Many years ago, while my father was working on his Bonsai plants in the garden, my mother said to me “He made my life a Bonsai” The result, decades later was this extremely personal work intertwining the technically brutal creation of the beautiful bonsai tree with the life of my mother.
Review by Andie Karvelis
Director and Choreographer Leslie Watanabe has done an artful job with this film. One of the most clever things is to incorporate two narrators. David Janowiak and June Wright provide the voices for the film and both are so important for the story. David takes you on an educational journey about the Bonsai trees while June provides the voice of the “Mother”.
You can definitely see the correlation between the Bonsai and June’s portrayal, entwining them into one story. This was only heightened by the creativity of the dancers and Leslie’s choreography. The way the dancers formed the different shapes of the trees and the film superimposed that tree over their image was lovely.
The film’s score was provided by Lance Riley and it was absolutely beautiful. It captured your imagination and transported you to Japan. The costumes were amazing to see, very traditional Japanese and I personally loved learning about the different types of Bonsai trees.
CaSSIS is a high-resolution color stereo camera in Mars orbit, making remarkable images of the Red planet. So what mysteries has it revealed today?
Review by Victoria Angelique:
“CaSSIS.Mars Demystified”has the feel of a science museum, IMAX movie that is part of the experience of learning in a fun, educational manner. Many individuals are curious about Mars, which is one of the main draws to a film like this and filmmaker Dr. Tatiana Keller (Drozhzhova) does not disappoint as this film is quite entertaining.
A big draw to CaSSIS is the narrator, Dr. Nicolas Thomas’ soothing voice. He recites the script in a way that is engaging and full of energy, rather than just using a textbook educational monotone voice. His voice is accompanied by the familiar score of classical music and space theme composer’s masterpiecesthat help the viewer on the explorative journey to stay intrigued throughout the film. The script is written in elementary terms so that everyone can understand the science describing the red planet; even those who might have a basic comprehension of scientific findings would enjoy this film.
The visual elements use a mix of realistic Martian landscape and space computer graphics, high-resolution Mars imagesfrom the CaSSIS camera, animation and documentary-style film angles, shows off the creativity of the filmmakers in a way to keep viewers of all ages interested in this film.The comic-style storyline with Detective Nick and a cute Caterpillar makes the movie very attractive. The narration isn’t the only thing driving this film, but the parallels and contrasts between Earth and Mars to show how the red planet’s surface is formed is a great technique that was used frequently throughout the film. The film ends abruptly, yet the “to be continued” explains why as there are more studies to come as Mars is further explored. It gives way to turning this film from a short film into a feature documentary as CaSSIS continues to explore and take images of the red planet.
A musical gardener ejects his hired hand, leading to things on his little planet going horribly astray.
Review by Victoria Angelique:
The simplistic beauty of the animated film HINTER-LAND is reminiscent of vintage shorts that are still much loved today as this film would fit right in with Betty Boop, Felix the Cat and other cartoon classics. The animator, Christopher Angus, clearly has a love for the history of animation by giving nods to the classics while adding in his own story and unique animation style within this multilayered film.
The surface story is one that is familiar. Two friends whose friendship ends and they turn into enemies over a single fight. Todd is a happy and magical character that can bring light and life into his world, whereas his former friend is angry as he sucks color and life out of their planet. The powerful notion shows how intense anger can physically change people, turning everything they touch into darkness as they destroy what makes others happy, stuck in one’s own narrative rather than focusing on the truth.
The animated short also shows the importance in preserving nature. Todd carefully cultivates sunflowers, trying to bring life back into his world. He is oblivious to what his former friend is doing as he uses his skills to care for life until his friend finally makes him snap. The film has an unexpected twist from such a bright character when Todd kills his former roommate by summoning the sun and other planets to aid in destroying the darkness of the world.
Sound plays an important role in elevating HINTER-LAND. The music leads the characters going from whimsical to dark before the world is destroyed. The score plays with emotions so that the audience can feel what each of the characters are feeling, making both of the former friends sympathetic characters.
The film depicts the actions of individuals and nature working together, both in harmony and destruction to show how the choices of one can affect another before plunging the scenery into darkness to the point where it takes a fight to bring light back into the world. Angus ends the film with a perfect quote from Alister E. McGrath to summarize this beautifully animated short as there are many interconnected levels to this film.
When introvert, Aaron, finds himself struggling under the weight of a revelation, he dreams of escaping to the only place he can breathe. But escape has a cost, and he must ask himself if it is a price he is willing to pay.
Review by Andie Karvelis
How wonderful would it be to live in a world where we are accepting of each other’s differences. A world where we don’t judge someone by the way they look, what their interests are or how they speak. A world where empathy and compassion come first…but that’s not the world we live in, is it?
Writers; Richard Bazley, Neil Bason, and Connor Wulfric have brilliantly crafted Censure. From the moment this film opens it captures your attention with a lone figure walking through a tunnel alongside a calm creek. There is such a haunting sadness about that very first black and white shot that it leaves you spellbound. I’m a sucker for a good black and white film, and Director of Photography, John E. Fry delivers an exquisite one. John understands how to make black and white absolutely sing with depth, tone, and contrast.
I’m also a sucker for clever film making, and I got exactly that with Censure. That lone figure walking through the tunnel? That’s our protagonist, Aaron, who is portrayed by Connor Wulfric. Connor’s performance is absolutely exceptional, he is able to create such nuances with Aaron’s personality that you can’t help but have empathy for him. You genuinely like the guy!
Director Richard Bazley did a wonderful job keeping every aspect very believable. Personally, I loved how we don’t see the rest of Aaron’s family, we only hear them ( until the very end ). It conveys just how alone Aaron really is, his home which is supposed to be a safe haven is really a psychological and emotional hell. Tom Conti, Vivien Taylor, and Elaine M. Ellis all do an incredible job as Aaron’s abusive family members.
The raw emotion in this film is heightened by an incredible score provided by Adrian Chivers and Noise in Your Eye. Ingeniously the filmmakers reveal the “how it happened” after we see the twist ending. You can’t help but be in a moral quandary at the end because you still genuinely like the guy!
Obviously, I am very long winded about Censure but only because it’s THAT good. It’s the kind of film that makes you wonder what you would have done in Aaron’s place. It also inspires you to be a more compassionate person and consider how our words and actions affect those around us. Thank you Richard, Neil, and Connor for that reminder and for a brilliant short film!
.. love fairy tale situated on undefinite time ,an research for an ideal harmony between woman and the man ..
Review by Andie Karvelis:
Prepare to embark on an abstract journey through infinite time and space. Through this endless void of loneliness you have one objective, one driving need…love.\
Love is something that all of us desire. Whether it’s the romantic kind or the kind of love you feel for friends and family. Love inspires us, it comforts us, and it gives us hope. The filmmakers of “V” crafted an enigmatic tale through computer generated animation that was stylishly done.
The music threaded throughout the film is impressive and reminded me of a heart beating.
V invites you to be subjective and take what you want from it. I think that was very clever of the filmmakers because love is, after all, subjective.
Wild Territory explores the relationship between a daring wildlife photographer, Etienne Littlefair, and the vast freshwater ecosystems that define Australia’s far north. From free-diving in murky water to find crocodiles and rare turtles, to spending days on end staking out drying riverbeds for parrots and finches, Etienne and his wife Cara go to extreme lengths to photograph rare and under-appreciated species – all with the hope to spread awareness and appreciation for the wildlife and waterways they have come to care so much about. This film is a combination of beautiful imagery, exceptional wildlife, and true human connection with nature. It is a testament to the importance of protecting what we have before it’s gone.
Review by Andie Karveli:
Samuel Riley has single handedly given us an insightful and beautiful documentary about wildlife photographer Etienne Littlefair and his wife, Cara Littlefair.
Putting together a documentary like this is no small feat. Samuel wrote, directed, produced, edited and filmed this stunning short in Australia’s wilderness. He definitely captured the vast beauty of this land with sweeping drone shots to awe inspiring underwater images.
Samuel also introduces us to the talents of Etienne Littlefair and his wife, Cara. Their love of the Australian outback is infectious and the jaw droppingly beautiful photographs Etienne has captured of the wildlife there is unparalleled.
Even if you are not a very outdoorsy person this film will inspire you to explore your own backyards and perhaps see wildlife you hadn’t noticed before
SEDUCTIVE DEVOTION, 7min,. USA
Directed by Destin Gerek
In a society where narratives of male perpetrators and harm inflicted upon women prevail, “Seductive Devotion” emerges as a powerful experimental short film presenting an inspiring alternative. Through captivating imagery and a stirring poetic voiceover, the film portrays a positive model of how a man can profoundly and healingly show up for a woman. It challenges societal norms and redefines love, intimacy, and relationships, highlighting the transformative energy between souls. “Seductive Devotion” celebrates vulnerability, courage, empathy, strength, receptivity, and grace, igniting a yearning for the level of committed desire depicted on screen. In a time marked by mistrust and division, this visually arresting and emotionally resonant film offers a refreshing perspective on the healing power of love and understanding, fostering positive change in our perception and engagement in intimate relationships.
The intense poetry coupled with the brilliant cinematography invokes feelings of intrusion and intimacy in the film SEDUCTIVE DEVOTION. Attention is grabbed instantly through the opening shot, which only builds with the score and the romantic, breathy recitation of the spoken prose. The entire film feels like a moment stuck in time, repeating over and over as the viewer witnesses the extraordinary chemistry between the love artists, Elie Prana and Destin Gerek.
The entire nature of the prose gives the feeling of witnessing a private, almost forbidden nature of the couple. Writer and Director Destin Gerek is brilliant as his shots and poetry touch the soul of a woman’s heart, speaking what many women long to hear from their significant others. It leaves the heart racing when seeing how the man worships his lover as if she’s his entire world. It’s not just about sex, but the desires of each other to create an epic romance by imbedding each other into the other’s spirit.
SEDUCTIVE DEVOTION feels as if it belongs with the classics, as Gerek is not afraid of judgement from his words and film, but using them to touch others soul to soul. The shots and wardrobe gives the feeling of an epic romance from ages long past. The film exudes beauty within every frame.
The film draws from several pop culture references, while still remaining on its own. It’s a beautiful work of art and the desire to know this couples entire story allows imaginations to run wild. The fact that the world is witnessing a small glimpse of what couples usually leave private aids to the feeling of the remarkable short.
EIGHT OF SWORDS, 19min., UK, Drama
Directed by Patricia Downey
Set in Belfast, in an ordinary house, in an ordinary street – it could be your street or next door. Helena from Poland and locals Patsy and Eva fight for survival under the rein of Russian Human traffickers.
Review by Victoria Olson:
The film, EIGHT OF SWORDS, gives an inside look at the world of human trafficking from the perspective of the women who’ve been victimized to the point that they’ve become numb to the harsh realities of their world. Director Patricia Downey did a wonderful job at depicting the coldness of a subject many artists refuse to capture in ways that feel realistic. This film was nuanced, showing the reasons each of the women became involved in trafficking drugs and sex while still portraying them as human beings that can easily hide amongst the general public without anyone suspecting that something might be wrong behind closed doors.
The leader of this particular operation, Patsy, at first glance appears cold and callous. She’s merely doing what it takes to survive so that her daughter is not killed in Cairo. This is something she proves when she’s willing to kill Helena to protect her own child. Helena is quite the opposite, protecting her own son but wanting to go to the police to be done with this world.
This film also has an important aspect that anyone addicted to social media and desperate for fame should see as it portrays the real dangers behind apps such as TikTok. Olivia should have had a bright future, but she trusted who she met online and ends up in a would where she might never see her family again as she’s trafficked to different parts of the world. This is something many individuals, particularly adolescents, should see because it puts the scenario into a real world situation that is understandable and frightening rather than just words that often fall on deaf ears.
Downey used a brilliant technique of not using a score, making this film feel more like a documentary rather than a narrative. This method is a way that will stick with the viewer as they witness what the world is like from the victims and that it is not an easy situation to walk away from to get help.
Human trafficking is a relevant topic discussed on social media platforms and in the news media on how to end it and who’s involved, when a film like EIGHT OF SWORDS shows that it would be difficult to discern who truly is involved as the victims can blend in with the rest of the society. This film can bring further discussion on the travesty that is drug and sex trafficking so that perhaps one day it can be put in the past as a moment of the world’s dark past.
THE BEF, 9min., USA
Directed by Eric Burleson
While being pursued by a police officer, a young boy struggles with his
decisions for the baby in his care and how to help his sick mother.
Review by Andie Karvelis
I love films that surprise me. Films that take me on an emotional journey through compassion, sadness, hope, tenderness, suspense, unease and then jaw dropping shock! When a film can do THAT in under 10 minutes, that’s pretty damn amazing! The Bef did exactly that.
Producer and Director Eric Burleson co-wrote this with Matt Noll and they expertly crafted a riveting story. They left clues along the way, but withheld enough to keep you guessing and ingeniously deliver a twist you don’t see coming. Matt Noll also handled the Cinematography and it is beyond perfect. Eric Burleson’s directorial skills are equally as impressive, as was our main actor, Jacob Shapiro who played “Sammy”.
It’s Sammy’s story that we are following and Jacob does an amazing job conveying a wide range of emotion for a young actor. Part of what makes this story so marvelous is the talent of Eric’s directing and Jacob’s acting skills. What helps tie it all together is a great Make-up artist, Nicolete Tereshko and Visual Effects artist, Mitch Reaser. Roy James is so believable as the cop looking for Sammy and Allison Granite gave an incredible performance as the Mom.
This is one of those films I could go back and watch over and over and still find something new that I missed. I’m going to amend my earlier statement, I love clever films that surprise me.
FIRST SLOVAK PRIDE, 29min,. Slovakia
Directed by Roman Stranai
What is PRIDE? How it came about in Slovakia? Was the 2010 PRIDE parade in Bratislava the first one in Slovakia? Activists from the 2010 PRIDE team as well as Hana Fabry, Jaroslav Gyurik, which where present in queer activism in the early 90s talk about important events which led to the creation of the first PRIDE parade in Slovakia.
Review by Parker Jesse Chase
“First Slovak Pride” is a poignant and inspiring documentary capturing a pivotal historical moment, shedding light on the long road this LGBTQ+ community travels towards true equality and acceptance. Roman Stráñai masterfully guides us through the journey of the first creation of Slovak Pride, providing an intimate glimpse into the struggles, triumphs, and heartfelt experiences of individuals fighting for their right to be seen, heard, and celebrated.
Set against the backdrop starting in the early 90s, the film follows the remarkable journey of LGBTQ+ activists as they embark on the groundbreaking mission to establish a safe haven for public expressions of homosexuality and the forging of connections among like-minded souls. Through personal accounts and powerful imagery, the film delves into the complex and emotional process of coming out, emphasizing the importance of fostering understanding and compassion within a society who has long suppressed these voices.
The documentary’s standout moment is when two brides, adorned in rainbow veils, leave a trail of hope and symbolism through the rainy streets of Slovakia. As raindrops fall, a radiant rainbow emerges in a fountain – a timeless memory that encapsulates both the struggles and the inherent beauty of the LGBTQ+ community’s fight for visibility.
“First Slovak Pride” doesn’t shy away from the challenges faced by the activists. The narrative paints a vivid picture of the difficulties they encountered in their bid to organize the Pride March, including the threat of extremist opposition and the eventual cancellation of the first event held. However, the film expertly shifts the focus to the silver linings, highlighting the accidental formation of a rainbow-flag-adorned human chain across a bridge, a testament to the resilience and unity of those pushing for change.
As the years progress, the documentary artfully illustrates the evolution of Slovak Pride from a human rights campaign to a vibrant week-long celebration. Stráñai takes us through the transformation, demonstrating that while progress is being made, the fight for equality is an ongoing battle, a marathon rather than a sprint.
Through compelling storytelling and a well-crafted narrative, “First Slovak Pride” emphasizes the importance of activism and community-building. It serves as a reminder even in the face of adversity, individuals can come together to challenge societal norms, and gradually transform a nation’s perspective. The film underscores the significance of pride, not just as a colorful spectacle, but as a powerful force for social change and acceptance.
Roman Stráñai’s direction shines as he captures the emotional highs and lows of this inspiring journey. With an eye for detail, he guides the audience through the streets of Slovakia, effectively translating the atmosphere and emotions of the era onto the screen. The documentary’s culmination, an awe-inspiring shot of the expanding crowd overlooking the country, leaves a lasting impact, symbolizing the triumph of unity and the emergence of a brighter future.
“First Slovak Pride” is an extraordinary cinematic exploration of a crucial turning point in Slovak LGBTQ+ history. Through Stráñai’s lens, the film honors the bravery of those who dared to demand equality, celebrate diversity, and pave the way for a more inclusive society. This documentary is a testament to the indomitable human spirit, an eloquent call to action, and a vibrant tapestry of hope, resilience, and the unbreakable bonds of community.
Festival Reviews 