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!
Wrong Game, an animation by Maunel Succi, was a finalist in one of the very first FILMSshort competitions. It is a thought-provoking look at the problem of child soldiers, especially in Africa. Manuel is a graduate of Video Design from the Instituto Europeo di Design in Rome, Italy. His work focuses on how the "synchronization of forms, colors, light and sounds" can incite human emotion.
A Message From Fallujah, co-written by Shane Briant and its director, Richard Gibson, won several awards on the short film festival circuit, playing particularly well in North America. Set in war-torn Iraq, A Message From Fallujah centres on Daniel Crane, an American civilian engineer who is kidnapped by an extremist group of militia. In an impossible situation, he manages to escape his captives but finds himself in a nightmarish realm outside his prison.
A winner of the Academy Award for Best Short Film, Two Soldiers is one of the longest shorts on the site. However, it is to its credit that it does not feel particularly long. Set during WWII, it is a touching account of a young boy who wants to join his brother in the "war at Pearl Harbour". It's very American (was 9/11 a factor in its win?) but a great performance by Ron Perlman (aka Hellboy) makes you more likely to cry than vomit by the end.