant. It is a beautifully shot, poetic drama that successfully utilises its seaside location.
Emilie Muller by Yvon Marciano (1994) (France) (20m)
I was put onto Emilie Muller by Acim Vasic, the director of '8' and it quickly became one of my favourites. It is a confident and rewarding film: you know some kind of twist is coming but you just don't know what. Emilie is auditioning for a part in a film because her friend has pulled out of the audition. The director asks her to talk about what is inside her handbag. Marciano passed away in 2011 but this will live on for many years!
The Bloody Olive by Vincent Bal (1996) (Belgium) (10m)
The Bloody Olive is a slick, funny spoof from Belgium, where the comedy deepens as things go from crazy to crazier and then up a notch. Don't try to follow the details of the ever-changing plot too closely - just sit back and enjoy one stupid twist after another! Bal went on to make the succesful TV animated series, Kirka & Bob, while the ending of Community episode Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design closely resembles this film.
The Naughty List by Paul Campion (2016) (USA) (9m)
A competition finalist, The Naughty List reminds us that Santa Claus will visit all the world's children on Christmas Eve, even if the child in question - Vince - is an adult mobster hiding out with his partner-in-crime in a secluded cabin. The problem is that Vince's partner does not believe in Santa Claus and, fearing the stranger could be a hitman, is tempted to put a slug in him. For his part, Santa Claus is no saint, but how will this unusual situation end, and will the rest of the world's children get their presents tonight?
Susana by Amandine Thomas & Gerardo Coello Escalante (2025) (USA/Mex) (15m)
Susana played at Sundance in 2025. It sees a middle-aged American tourist stranded in Mexico City after her daughter pulls out of a cruise at the last minute. Feeling more alone than usual, the kindly but timid Susan befriends a group of young Americans, and tries to embrace life. However, she must learn that she cannot rely on anyone, whether family or new-found friends when it comes to living.
Mei by Arvin Chen (2006) (USA/Taiwan) (11m)
One of those sweet, understated romantic dramas, Mei is the story of a young man who works on a noodles stall run by a father and daughter. He is, of course, in love with the daughter but the eponymous girl in question plans to use her English language skills to leave Taiwan and find a job in New York. Will our reticent hero pluck up the courage to tell her how he feels or will something else come out of his mouth..? It won a Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
I'll Wait For The Next One by P. Orreindy (2002) (France) (4m)
Co-written by Thomas Gaudin and its director, Philippe Orreindy, I'll Wait For The Next One (J'attendrai le Suivant) was nominated for the 2003 Oscar for Best Short. I'll Wait For The Next One is a bitter-sweet tale of a lonely woman being offered the chance of true love on the Paris metro. I actually find it hard to watch it's so sorrowful! Orreindy has been making films for a while and has apparently been working on a feature, The Ummo Mystery.
The Last 3 Minutes by Po Chan (2010) (US) (5m) *
Written and directed by American cinematographer Po Chan, The Last 3 Minutes is an unashamedly tear-jerking flashback through a dying man's life. Every shot is lovingly crafted and there are some beautiful American landscapes - as one might expect from an American DoP! Shot in 2010, Chan also showed the possibilities of the new class of video-capable DSLR cameras like the Canon 5D. It may not be to everyone's tastes but her film is truly filmic...
Autumn Leaves by Saman Hosseinpuor (2015) (Iran) (4m) *
Autumn Leaves was voted Best Short Short in the 10th FILMSshort competition. It tells the story of a little girl who wants to stay at home and play with a fallen leaf but must go to school instead. We follow her as she makes her way through the streets until she arrives at school, where leaves are no longer a source of amusement. It is a subtle, dialogue-free film full of beautiful shots and showing a side of Iran not normally seen by Westerners.
