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HIGHLIGHTS: January 2018 EUROPEAN Festival

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europeanshortfilmfestival's avatarEUROPEAN Short Film and Screenplay Festival

FILM AWARD WINNERS:

BEST FILM: Our Wonderful Nature

BEST PERFORMANCE: Mamma

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: City of My Heart

BEST MUSIC: The Flow

Watch Audience FEEDBACK Videos:


festival posterBOLD GREEN, 28min., Germany, Romance/Drama 
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK
festival posterMARTINA, OH MARTINA, 12min., Spain, Romance/Drama 
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

festival posterMAMMA, 5min., Italy, Crime/Thriller
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK
festival posterTHE FLOW, 3min., Belgium, Adventure
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

festival posterCITY OF MY HEART, 4min., Greece, Documentary 
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK
festival posterSTUPID SMARTPHONE THERAPY, 4min., Germany, Experimental
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

festival posterHONEYMOON, 3min., Switzerland, Romance 
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK
festival poster21ST CENTURY HERMIT, 3min., UK, Documentary 
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

festival posterTHE WAVES, 4min., UK, Animation
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK
festival posterOUR WONDERFUL NATURE, 3min., Germany, Animation
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

festival posterDEAR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, 4min., UK, Documentary/War
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK
festival posterBE THE ONE, 5min., Switzerland, Crime/Music Video
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

The theme of the EUROPEAN Short Film Festival was “DETERMINATION”

Every film was about a character who had a purpose to venture…

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Film Review: BE THE ONE, Switzerland, Crime/Music Video

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A five minute  experimental music video from Switzerland, BE THE ONE is a strongly visual and deeply gritty crime-centric piece. Two charismatic robbers enter a strip club to do a deal and must face a host of equally rough-and-tumble archetypes along the way.

Powerfully cinematic with its style and approach, this music video boasts a high production value and strong artistic license. Laced with nuance, it is worth watching twice to catch the small details that pull the piece together. As with many music videos, the cinematic story itself is highly dependant on the musical component, but the visual work in BE THE ONE compliments the musical score extremely well.  A strong, emotional musical piece paired with strong emotional visuals makes a powerful experimental film that is satisfying on many levels. A rollercoaster joy ride of bad-boy wish-fulfillment, BE THE ONE is an escapist fantasy.  

Review by Kierston Drier

PLAYED at the January 2018 EUROPEAN Film Festival.

WATCH the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

BE THE ONE, 5min., Switzerland, Crime/Music Video
Directed by Remo Fritzsche Two charismatic robbers face a variety of strong stereotypes and a major twist while attempting to obtain a mysterious bag from their adversaries.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Film Review: DEAR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, UK, Documentary/War

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Riveting, impactful, emotional and honest, DEAR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY is hard-hitting and compelling look at the international crisis affected refugees in the middle east. Directed by filmmaker Henrik Friis, this film is a brave look at the front lines of the international conflict happening in our world.

In an age flooded with news and information, it is easy to get lost in the conflicts of others and it is hard to resist the urge to pull the blinds from conflicts that do not affect us. Until, that is, we realize that we are all connected.

A bold statement on poverty, humanity and staying awake and informed, DEAR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY is a call-to-action, and an appeal to lend out our hands to other humans in need. A strong piece to be seen, well done to Henrik Friis.

Review by Kierston Drier

PLAYED at the January 2018 EUROPEAN Film Festival.

WATCH the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

DEAR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, 4min., UK, Documentary/War
Directed by Henrik Friis After travelling to the frontlines of Iraq and the border of Syria for the past several years documenting the war against ISIS, ‘Dear International Community’ is a short video documenting the hundreds of encounters we’ve had across Europe and Iraq.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

DEAR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY Short Film – Audience FEEDBACK Video from UNDER 5min. Jan. 2018 Festival

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under5minutefilmfestival's avatarUnder 5 minute & Smartphone festival

DEAR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, 4min., UK, Documentary/War
Directed by Henrik Friis 

After travelling to the frontlines of Iraq and the border of Syria for the past several years documenting the war against ISIS, ‘Dear International Community’ is a short video documenting the hundreds of encounters we’ve had across Europe and Iraq.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

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Film Review: OUR WONDERFUL NATURE, Germany, Animation

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Like staring at a big bowl of candy, this film offers joy, delight and enthusiasm. OUR WONDERFUL NATURE is a three minute German animation in a mock-documentary style about the ravenous and foolhardy cameleon.

Brimming with physical comedy, polished images and laugh-out-loud moments, OUR WONDERFUL NATURE is packed with lush humour and frame-by-frame comedy. A film to engage and delight every viewer, this piece is like eating a huge slice of cake! Thankfully for the viewer, our eyes aren’t going to be too big for our stomach- the same can’t be said for our dear Chameleon.

Review by Kierston Drier

PLAYED at the January 2018 EUROPEAN Film Festival.

WATCH the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

OUR WONDERFUL NATURE, 3min., Germany, Animation
Directed by Tomer EshedThe feeding habits of the common cameleon as never seen before.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Film Review: THE WAVES, UK, Animation

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A bright and unique animation, this four minute UK film brought to us by director Oscar Lewis tells a deeply moving story. An artist retells his childhood memories through simple and vibrants animations- softened and slightly surreal, the way distant memories often feel. Poetic and interpretive in nature, the film appeals to a love of high contrast. On one hand, the bright, youthful images dance carefree in the minds of the viewers- on the other hand, the adult recounting these memories seems to hint at a darkness that lurks within him- sometime after these early memories, sometime before his current point.

Laced with occasionally ominous undertones, but still managing to captures the purity and innocence of youth THE WAVES is a love letter to childhood. It is a short film that carefully wraps up memory and tucks it safely away from the harsh realities of adulthood. A deep and compelling animated film.

Review by Kierston Drier

PLAYED at the January 2018 EUROPEAN Film Festival.

WATCH the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

THE WAVES, 4min., UK, Animation
Directed by Oscar LewisAn artist returns to his work after suffering a mental breakdown.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!

Film Review: 21ST CENTURY HERMIT, UK, Documentary

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The story of a woman who felt the calling to God since childhood, 21ST CENTURY HERMIT tells the true story of the life of one woman seeking solace and fulfillment through religious sacrifice. Following her through “a-day-in-the-life-of” format, we hear Sister Rachel Denton’s story and her vow to life as a religious hermit. This powerful three minute UK documentary directed by Neil Hall shows us that a happy life is not measured by materials, or conventional success- but measured by the fulfillment of the human heart. When Sister Rachel confesses her recent diagnosis with a terrifying illness, she sets out to make a proverbial bucket list- only to discover so many of her goals and dreams are already being accomplished.

For a film so short and simple, it is racked with depth and emotion. A heartfelt piece indeed.

Review by Kierston Drier

PLAYED at the January 2018 EUROPEAN Film Festival.

WATCH the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

21ST CENTURY HERMIT, 3min., UK, Documentary 
Directed by Neil HallSister Rachel Denton has vowed to spend the rest of her life living as a consecrated hermit in the Catholic faith. A hermit is a person who chooses to live alone, with the intention of finding God. Rarely leaving her house, she lives a life of prayer and solitude. However, she uses the internet and social media to share her experience and distance herself from physically interacting with society.

CLICK HERE – and see full info and more pics of the film!