The film is a brief capsule marked by its explosion of colors, emotions, and visual experiments. A young filmmaker, John is shooting a scene with Alicia and Connor, and all seems to be going well. However, when he steps out of the room for a break, he overhears a conversation between his two actors as they mock and ridicule him while pretending to be supportive and friendly. 
Through the scene unfolding before us, placed parallel to the one unfolding in John’s mind, a story of past loss, heartbreak, as well as self-doubt and betrayal is conjured for audiences. The title of the film is further echoed in the developing events as those around John maintain a charade of friendship in a bid to exploit his skills for their own pursuits. 

The film presents a crucial moment in its brevity, and some more. Additionally, it experiments with its edit and visual progression to take the viewer deeper into its protagonist's internal struggles, in the process, establishing a strong premise that could efficiently serve as the starting point of a longer project in the future.

Deceive to Achieve | Spotlight

The film keeps itself confined to the space of a car, and yet, an entire array of emotions is presented to the viewer within it. Brody and Sara are part of a study about carpooling, and with the camera fixed in the center of the vehicle, we become privy to their mornings every day for over two weeks. 
Marked by brevity, sweetness, and general intimacy, the subsequent story is a glimpse into relationships and social equations. There is something to be said about how human experience can unfold within a shared space, and the same exploration is attempted in the film’s universe while maintaining lightheartedness. 
 
Additionally, ‘Trial’ holds on to consistency in approach, not weighing itself down with unnecessary earnestness. The characters are endearing, and the leanness of resources is employed with efficiency while keeping the audience absorbed in the brief encounters of its characters.

Trial | Spotlight

The film begins with the protagonist, Elise arriving at a house party. With her attention more focused on something that unfolds in the darkness of the night, however, away from the general frolic around her, Elise is no more than an outsider here. She is a little out of place both inside this house, as well as outside - be it at a gas station or a convenience store. As the night progresses, a strange presence is soon felt, and the protagonist eventually engages with it with more ease than we have seen her exhibit up until this point. 

Could Elise have found something, or someone, where she perhaps feels easier to follow their lead? The question becomes one of the many that the film raises, choosing to conceal more than it reveals as a notable storytelling device. The visuals, editing, and approach to the overall treatment invoke a disorienting realm of sci-fi and extraterrestrial otherworldliness. It presents a moment, a brief encounter with the protagonist, and the extremely uncanny events unfolding around her, establishing a premise for hopefully a longer project in the future, one that takes the viewer deeper into the film's world.

The Events Of That Night, As Best I Can Remember | Short Film Nominee

The many obstacles of dating in a realm defined by its explosion of colors become our first introduction to ‘Matinee Baby’. Unique and extremely entertaining in its storytelling and world-building, the narrative presents Robby and Noah-Lee, close friends and colleagues who work at Portland's historic Clinton Street Theater. As the narrative navigates modern-day dating, each potential suitor brings to life an experience more vivid and unexpected than the previous. 
The many complexities of all of these encounters are handled with effortless ease in this queer romantic comedy. The humor remains seamless, roping in campiness while eschewing its many dangers, supported by the performances and the screenplay, both of which exhibit control and skill. 
With the film’s heart in the right place, the story and characters stand firmly on their feet. At no point do the colors, the comedy or the overall end result of the world become overbearing enough to subdue the voices within, presenting to the viewer the true triumph of the film.

Matinee Baby | Spotlight

It’s easy to mistake ‘Smoke Cheyyaku Bro’ (Don’t Smoke Bro) for an involving, entertaining buddy film at first glance. However, while the two adjectives still apply, it is far from being anything about buddies or their friendship, and deliberately so. Anirudh takes a phone call at a gas station after having had a terrible day. 
The clerk on the late night shift, Sai Santosh joins the stressed Anirudh with kindness and compassion, offering him wisdom that truly helps him calm down. However, soon things take a very unexpected turn. The ensuing story ropes the viewer deep into its world, ensuring there is no looking away now. 
If it weren't for the dark events that are about to unfold in this comedic but equally shocking ride of a film, it would be a welcoming prospect to inhabit its world with its beautiful coloring and editing. The screenplay is constructed with care, and the portrayal and performance of the protagonist are handled with even more control. 
The visuals, combined with the choice of the background score, together with the film's stylized approach, present a wonderful realm at the end of it all, even if ever so unsettling.

Smoke Cheyaku Bro | Spotlight

The entirety of the film unfolds within the same physical space of a basketball court where the dribbling and scored baskets come to stand for the metaphorical dueling between Coach Pickle and his stepson and star player Mitch. Amidst the many rigorous moves, the resentful, bitter equation is laid bare for the viewer to witness in all its nuances and complications. 

The tussle between what one wishes to do and what one is forced to do is portrayed with sincerity. Both performances do justice to the screenplay and demands of the script. While sometimes the dramatic element threatens to border into the extreme, the film does eventually reign it back in, to eventually achieve a single, cohesive whole. 
 At the end of it all, ‘Tiny, Texas’ presents an uplifting story of perseverance, crucial battles, with the most formidable adversary - those we love, and sometimes even the self, and finally finding a way to never let go of a dream. 

Note: This short film is a proof-of-concept for a feature film of the same title shooting in March 2025.

Tiny, Texas | Spotlight

The film weaves together a series of images, each representing the different emotional states of a woman. It traverses an entire emotional spectrum of the affection and intimacy of love, to its downfall, the destruction that is left in its wake, and lastly, finding a way back to yourself. 
The first-person narrative takes the viewer directly into the consciousness of the protagonist, in the process, presenting a reflection on the nature of relationships. The voice remains personal and heartfelt throughout. The film’s most notable aspect is its interweaving of visuals with the plot progression.
The developing scenes, alongside the sole performance, both become significant strengths, even if the conclusion feels a little too sudden. The end result on the whole exhibits skill and seamlessness, and thus expanding it into a longer project should definitely be considered.

Freedom to Be Alone | Spotlight

The world of the film presents a bleak reality, but one with its moral compass firmly in place. It opens with a grim scene defined by illness, followed by a gory entrant who is covered in blood from head to toe. 

The layers are peeled gradually, employing a movement between past and present which finally reveals how this father-son duo found themselves located in this circumstance. The film builds its world with utmost care and attention to detail. The narrative ropes in ideas of right and wrong, and standing up for what you believe in. However these boundaries might not always be neatly defined and sometimes the cost of pursuing justice can be a little too high, underlines the film. 

The storytelling exhibits vision and deep potential which leaves the door open for more endeavors that should definitely be explored and shared in the future. There is a slight loosening of finesse in the overall production value, but one which is easy to overlook in the face of the world-building and narratorial progression already presented in the form of the end result.

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