In my wanderings through many a wikipedia tangent I somehow discovered this gem and decided to give it a shot. This short film deservedly won the 1995 Oscar for live action short film. It creates the dark, disturbing, nightmarish atmosphere with many dashes of humor (especially if one is familiar with his work), and climaxes with Capra’s overly upbeat charm. Enjoy! Read More…
With St. Paddy’s Day just a few days away I thought it would be the perfect time to exhibit some fine Irish filmmaking from the director who brought us In Bruges. If you’re a fan of director Martin McDonagh then you have got to see his first short film which was shot just four years prior to his breakout hit, In Bruges. Six Shooter not only stars Brendan Gleeson, but is every bit as humorously dark, if not darker than In Bruges was, plus the dialogue is equally witty. Enjoy both parts 1 and 2 of this short (which is roughly 30 minutes) after the jump. Read More…
This short documentary film from London (roughly 20 or so minutes) is exceptional in both its fly on the wall simplicity and its profound look at humanity.
For all of you who love people watching and/or have ever wondered what or where that stranger in the elevator next to you was thinking you have got to see Marc Isaacs’ short documentary Lift. Check out the short film after the jump. Read More…
This week I decided on featuring two short films by director, Jonathan Browning. The combined running time of both of these films is just under the 6 minute mark, so you really have no excuse to not check out what I like to describe as first-rate white-collar comedy. Unless, of course you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like to laugh. Is that you? I didn’t think so.
Check out these two amusing shorts after the jump. Read More…
“Alma, a little girl, skips through the snow covered streets of a small town. Her attention is caught by a strange doll in an antique toy shop window. Fascinated, Alma decides to enter.” – IMDB
Sure, this short is kid-friendly, but boy am I glad I never saw this as a kid. To say anymore about this surprisingly creepy short film would truly spoil the fun.
Check out the short film after the jump Read More…
Being that this is Oscar month I thought I would post one of my favorite short documentary’s to win the golden statue. Director Sarah Kernochan, an already award winning documentarian (won best documentary at the 1973 Oscars for Marjoe) takes us into the wonderful and eccentric world of the street performer, Thoth. This 2002 winning short film is both fascinating and wonderful in its exploration of this immensely talented figure who clearly marches to his own drum. The short is a bit on the long side (42 minutes), but if you enjoy seeing stories on interesting and unique individuals, I assure you that it is well worth your time. Read More…
One of the hardest things to do in all professional sports is to throw a no-hitter in baseball. Dock Ellis threw one on LSD. Every no-no requires a little bit of luck, in Dock’s case he had a whole lot. This clever animated short is a tribute to one of the craziest moments in sports. An athlete reaching the top of his game while on drugs that are clearly not performance enhancing.
This past Tuesday the nominees for the 83rd Academy Awards were announced. While much of the focus were on the contenders for Best Picture, Actor, Actress and Director, I personally was excited to see The Gruffalo be nominated for best animated short. I was lucky enough to catch that short at last year’s San Francisco Animated Film Festival and I think it deserves to win. With the shorts part of the program often being overlooked by the mainstream I thought it would be nice to shed some light on some of the winners of past years. Follow the jump to see the winner of last year’s 82nd Academy Award for Best Animated Short, Francois Alaux, Herve de Crecy, and Ludovic Houplain’s Logorama. Read More…
