wildsound feedback film festival

Movie Review: HOWELL, 4min, UK, Horror/Comedy (2016)

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MOVIE POSTERHOWELL, 4min, UK, Horror/Comedy
Directed by Leon Williams

Howell is attending a supporters group meeting, along with others that share his condition. He has many issues…but he is trying his best to find himself.

Seen at the July 2016 Under 5min. FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Howl directed by Leon David Williams and starring Leo Bane, is a curious film that straddles the lines of satire and dry comedy. It seems to focus on what appears to be a support group for an unknown affliction. With emphasis on assimilating into normal life leads the viewer to believe that the protagonist is returning from a seedy previous life. The comedy arises in the escalation of strange things our hero fixates on to identify with his new normalcy- such as playing frisbee with his best friend, and culminating in a hilarious scene where he has dinner with his girlfriend and Ex at the same time- and the Ex appears to be a small domesticated dog.

The answer, of course, is that our Hero is a reformed Warewolf. A viewer may be able to grab that reveal from a curious flashback that occurs early in the film. However our hero’s visits to group and his montage of activities showcase his success with integrating his dog-human dichotomy.  If the viewer grabs onto this knowledge early on the end could be lack luster. Yet the humor is palpable, although possibly less apparent to a North American audience acclimatized to a less dry style of humor.  While this reviewer picked up early the secret of our half-Canine hero, it is certainly not a mark against the filmmaker. It could very well be the intent of Williams to have this secret become clear to the audience, so that they can better enjoy the schict of the piece.

Howl, because of its stylistic choices, may not be a film that will have everyone in the audience laughing. But if you appreciate this type of humor, it’s an enjoyable film. It offers laughs, comic spectacle and the ever-important howl at the full moon.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: LOREN THE ROBOT BUTLER: TEACH ME HOW TO DOUGIE! (2016)

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festival posterLOREN THE ROBOT BUTLER: TEACH ME HOW TO DOUGIE!

Seen at the July 2016 Under 5min. FEEDBACK Film Festival in Toronto.

Directed by Paul McGinnis

Loren, a proper British robot and formally the head butler for a very wealthy family, has been replaced with a Roomba and stored in the basement. Now the kids program him to teach them stuff.

Movie Review by Kierston Drier

Light, bright and whimsical, Loren The Robot Butler, written, directed and creatively lead by  Paul McGinnis, entices the inner child of us all. The film’s premise is established in just a few quick moments, and with the help of a charming opening tune, explaining that an outdated robotic butler sits unused in a family’s basement, and spends his retired life teaching children. Perpetually upbeat and sporting the quintessential British Accent, our friendly butler protagonist speaks directly to the audience as though they are the very children of the household where he is kept. At the children’s request, he takes on the mission to teach them how to “Dougie”, from the well known 80’s rapper Doug E. Fresh.

The humor comes easily on several level- most liminally, from the contrast of a British robot butler, attempting to recreate hip-hop music. The upper-crust British sound and robotic movement parodying the relaxed sway of the music beat and hip-hop/rap dialect. Further, there is humor in the form of breaking of the fourth wall with the audience, and from the shock that our robot friend not only executes the dance- but does so exceptionally well!

This piece is a delightful romp through the whimsical world of song and dance as seen through the eyes of a child, but there is a level deeper. It does speak to the element of old technology trying to keep up with the new, modern and current.

The most astonishing, staggering and interesting part of Loren The Robot Butler, however, is not it’s comedy or its use of social commentary. It is it’s artistry. At first glance, this piece could be mistaken as a completely CGI 3D animation. In reality, the entire piece is performed by three puppeteers, manning the upper bottle and each leg independently. The amazing truth is, this exceptionally complicated dance move is performed in perfect execution by highly trained professionals  (Lead by McGinnis) manning one doll behind a green screen, resulting in seamless and flawless dance that passes as computer generated. This is a feat of puppeteer mastery and specialized skill rarely seen in Cinema since Dark Crystal, (Let’s not talk about Team America) and at the very least should be applauded.

Whether Lorne The Robot Butler  is a proof of concept for a delightful children’s TV show, or a demo reel for some exceptional puppeteers, it is regardless a lovely, light comedy sure to entertain.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of the short film:

Movie Review: #UNITED WE WIN. Directed by Henrik Friis

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MOVIE POSTER#UNITED WE WIN, UK

Played at the May 2016 FEEDBACK Film Festival

 

MOVIE REVIEW:

Half dangerous, hald brave and wholly compelling, #UnitedWeWin, directed by Henrik Fiirs, is a documentary turned passionate love letter about the issues surrounding war-torn Iraq. Fiirs and a handful of other early twenty-somethings’ set out to the country with limited assistance from Global Security, to make a film about the middle eastern conflict, after a traumatic video witnessed by the director propelled him to act. The forty minute partial gorilla shooting endeavor is an interesting approach to cinematic filmmaking.

 

#UnitedWeWin has much to be commended on. The director, Fiirs, is a natural born leader, with charisma, charm and a clear thirst to make a social and political difference in the world around him. There is daring, drive and determination in his work, and it is no small feat to arrange a film crew and create a film, halfway around the world, not accounting for age, cost and resources.

 

However, there is a fine line between bravery and foolishness and Fiirs’ piece is not without heavy scrutiny. The film undeniably lacks focus and direction. Bold, emotive, larger-than-life statements litter the piece, such as “what is happening here is evil” and “we all know this isn’t right”. And yet, the social, political, religious and economic issues fueling the Middle-Eastern conflicts are never discussed. As such, the filmmaker glosses over the reason the fuel the film in the first place. The film has the feeling of a director looking for the answer, when he has no idea what the question is.

 

As a result, the goal of the film appears far too abstract and the stakes far too outrageously dangerous to be bought by the audience as a form of consciously planned, well thought-out activism. The film has no clear vision, no clear villains, no clear answers, no focused purpose and, most terrifying to the audience, no sense that the filmmaker and the team really understand how much danger they have put themselves in while making it.



Moving towards the film’s natural style creates some other notes for discussion. The continuity of the piece is rather shady, with whole days of the trip cut out and unaccounted for, and a series of unanswered cliff hangers. There is one scene that focuses on the team touching down in the Middle East and the transportation they arranged to pick them up from the airport is not there. The next major scene shows the team three days later, with no explanation of how the previous situation rectified itself. One section of the film, shot in a refugee camp, was very stylistically shot and edited- a choice that was not consistent with the rest of the film. The team clearly had the skills and the means to produce a film, but they did not produce a film with clear meaning.

 

Fiirs is a young, idealistic filmmaker, producing a heartfelt piece that displays empathy to the struggles of a population he clearly cares deeply for. On that note, he must be commended. He has a strong moral code, strong ideals and passionate desire to tell a story. But his cinematic journey did not hold up a mirror to the crisis in the Middle East, as much as it did hold up a mirror to young filmmakers’ everywhere, asking them to thoroughly understand that questions they are asking, before they risk their lives in finding the answers.

 

by Kierston Drier
Founder of The Bathroom Stall Project
Consultant at TheKayWorks.com
Freelance Film and Television
www.thekayworks.com

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

Movie Review: 1Minute Nature. Directed by Stefanie Visjager & Katinka Baehr

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MOVIE POSTER1Minute Nature

Played at the May 2016 FEEDBACK Film Festival

MOVIE REVIEW:

In a world where words paint wonderful pictures, 1 Minute Nature follows three children as they individually recount memories from the world around them. Animated based on the story each child narrates, 1 Minute Nature is a creative reimagining of the natural world told through the eyes of a child. Both immersive and engaging, and wonderfully whimsical, each story contains cartoon animations elements moving within a real life background.

Each story narrated story recounts a child’s single isolated memory of an interaction with the world around them, but the visual spectacle is meant to shape both the children, and the viewers’ perceptions of the natural world and they way they interact with it. With the animated moving cartoon images overlaid against a stationary real-life background, there is a charming element of fantasy to the piece that is both engaging and delightful. Our three stories capture the tales of first encounters of underwater exploration, favorite animals and even school-age romance, each one weaving a wonderful portrait of childhood experiences with beautiful images.

Short, entertaining, charming and occasionally laughably honest, these three stories offer a break from the everyday world and invite us into a world of color, creativity, imagination and wonder.

by Kierston Drier
Founder of The Bathroom Stall Project
Consultant at TheKayWorks.com
Freelance Film and Television
www.thekayworks.com

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

Movie Review: LIKE A STAR. Directed by Daniele Bonarini

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MOVIE POSTERLIKE A STAR, 10min, Italy, Documentary/Comedy

Played at the May 2016 FEEDBACK Film Festival

Read interview with the director

MOVIE REVIEW:

Like A Star, directed by Daniele Bonarini, follows a special needs actor on his journey from Italy to Texas to receive an award for his recent role in a film. A classic fish-out-of-water story of a European exploring the exociticism of the deep southern United States, this tale is as heartwarming as it is humorous.

 

Within the span of a modest 10 minutes, Like A Star follows a our Hero on a journey that is very much one in a lifetime. From the plane take off in Italy, to landing in Texas, to the discoveries of Cowboy boots, 10-gallon hats, American steaks, Famous sites and culminating with his Award ceremony.. Our hero takes on the world with a sense of childlike wonderment blended with the bravery of an adult jumping into a pool for the first time.

 

Deeply moving with it’s tale, Like A Star’s beauty is that is breaks down the boundaries of otherness that often surround people of special needs from the rest of the world. It tells a story about a human being with the very human wish that bridges together people of all kinds- the wish to be recognized.

 

by Kierston Drier
Founder of The Bathroom Stall Project
Consultant at TheKayWorks.com
Freelance Film and Television
www.thekayworks.com

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

Movie Review: EVERYBODY FALLS DOWN. Directed by Chris Hale

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festival posterEVERYBODY FALLS DOWN

Played at the May 2016 FEEDBACK Film Festival

Read Interview with the Director

MOVIE REVIEW:

Directed by Chris Hale, Everybody Falls Down steps into “ a day in the life” of Syrian Refugees living in a fenced in compound outside of Kurdistan after the mass displacement of Syrians due to social and political unrest in Syria. Shot in 2015 the piece is highly current and resonant with the issues populating north american as well as global media today. What is the fate of the displaced Syrian people? Everybody Falls Down is a deeply emotive tapestry evoking empathy, solidarity and hope for the Syrian refugees. The documentary follows the lives of families, couples and children, showing their working lives and living conditions. The film focuses on how the people manage to keep their culture, hope and joy in a facility stripped of any luxuries. At the same time film explores what many of the Syrians left have had to leave behind, their homes, livelihoods and in many cases their other family members. Heart Wrenching in some places, and joyous in others, Hale’s Work is successful at providing a glimpse into a world many of us cannot fathom, and the layers of the struggle and hope that transform displaced families into communities.

Everybody Falls Down is not omitted of scrutiny in its approach. Covering snippets of the lives of several people, and various families, Hale’s piece is highly condensed for 15 minutes. It can be argued that is is not able to provide a well rounded view of the lives of it’s subjects. Not without criticism, Hale’s piece shows only one side of the struggles of Syrian displacement. It has a clear angle for the refugee community, but does not touch on the many social, political or economic issues that displaced the population in the first place. It only briefly glosses over the politics and economic issues faced by the countries that house refugees currently. As a result, only a partial story is ever told. Everybody Falls Down is a piece worth seeing, if for no other reason than that it shows a side of life many of us have the good fortunate to never have to know. It is clear labour of love with a message that the displace people of Syria want to go home, as Hale explains, “I …try and show at least some of the people who deserve better.”

by Kierston Drier
Founder of The Bathroom Stall Project
Consultant at TheKayWorks.com
Freelance Film and Television
www.thekayworks.com

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

Movie Review: BALLERINA (short film) Directed by Marc Thomas

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ballerina_movie_poster.jpgBALLERINA
WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

5min, USA, Horror/Thriller

A woman at home alone encounters a malevolent presence in the form of a… music box?

Read review by Amanda Lomonaco:

At first glance, Marc Thomas’ Ballerina seems like your typical, every day, predictable horror film, but don’t get too comfortable. Through very subtle nuances, fantastic special effects, a great musical score, and excellent timing, Thomas has made an excellent short film guaranteed to make your skin crawl.

This is definitely one of those short films that I’m at risk of spoiling by saying too much about it. At just 5 minutes, there isn’t much you could reveal about Ballerina that wouldn’t ruin Thomas’ excellently plotted suspense. What I can say is that as a horror lover I rarely find myself crawling with goosebumps when I watch a film, but Thomas’ short had me at the edge of my seat.

One of the great things about this short is what Marc Thomas has managed to do with an already familiar, and almost cliché storyline. Though it’s a difficult art to master, the advantage of using these kinds of stories is the ease with which you can surprise the audience by veering from it even if slightly. Ballerina has achieved this in such a discrete but impactful way, that it’s impossible not to commend it.

The reactions to this film were all intense and infectious. It speaks a lot about any film when it can provoke such a strong reaction from a large group of strangers. If you don’t like horror films, beware; Ballerina will almost certainly give you nightmares. Then again, if you’re anything like me, that might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of BALLERINA:

Movie Review: F**KING WORLD (short film) Directed by William Mussini

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MOVIE POSTERF**KING WORLD, 1min, Italy, Experimental
Directed by William Mussini

Modern man lives his life in just under a minute and thirty seconds. Frustration, joy, and a sense of incompleteness jumping from one emotion to another, from a knowledge gap to a lack filled by media messages.

Read review by Amanda Lomonaco:

Cathartic, chaotic, confusing, crazy; F**king World is the definition of all these words. It might take a while to appreciate William Mussini’s masterpiece, but it is precisely in forgetting to think and just watching that you are really able to taken in all its wonder.

Mussini’s short is a quick, precise, and vivid description of our daily lives, of our innermost thoughts. It’s a photograph of our own psyche. F**king World doesn’t need a narrative, or a protagonist, or a story line. All of those elements sprout from the audience themselves.

F**king World is extremely fast paced, and hectic, and fun, and distressing. It’s a concentrated drop of serum of emotions dropped gently into each of your eyeballs. Whether it clears or fogs your vision is really entirely up to you.

If you watch this film, be warned, you should be ready and attentive for this one. F**king World is not a film to watch, it’s a film to feel. Don’t expect your every-day film from this one. It’s so unique in its existence that I can’t even describe it, or tell you what you should expect from it. F**king World, just like our own f**king world, is just something you experience.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of F**KING WORLD:

Movie Review: BURGLAR (Short Film) Directed by Hojin Kim

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MOVIE POSTERBURGLAR, 5min, South Korea, Crime/Action
Directed by Hojin Kim

A crime takes place inside of a child’s imagination.

Read review by Amanda Lomonaco:

If any film from the WILDSound Feedback Film Festival has ever tugged at my heart strings it’s this one. Yet “Drama” is probably one of the last words any one would use to describe Burglar.

Starting off as a beautifully choreographed crime thriller, Burglar leaves the audience intrigued on the edge of their seats. The whole scene is made all the more mysterious by the utter lack of dialogue throughout it. A silence that is precisely and perfectly complemented by the musical score. Finally all our intrigue and interest is wrapped up and resolved in such a surprising, yet comforting, and bittersweet manner that you can’t help but be affected.

There was the odd person or other who seemed a little perplexed by this film, which isn’t so surprising when you consider its style. Burglar is definitely more of a poetic, metaphorical, and suggestive film. While most films like to hold the audience’s hand and pull them along the story line, Burglar pushes you head first into a pool of warm water and walks away as you try to find your bearings.

Burglar may have garnered a few mixed reactions from WILDSound viewers, but that’s often to be expected from such experimental films. It’s not unlikely that some audiences will have slightly more emotional reactions to this short than others, but that’s precisely why Hojin Kim’s film should be praised for its uniqueness. Burglar seems to have been created to give audiences more insight into themselves, than into the characters within it. Maybe if you give this short a go you’ll learn something new about yourself.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of BURGLAR:

Short Film Movie Review: GREECE (Canada, 16min. Drama)

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MOVIE POSTERGREECE, 16min, Canada, Drama
Directed by Sarah Deakins

On a rainy afternoon in a British nursing home, a woman struggles to make a last connection with her seemingly catatonic mother.

“A tribute to the complicated relationships between parents and children with moving dialogue and expressions…A deeply personal journey with beautiful cinematography.”
– Best Shorts Competition

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video of GREECE from the FEEDBACK Film Festival:

Movie Review by Amanda Lomonaco:

This film hits near and dear to my heart. With many family members who have suffered from Alzheimer’s and dementia, I am all too familiar with the struggles and frustrations the disease can cause on victims, family members, and caretakers alike. Sarah Deakins has done a fantastic job in portraying these struggles through an incredibly simple, yet equally powerful screenplay.

I suppose my personal experience with this illness creates an obvious bias towards this film, but it wasn’t so much the subject matter that drew me to this film so much as the way the subject matter was treated. I felt that Deakins did an exceptional job in portraying a very realistic, emotional scenario without dipping too far into cliché. It was all very believable, very clear, and very close to the reality of what families can experience when a loved one is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

The performances contributed greatly to sharp sense of realness of the short. This is particularly surprising for a film supported almost entirely by a monologue from one of the characters. Deakin’s superimpositions of the fantasy images that are going through each of the character’s heads only magnify the already brilliant cinematography of Greece, luring you in further.

Greece is not an excessively dramatic film, though it speaks of quite a terrible tragedy. It doesn’t take you on a crazy emotional journey, but it still tugs, ever so gently, at your heart. It’s a warm cup of tea on a quiet, melancholy, cold day. It might make you tear up a bit, it might make you appreciate your parents or your grandparents more, it might bore you or not affect you at all. Still it’s worth a watch, a thoughtful, reflective watch, when you’re in the mood for some more serious pondering. If nothing else I hope it reminds you to enjoy your life and appreciate it for all it is and for all you can do within it, because one day you might not be able to anymore.