ED'S FAVOURITES - 3
Four more short movies that pull everything together into perfection.
It takes a long time, talent and dedication to make shorts this good.
Best Man by Freddie Hall (2016) (UK) (4m)
Best Man won three awards in the 12th FILMSshort competition, including the Grand Prize. It tells the story of the newly engaged Donald, who wants his good friend, Patrick, to be the best man at his wedding. The caveat is that, if Patrick is to be his best man, his first task is to get Donald out of the marriage by getting rid of his fiancée, which, as well as being somewhat contradictory, leads Patrick to believe that Donald has in fact lost his mind. When the bride-to-be turns up, Patrick faces a problem.
Above by Jorn Threlfall (2015) (UK) (11m) 
Above was nominated for a BAFTA in 2016, the year that Operator won. Mostly told through a series of external wide shots shown in reverse order, this drama short film is focused on a crime scene. Someone has died but how exactly did that happen? It is extremely effective and surprisingly tense as we wait for the event to happen. The event itself was inspired by a true story. If you like the BAFTA-nominated short film Above by John Threlfall be sure to rate it and share it.
7:35 In The Morning by Nacho Vigalondo (2003) (Spain) (8m)
Nominated for an Oscar in 2005, it's impossible not to like 7:35 In The Morning (7:35 De La Mañana), written and directed by Nacho Vigalondo. It starts off in a slightly eerie fashion, with a woman entering a cafe for her normal morning cup of coffee but with no-one speaking or, indeed, moving. It seems she has a secret admirer who has come up with an unusal way of approaching his intended...
Bus 44 by Dayyan Eng (2001) (China) (11m)
Written and directed by Dayyan Eng, Bus 44 (Che si shi si, 车四十四 ) is one of my all time favourites. A nation of one billion souls should also appear in these pages. Bus 44 is one of those dramas that questions the human race. A bus travelling through rural China is boarded by robbers, who then turn their attention on the female driver. But who on the bus will put themselves at risk to help her? Bus 44 won an honourable mention at the Sundance Film Festival.
