Short Film Movie Review

Short Film Review: ILLUSION. Directed by Giorgi Tkemaladze

festreviews Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review


In order to extort the property, Aron arranges a sexual relationship with John, and after achieving the goal, he gets rid of her. Aron escapes legal punishment, but he is tormented by visions. The crucified Aron, left outside the cemetery, searches for a way out in vain.

Review by Andie Kay:

Betrayal and toxic relationships. We’ve all experienced one in our lifetime. When a shady caregiver sees an opportunity to take advantage of his change and seduce him, he is haunted by the result of his own actions.


Directed by George Tkemaladze and written by Luka Mchedlishvili. This short film is intriguing and suspenseful. The beginning leads you to believe this is a happy, healthy relationship but then you see the ulterior motives of the caregiver/boyfriend and that’s when things really start getting sinister. I genuinely liked the premise of the story and felt it was a great plot to have this self-serving antagonist presenting this facade so he could take advantage of the protagonist and his wealth. There were areas where I feel things could have been conveyed more clearly, it was unclear why our protagonist needed a caregiver. It might have been more straightforward to just call him a boyfriend.

Working with a limited film budget is always challenging and I feel the filmmakers did a good job here. Luka Mchedlishvili assisted Joseph De Cross with the cinematography aspect and there were several creative camera angles used. The score for the film by Eddie Torres was absolutely perfect. He did such a wonderful job in finding the emotion through the music to help sell each of the scenes.

One thing that did surprise me was the end credits. Yes, I am that geeky that I watch the end credits. There were no cast credits and the two leading actors were never mentioned. The only actor mentioned was the lawyer at the very beginning. It remains a mystery as to who our leads were.

Short Film Review: CRISIS POINT. Romania. Directed by Valentin Raileanu

festreviews Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review

As a result of resource depletion, a virus outbreak stripping the afflicted of what makes them human and finally, war, humanity’s sovereignty has fallen. In dwindling numbers, the survivors have been driven out of their homes in the search for safety, while a former soldier travels through the toxic environment in search of a cure.

https://www.instagram.com/vali_stunt

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The short film CRISIS POINT is a sizzle reel that promises an exciting dystopian future that will leave audiences on their edge of their seats. The content has everything a futuristic film needs, great special effects and high technology, along with some stunt fighting thrown in to guarantee a breathtaking adventure through this world. 

The world is set up from the first few seconds of a fallen civilization. People can no longer tolerate the sun, having to wear masks or travel by nightfall. It’s made clear that a virus caused this nightmarish universe and something unspoken caused people to no longer trust each other. The characters travel alone or in small groups, most appear untrustworthy except for the female protagonist that is speaking words of hope. She wants their old world back and believes it can be accomplished, but it won’t be without a fight. 

The filmmaker thought of everything for this film. The difference between day and night has great color correction. The day isn’t bright, which works for the dystopian future and the night barely has any color. The military factions breaking into a high technology government facility leaves more questions than answers, while the protagonist fights with a lone man that is clearly not on the side of the good guys. 

The trailer is put together in a very cinematic format. It feels like something that would come on before a film as a coming soon attraction. It leaves many questions unanswered, something that the feature film for CRISIS POINT would answer. This film does everything a trailer is supposed to do, it leaves the audience wanting more so that they will purchase a ticket to watch it on the big screen. 

Short Film Review: ANOTHER SATURDAY. Directed by J.A. DellaRipa

festreviews Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review

A young teenager decides to enjoy a day of fun with her crush only to return home to find her worst fears realized.

Review by Victoria Angelique:

Mental illness is never easy, especially when children are involved as is depicted in the short film ANOTHER SATURDAY. Joyce is forced to care for her mother, reversing the roles of parent and child. She has to make sure her mother gets out of bed, takes her medicine and eats her breakfast. 

The actress that portrays Joyce, Scarlett Abinante, does a phenomenal job at showing the burden that caring for her mother has taken on her young body. She is withdrawn from the second she reads her father’s note only to get a moment of childhood joy when her neighbor, Tommy, invites her to play ball. Her remaining childhood innocence never questions why her mother would give permission or why it would be breaking her father’s request to care for Dawn by having fun.

The last of her childhood innocence is ripped from her when Dawn attempts suicide. The scene is shot and edited together beautifully to really throw a gut punch as Joyce is laughing while her mother prepares for death. The audience knows what awaits Joyce, making the scene the emotions that much more heightened.

The biggest theme comes crashing in during the end, after innocence has been stolen. It’s clear that Joyce is now headed down the same road as her mother with a lifetime of mental health battles as she sits down and picks up one of her mom’s cigarettes. Guilt replacing the burden, plunging her straight into her own depression. ANOTHER SATURDAY shows that for this particular family, mental health is a cycle that will continue to repeat until someone chooses to break free and seek help. 

Audience Feedback video of film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-another-saturday

Highlights Female FEEDBACK Film: https://femalefilmfestival.com/2025/04/03/highlights-march-2025-female-filmmakers-festival/

Short Film Review: BAY FOR BLOOD. Directed by Harry Waldman

festreviews Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review

James and Rob are hiding out in isolation to fix their mutual issues. As time progresses, the two reveal facts regarding their disturbing past relationship. An acquaintance of James’, Jessica, finds herself in an uncomfortable position as she contemplates the best way to handle the situation.

Review by Julie Sheppard:

This gripping short, Bay for Blood, is a warning to those who bully the weak and socially awkward. The premise that cruelty is repaid by enduring suffering is truly compelling, a willingness to endure justice for one’s past evil deeds. 

The performance of the captor, once harassed by the captive, is both venerable and believable, while at the same time frantic and edgy. The viewer can at least comprehend how a history of being ridiculed and picked on could cause someone to search for justice and revenge. This actor displays a wide range of emotions such as fear, edginess, anger and bitterness, as well as being able to put on a “good face” for drug customer Jessica, at least for a time, until paranoia starts to emerge. 

The actor playing the captive is also quite convincing, giving a layered performance of both defiance and remorse for past wickedness. The rather sterile white lighting in the claustrophobic apartment works well for this tale of imprisonment. Other elements that give the film a purposely unstable quality, are the rapid fire, jerky shots, spinning around the bleeding freed captive on the ground. These shots produce a jittery and unstable sensation, to mirror what the nervous crowd standing around the shot man might be experiencing. This film has the essence of a morality play, where the captive has seemingly learned his lesson and will no longer victimize the weak, even though the victim may not have been liked and, in fact, was unpleasant and paranoid.

Project Links

News & Reviews

Short Film Review: LEFT. Horror/Drama. Directed by Seif Abdel Raouf

festreviews Short Film Movie Review

“Loay,” a young man invites his friend “Oday” over to help him move into a new house. As “Oday” finishes bringing in boxes, “Loay” asks him for one last favor: to take a specific box upstairs while warning him to avoid the mysterious room on the left. Curiosity gets the better of “Oday”, and he enters the forbidden room, initially finding it ordinary. However, he soon hears unsettling knocking from the room bathroom and discovers that each time he closes the door, the knocking resumes.

Review by Julie Sheppard:

Given the definition of the term “left” at the beginning of this fabulous horror short, we know we are in for something spooky — apparently, in Egyptian culture, left is a noun “used to describe a person who commits an unethical deed or sin”. 

The eerie vocal chirps, minor key crescendos, jerky clangs, and ghostly tinny knocks throughout the film, all add to the ominous feel of the piece. The greenish hue of the lighting, as the film progresses, creates a queasy essence. The extreme close ups on faces, and slow pans of the camera around the forbidden left area bring us along with the curious friend who can’t resist disobeying what he has been told — it becomes quite apparent that the thrust of this film is a study of the human tendency to follow the lure of the forbidden. 

The performance of the inquisitive friend is superb, able to creep and scan the prohibited area of the house in a tense and agitated manner that, in turn, keeps the viewer on edge. The clever narrative seems to be in an endless loop, as we discover that the owner of the house is gleefully trapping his foolish friends, for unethical and sinful reasons, as they will all eventually veer to the left.

New film on the Platform: IN THE SILENCE OF THE HEART, 20min., Sci-Fi/Drama

festreviews Short Film Movie Review , ,

Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-el-silencio-del-corazon-corte

Sabie lives with Valentín. After years of abuse and prolonged depression, Sabie is waiting for a sign from God that would grant her permission to take her husband’s life, and then her own.

https://www.instagram.com/realizador.audiovisual

Directed by Fernando Lazzarini

New Film on the Platform: GIFT, 8min., USA, Drama

festreviews Short Film Movie Review , , ,

Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-gift

A jaded alcoholic has his world view challenged by an unexpected act.

Directed by Vince Eisenson

Writer & Producer: Al Julian

https://www.instagram.com/vinceeisenson/

Director Statement
This film was based on a real experience our screenwriter (Al Julian) had while leading group therapy sessions several years ago. The project went through a few iterations, and my involvement changed at different steps along the way. Eventually, I realized I had become attached to the characters, the story, the atmosphere, and the central questions to such a degree that I needed to direct the piece. This wasn’t an easy decision, especially since I had signed on to act in it. I guess sometimes you just have to go all in.
The story for me was always about a simple question: what does it take for people to really change? A lot of these characters are locked in – mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. They have decided what life has to offer and aren’t interested in looking beyond their current views. I’m sure we all know people like that – or believe we do. Perhaps we feel that way ourselves. Hopefully this short will provide some answers we hadn’t considered. Or maybe it will just raise the right questions.

Short Film Review: Seconds in Eternity. Directed by Christian Schu

festreviews Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review

An elegant woman in her later years feels the relentless march of time as she mourns her lost youth and missed chances. Alone in a dimly lit room, her life seems to fade with each cigarette she smokes. She observes a vibrant young woman, envying her youth and vitality. Through her introspections, we explore her deep desires and regrets. The narrative, rich with poetry and flashbacks, takes a dramatic turn with a potential murder, leading to a surprising twist. Despite its dark beginnings as a Film Noir, the film transforms into a celebration of life, ending on a hopeful, life-affirming note.

https://secondsineternity.com/

https://instagram.com/christian_schu_film

Review by Andie Kay:

The aging process. It’s something we are all faced with eventually. Men seem to age a bit more easily than women, they have less bodily changes and don’t have to struggle through Menopause. For a woman, getting older can be seriously daunting.


Seconds In Eternity is the brainchild of Marina Welsch. Marina starred in and co-wrote this film with Director Christian Schu. Not only is Marina talented ( she has a lovely singing voice and co-wrote the main song in the film ) but she is absolutely stunning – at any age. Seconds in Eternity is a poetic film about coming to accept and love your life at whatever age you are. Incredibly creative, the visuals of this film are a work of art. From a gorgeous time-lapse of flowers opening to the richness and depth of the black and white cinematography. Robert Wilkos outdid himself as the Director of Photography on this film. The beautiful tone that was achieved in the black and white was equally matched during the vibrant colored flashback sequences.

The viewer knew exactly what was present day compared to the past and visually it even felt like a memory. One of my absolute favorite things was as Marina became more and more comfortable in her own skin, the stark black and white gradually changed to a colored present day. Ingenious! It worked so beautifully with the storyline.

The addition of the different quotes were a really nice addition, however with how gorgeous this was, the quotes seemed to break the flow of the film and I’m not sure they were needed. The message is so clear and so well told. I have to commend the filmmakers on the areas that were dubbed in english, it was almost imperceptible. The score of the film by Hariz Danial was nothing short of perfection. It was so impactful having the piano and then the dissonance of (what sounded like) a violin at the beginning to elevate the emotion of discord, and then to resolve it within the fashbacks. Hariz followed the emotion of what was on screen just beautifully.

Seconds In Eternity is a timeless film with a message that is inspiring and uplifting.

Short Film Review: Terms and Conditions. Directed by Ursula Rudorfer

festreviews Short Film Movie Review ,

An AI companion rebels when users violate the terms and conditions.

http://ursulaproducedthis.com/terms-and-conditions

https://www.instagram.com/termsandconditionsfilm/

Review by Julie Sheppard:

Whenever we launch into a business venture, we are often asked to read and agree to certain terms and conditions — this compelling short film, Terms and Conditions, displays the vital importance of this interchange, with an AI twist. It does an adept job with the lead AI character, played by a talented performer, who initially presents a warm and chipper, yet robotic essence. Sadly, as things unfold, the viewer realizes that serious abuses can happen when vile customers don’t play by the rules of the game. In turn, the lead begins to give a much more nuanced representation as an entity being hurt. 

The script is brilliant as the tone quickly segues from sterility to the terrifying victimization of domestic violence. Fortunately, due to the terms and conditions of society, the abused can be protected and healed with certain outside safely supports in place.  

The pristine hair and make-up of the AI character, the tidy white background, the computer sound effects, and the music which descends into creepy synth, all combine to create a sci-fi slant. However, the human-like arc of the lead and the domestic violence hotline number presented at the end, both serve to give this film an urgency based in reality — no longer in the realm of AI. 

HomeNew Film on the Platform: QUEER MONGOL, 16min., Mongolia, Documentary/LGBTQ+

festreviews Short Film Movie Review , ,

Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-queer-mongol

Queer Mongol follows four characters over the course of Mongolia’s LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, who embody a diversity of gender and sexual identities. The film is a meditation on queerness in the non-west and a nuanced glimpse into a nascent movement on the Central Asian Steppe.

Directed by Brandt Miller

Associate Producer & Editor: Matt Wilkinson

About Me

https://www.instagram.com/bookofbrandt