There is a calmness to the tenor of the film which works beautifully in its favour. The story is presented in the form of a fable, with an intrinsic fairytale-like quality, one that invokes four primary ideas - loyalty, fortitude, vigilance and resilience. 

The same are represented by four animals, their individual tribulations that eventually lead them to a path of companionship and finally, peace. A donkey, rooster, dog and fox are all running away from potential dangers in their path as they run into each other. Once having found one another, they follow a sunset, which serves as a lovely metaphor for the eventual sunset of their lives as well as one towards which each of us is headed. 

 The colors, animation and the seamless voiceover, a notable strength of the film, lend an unmissable charm to the overall result, while also allowing it to maintain its approach, tonality and aesthetic throughout.

A Fable for Four Voices | Short Film Nominee

The brief narrative of the film traverses a world of fantasy and magic. It takes us into a little girl's reveries as she preoccupies herself with her toys. Through the images that come to be conjured on screen before you, surreal ideas of childhood and daydream are further engaged with, ensuring that beyond a child's story of wonder, there is also a sense of dreamy nostalgia awaiting the adult viewer. As our young protagonist moves from one fantastical scene to another, progressing upon her adventure, the audience is allowed to participate in her journey. A fairy tale of a dark evening is brought to life in the process, further allowing you a moment of a fantastical escape, much like the little girl. The film eventually becomes a sincere endeavor to weave together notions of memory, images of childhood and the residue of dreams that is left behind. The animation follows a sombre palette to further drive its message home, leaving you with a simple, direct story of an evening of adventure and dreams.

Once There Was a Girl | Short Film Nominee

The short narrative is a sincere endeavor that tips its hat to noir filmmaking. It ropes in the quintessential elements of the genre - crime, the secrets that lurk in shadows, the unforeseen developments that often result in violence and the intrigue that remains inherent to them all. While a woman watches from a dark corner, a man pursues another closely. The latter is in possession of an object the former seeks to secure for himself. However, little are the two men aware that it would eventually belong to neither of them. When the object is finally obtained, it further reveals a key piece of information that then communicates the message intrinsic to the film, one which also serves as an important metaphor in the story. As the darkness of the night stretches endlessly, this object finally finds a home, while also fulfilling the purpose of portraying for the viewer the intentions the film had set out to convey.

A Little Noir Music | Short Film Nominee

A realm of monochromatic animation takes us into the world of this short narrative, attempting to bring to life a reality that mingles fact and fiction. A shadowed figure chases another. The horrified eyes of the latter suggests there is little by way of escape available for him.

 While one pursues the other, the entirety of the narrative comes into being, finally concluding in a floating bedroom amidst an endless galaxy. The bare walls are adorned with a single poster that reads 'surrealism', as the protagonist sleeps by himself, clearly plagued by nightmares. 

 As the title suggests, the visual narrative wants to be an engagement with the numerous complexities of the human mind, and the staggeringly powerful form they can take during sleep. It would, however, be desirable to see the micro-short in the form of a longer project, allowing sufficient time for the thematic concerns to establish a beginning, middle and end.

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