The scene is set for a porn film to be shot. The actors, the seasoned Luna and the rookie Benjamin, are all ready too. With the frame fixed and the camera in place, only one thing stands in the way of the work from going ahead - the director of this already-doomed-work project. He is abusive, harasses the young Benjamin till no end, and ensures, despite everyone's best efforts, and gradually increasing impatience, the shoot halts more than it progresses. 

A single exchange that encapsulates the narrative most wonderfully is one that unfolds between Benjamin and Luna, as the two get candid over some junk food soon after. 
The film not only employs a fixed space with efficiency and care, alongside notable performances and chemistry but also offers a story that is heartfelt and sincere in its simplicity and vulnerability. It captures one encounter and portrays it with authenticity, taking a chewable bite and, in the process, doing full justice to the end result.

Benny Boy  | Short Film of the Month

The documentary chooses nonagenarian Susan as its protagonist. After a life lived long and well, Susan now shares her reflections on existence in a heartfelt manner. The candid conversation, though brief, is defined by a rare meaningfulness that suffuses a much-needed sense of hope in a world where otherwise stories of heartbreaking realities abound. 
Despite having lived decade after decade where an overwhelming conflict or war always consumed at least some part of the world, Susan’s steadfast dream for a realm that has managed to overcome the many divisive forces of hate and cruelty comes across with impact and clarity. 
The screenplay ties up the articulate candor of its protagonist with mood shots to further drive the message home. The end result, consequently, becomes a purposeful whole that is not only defined by the uplifting intelligence as well as a reflection on life by its protagonist but also the technical know-how and storytelling skills of the entire team behind it.

Echoes of Tomorrow | Short Film of the Month

‘Ollie’ is deliberately constructed to ensure we don't see the titular character on screen; yet, his presence never stops molding the film. Randy has just dropped his differently-abled son at a facility, leaving himself alone in the house for the first time in three years. As emotions begin to overpower him, and he moves from one mundane, empty task to another, we begin to get more glimpses into this broken family. 
A phone call from an unhappy family member is followed by an unannounced visit by Randy’s estranged wife, Pat. The narrative confines itself only to the house, further marked by Randy’s interrupted efforts to repair a broken window. The desire to fix something, however, might not always translate into the result one seeks. 
The same thought finds an echo in the ensuing argument between Randy and Pat, a conversation that encapsulates guilt, grief, resentment, bitterness, and all of the heart-shattering sadness that can sometimes define life. The performances, screenplay, and narratorial progression all ensure that the one distilled moment the viewer is presented with to portray this life is explored with authenticity and meaning.

Ollie  | Short Film of the Month

Romantic and marital relationships inarguably formed a crucial aspect of the many new realities that we struggled with during the 2020 pandemic. The short film explores one such equation while employing a tonality that uses both humor and seriousness in equal measure. The story, in the process, becomes the most notable aspect of the film, alongside the intention to explore the dynamic of a couple in all its subtleties and nuances. 
 
Nancy and Nikhil both battle their respective overwhelming work schedules, alongside raising two little girls. Consequently, the house is often left in a chaotic state of disarray. Much of the burden of sorting it falls on Nancy’s shoulders simply as a result of how gender roles often implicitly end up being defined in a marriage.
Despite his best intentions and dedicated efforts, Nikhil is unable to show up for Nancy in the way she requires. This, in turn, affects the romantic and sexual intimacy between the two. 
The storytelling does an earnest job of portraying how the two navigate the complexities that constitute this reality, while never allowing itself to be overburdened by emotional intensity, and instead, forever allowing humor to undercut the conjured tension. As for our two characters, they have a deeply meaningful realization awaiting them about the significance of small acts and a little more empathy toward one another.

Tiny Joy | Short Film of the Month

The question at the heart of the film is what is the price you are willing to pay for your freedom, to not cower in shadows but unequivocally assert who you really are, and eventually live a life of acceptance, love, and hope? The answer to this is also beautifully and seamlessly nestled within the film as it introduces us to Sasha Smirnov, a Russian gay man who had to leave his country when his sexual identity became a direct threat to his life and safety. 

In Sasha, we see a man who has built a life from scratch in the US, a country far, far away from home. He is the most fitting subject to tell a story of resilience, hope, one of surmounting tremendous adversity, and yet, never losing the ability to put one foot in front of the other, to always look to the future and all the potential it holds. In the protagonist, we see the inimitable and rare combination of vulnerability and fierceness. Sasha is unmissable in the sense of hope he conjures on screen, while always being fully aware of the past, and how burdensome it can become sometimes. 
The narrative-building and storytelling of the film are compelling and skilled, alongside being notably efficient in introducing the viewer to its protagonist. It is clear in the articulation of all its intentions, and in presenting a story that is not only heartfelt and meaningful but also a well-balanced combination of self-affirmation and vulnerability, and the loud and emphatic assertion of never giving up on the hope of a better tomorrow.

At Home Among Strangers  | Short Film of the Month

When you are done watching ‘He Won’t Belong’, an emotional resonance lingers. In the loss, grief, and trauma the narrative portrays, even in how the visuals wrap themselves around all of these sentiments, the lingering remains omnipresent. 

The film is the story of two strangers, Theo and Connor, stumbling across each other in the most unlikely manner. The former finds the latter wandering alone by the side of the road during a storm. The chance encounter, however, leads the two, and the viewer along with them, down a path of deep emotional truths, sometimes painful, sometimes disturbing, but forever demanding to be felt and acknowledged. 

The authenticity of the voice with which the film is constructed remains loud and clear. Additionally, it presents an approach to queer storytelling that explores the nuance and complexity of personal journeys that is often easy to overlook. The performances bring to life a remarkable portrayal of vulnerability as they explore ideas of love with heartbreaking honesty. The visual progression is equally stunning, painting for the viewer an image that will stay with you, linger, as it may, long after you are done watching the film.

He Won't Belong   | Short Film of the Month

Right at its opening, the film declares it is based on true events, immediately capturing the audience’s attention. However, the revelation of this truth completely subverts any expectations that might have been built so far. A couple, marked by their love and affection, lives a life of penury, starvation, and loss. 
The woman, Bonnie, has not recovered from their most recent tragedy, but the love between the two still allows them a moment of peace and joy. This brief instance, however, is soon struck by another tragic development, shattering any semblance of normalcy and familial affection the two might have desperately clung to so far. 

The film presents a reversal of fate to draw attention to the cruelty implicit in the act of killing a living being for consumption. It presents a comment on human apathy, and in a way, humankind's own bestial nature that allows it to celebrate, or carry on mundane everyday affairs around a meal table that is built on a carcass. The performances, storytelling, and narratorial construction remain impactful in all that they wish to convey. The visual representation of these ideas too exhibits investment of thought and skill as it shares this reality with the viewer.

Bonnie and Orville  | Short Film of the Month

Libby and Erin are new parents to a little boy who has arrived with a few hiccups in tow, circumstances they are not entirely prepared for. There appears to be a disconnect between them in the resolution of these, one which becomes the driving force and the primary thematic concern of the narrative. As their doubts and uncertainties are exposed for a conversation, it is a plate of placenta around which the drama unfolds. 
The afterbirth becomes a nexus of anxieties, discomfort, and uncomfortable conversations. The screenplay, chemistry, and most crucially, prop support (!), each outdoes the other in bringing this reality to life, presenting a film that is not only sincere and heartfelt in an effortless manner but also manages to express all its gravitas with humor and drama tied together. 
While our new parents might have a thing or two to figure out about this massive change in their lives, the film and its execution remain clear and steadfast in the expression of its intentions all along.

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