Drawing inspiration from a famous children's character we all know, a boy with an exceptionally long nose, the short film delves into a metaphysical exploration of existence and being. The animation exhibits impeccable skill and the manner in which it utilises different kinds of animation - from roughly drawn sketches to the use of light and colours splashed across the screen to a swift movement of images from one frame to another - ensures that it is no less than a true visual treat. This is further coupled with an equally surreal, albeit brief, usage of a background score. In case all of this was not sufficient to end the list of embellishments working most beautifully for Nosis, there is the thought behind each visual, both disconcerting and poetic at the same time. The narrative does a marvellous job of tying it all together and presenting it to the viewer as a complete product. The story in itself is of a boy who may have learnt to make peace with his unusual nose, but he is yet to find out the power it holds within. Once he unearths this truth, and the abilities he has found himself in possession of, his existence transcends all mortal realms of understanding and experience, and thus begins a long journey of acquiring knowledge. However, at the end of it all lies a dark reality, one of a being having interacted with a reservoir of knowledge that was perhaps not intended for someone in the mortal world. When all of it has unfolded, where will the protagonist find himself located in this unfathomable scheme of things?

Nosis | Short Film of the Day

A misty, winter wasteland is the viewer’s first introduction to the film’s world. The image that it invokes is of a liminal space defined by its eeriness. It's further coupled with an intrinsic beauty that lends it a strangely atmospheric quality. Amidst it all is located an unnamed protagonist who is lost, and plagued by strange lights in the sky. As he attempts to find his way, the path only gets more and more mysterious and circuitous. 

The screenplay is beautiful in the construction of this space, alongside its two primary performances - our hapless, confused protagonist, and a woman’s presence in the center of a non-descript realm consumed by darkness all around her. Further, the title of the film is thoughtfully chosen - does it refer to a phone call? Does it refer to the strange space the protagonist is unable to make sense of? It serves to deliberately nestle these questions within the narrative. 

The establishment of the world is achieved with such impact that the short in its current form offers a premise for a longer film. It has all the right elements to capture the viewer’s attention. Taking us deeper into its world would help to expand on the narratorial construction which already presents deep potential, skill, and ease in everything that it wants to convey.

Holding Pattern  | Short Film of the Month

‘Le Miroir’ is a wonderful romance, magical in its visuals, storytelling as well as thematic concerns, with an otherworldly existence that two women lead. Mathilde and Madame B have both known love, loss and heartache, and now find the tragedies of the past an overpowering presence in their lives, one that shapes and molds all of their actions in the present. 

The portrayal of this premise is achieved with a stroke of fantasy, but as any enduring fantasy tale, very rooted in the real world, and in this case, one that is defined by grief, pain, and eventually finding one’s voice and the ability to use it. The movement of the narrative from the moment when Mathilde stops speaking following the death of her parents, to when she utters her first word, involuntarily and in the wake of an accident, forms the completed trajectory of its core underpinnings. 

At the heart of it all is the lovely motif of a mirror, along with both its fragility and resilience, and the unexpected paths it takes our protagonist on. The storytelling in itself is marked by a beautiful, shared female space, whip pans and sets which are any art department’s dream, further bringing to life the humor reminiscent of a Wes Anderson film, and an overall atmospheric quality of European cinema.

Le Miroir | Short Film of the Month

Set in the fantastical world of Vanderia, the first three instalments of Windward Spirits map primarily a conflict between the two kingdoms of Brauhn and Gaudrina. As kings and nomad princes (of sorts) fight it out against each other, the story packs a complete supply of drama, violence, bloodshed, betrayal and what could turn out to be an imminent doom of the few characters planning to wage a resistance against the tyrant king of Brauhn, William Dalesdane. 
The first episode opens on an interesting note, attempting to immediately grab the attention of the viewer as an emissary from Dalesdane arrives to seek the audience of Lord Garris Hartwill of Gaudrina. The events preceding the meeting include a deal that Hartwill's father Weylan had struck with Dalesdane. Being unable to follow through with it entirely, however, he had met with a horrifying end. The subsequent events thereafter would come to serve as the premise on which the series builds its action. 
Soon after, the narrative goes into a high-paced mode with things unravelling and unfolding at a speed that requires the viewer to play close attention to all the details and names. The series is complete with the various elements of fantasy - a betrayed lord, a nomad prince, a tyrant ruler whose swiftly growing power threatens to consume and destroy anything that stands in his way. There are creatures of the night, monsters of the desert and perilous journeys that need to be covered on foot in the face of all of these dangers. 
Fantasy is an ambitious genre to engage with and hence the series deserves full-points for embarking on the endeavour, despite its limited resources. However, it could have benefited from refining of certain technical elements. Closer attention to detail would have allowed the story to be more textured and perhaps offer the viewer a more convincing world to dive into.

Windward Spirits

Windward Spirits: A New Ruler

A New Ruler

Windward Spirits: Blood Ties

Blood Ties

Windward Spirits: On Deadly Grounds

On Deadly Grounds

A young intern has arrived at a new facility. As she is given a brief tour, being informed of her tasks, a wonderful world of all kinds of paraphernalia is invoked for both the protagonist as well as the viewer. In the process, however, she is informed to stay away from a specific object, an instruction she would of course go ahead to disobey. 

The rule gets broken, an inter-dimensional portal opens up and a realm of smooth special effects is then invoked for the viewer. Along with action and fantasy, and being a special treat for Star Wars fans, the narrative also attempts to rope in drama and humor to further share its plot. 

The final result becomes a fun and sweet story about lightsabers and stakes that remain staggeringly high throughout, all along attempting to entertain and engage the viewer. At its close, the many elements are tied together with a sense of hope and uplifting warmth that the film intends to eventually leave the audience with.

Rise of the Last Intern | Short Film Nominee

Shot on a phone, the film presents a notably earnest and heartfelt endeavor in exploring an idea of magic, one that we often leave behind as we move forward in the world. A woman, feeling lost and drowning in despair, has found her way back to a childhood haunt, a corner in the middle of a lush forest where she communed with the fairies as a young girl. With sparkle on her eyes and an unwavering trust in magic, she would leave little tokens of love for the woodland creatures. However, as adulthood ushered in different responsibilities and roles, the fairies were soon left behind and forgotten. 
After all these years, life has once again led her back to the same spot of magic and wonder. Is it still capable of invoking something in her? The film answers the question in a heartwarming manner. The performance of its sole character becomes one of the most notable triumphs of the film, alongside its storytelling, both of which pave the path for more projects with a larger trove of resources in the future.

Who I Was Before I Forgot | Short Film Nominee

Teddy has found herself at the gates of afterlife, but it is nothing the viewer might expect. The realm is marked by a complete ban on any kind of communication, as the mute members of the community work on the approvals and rejections of those passing through this purgatory. 

Though the premise might have asserted fantasy, a sense of dystopia also enters this space of absolute control with no room for any individual voices. Amidst it all lie brief moments of intimacy, the promise of companionship, and the dashed hopes of what a peaceful existence might have looked like. 

The project is not devoid of its rough edges, especially in the communication of its intentions and ideas. However, it exhibits deep potential, definitely paving the path for more such storytelling and narrative-building by the young team.

The After | Short Film Nominee

The film, marked by its vibrant visuals, takes flight into fantasy, but to talk of a concern that is very deeply rooted in our real world. A story which straddles both realms in such a manner is indeed worthy of conversation and dialogue. When it opens, the narrative draws you to a fantastical space where butterflies are dying one by one. As humans continue to expand their control over the world, the butterfly population is left to only the last few queens who have gathered to find a solution to protect themselves from extinction. It is precisely at this juncture when fantasy overlaps with reality to bring to life a very relevant issue of contemporary times, a cause of deep concern globally, and specifically in the western world — the dangerously low population of butterflies. To convey its intentions and bring to life all its underpinnings, the film also embellishes itself with skilled movement of its performers, attention to costume and makeup, and music and poetry. The climax and the eventual conclusion further highlights its core message, the eventual goal towards which the plot was moving all along, reminding you of your role amidst this narrative of magic and song.

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