The short film is the most beautiful and brilliantly executed engagement with the notions of memory, time, nostalgia and the familial space. As the protagonist shares his technique of packing, one passed on to him by his father, he takes the viewer deeper into a moving, poignant narrative, marked by the same minimalism as that of its parent text by Ron Koertge. Before you even realise where you have located yourself, the story has already managed to engage and involve you beyond the point of no return. The visuals use stop-motion animation in a skilled and sophisticated way, marking transitions in the narration of the protagonist's past experiences by vividly surreal images. The film ends with a beautiful metaphor allowing the negative space to be a comment on the gaps in communication that may have potentially been part of the protagonist's relationship with his father, as well as being a potent marker of what truly came to define their equation - the art and technique of packing.

Negative Space | Short Film of the Day

The documentary by Sherpas Cinema is the most breathtaking romance with the frightening, intimidating, but also overwhelming mountains. Tracing the life of a Sherpa called Apa, who as a baby miraculously survived an avalanche and now holds the world record of having summited the formidable mountain 21 times, this short film invokes concern a very important cause - education in rural Nepal. It draws attention to the hardships the locals deal with on a daily basis, often risking their lives climbing the Himalayas as porters, in order to be able to make ends meet for their families. The short film throws light on the life and times of the community which is struggling to get education at its doorstep to ensure their children have more opportunities than they did. With its stunning cinematography, brilliant narrative and honest storytelling, Everest is sure to move you in a manner few pieces of art are capable of.

Apa Sherpa | Short Film of the Day

The short film uses a very pressing concern of contemporary times as its subject matter - the effect of human encroachment on environment. However, instead of adopting a macro approach, it chooses the story of an ornithologist who has dedicated his life to the preservation of a severely endangered species of birds. The subject matter in itself is not entirely unique, but the manner of its treatment and the execution of the narrative is done most brilliantly. The story becomes a poignant, moving portrayal of a man's attempts to change the world for the better, and as is true of any major, large-scale change that always begins with a single individual, the consequent and seismic effect on the environment for the better. The non-fiction narrative is embellished with fictional recreation of the protagonist's life events that led him to where he is today, achieved by blurring lines between fiction and reality very smoothly. When coupled with sophisticated cinematography and elegant storytelling, the film becomes a beautiful product that will stay with the viewer, long after they're done interacting with it.

The Birdman | Short Film of the Day

The film weaves technology and sexuality together to create the most skilled and arresting narrative about the journey with regards to his gender identity and the manner in which it comes to be located in his marriage. As Emelia and Jeff celebrate their twentieth marriage anniversary, they decide to experiment with virtual reality glasses that echo their deepest subconscious perceptions of the self. A hesitant and sceptical Jeff is encouraged by his wife to let go of his apprehensions and try them on. What follows next is perhaps something neither the viewer nor the couple could have expected. Instead of potentially a night of "kinky sex", as later on one of the characters goes ahead to call it, it becomes one of revelations and self-discovery. The film employs light and sound to conjure an atmosphere of unease, which is an echo of the uncertainty, nervousness and confusion of the characters themselves. The performances blend in most seamlessly with the camerawork which only enhances the mood and sentiment that have been invoked so far. Consequently, the story of the film is a beautiful one, striking the right chords and exploring the most worthy nuances. Indeed its biggest strength lies in the manner of using something as clinical and potentially cold as science, to engage with human emotion, identity and the idea of the self in the most delicate manner.

Vert | Short Film of the Day

If the purpose of art is to disorient, this short film succeeds at it most brilliantly. With its disparate images which still somehow find a common link weaving them together, all thanks to its skilful narrative, Under Covers involves the viewer right from its very first opening visual. The film offers a heady cocktail of childish images and mature content that would leave the viewer baffled about what to make of the film, but in the most wonderful ways. From controversial to violent to simply disturbing - the images roll one after the other, invoking sexuality, religion, violence and the fear of the supernatural. On a night of a lunar eclipse, all that it simply does is delve into the lives and secrets of the inhabitants of a small town. As the surreal, dreamy transitions follow in quick successions, would you have the stomach for what it has in store for you?

Under Covers | Short Film of the Day

Insightful, sharp and subtle are the three words that most aptly describe the documentary film and its subject matter. The execution is calm and exhibits a maturity that allows it to be an impactful product without demanding attention vociferously. The film engages with a needle exchange facility in California that also gives basic medical aid and assistance to those whose bodies have been affected by substance abuse. The narrative succeeds at being calm, yet deeply forceful in making its point simply because it does not strive for an overarching meaning for its existence, but instead tells its truth as it is. The subject is powerful, the story hard-hitting. The camerawork is simple, but precisely what this particular story needs. The images are chosen intelligently to allow the narrative to disconcert the viewer without being sensationally graphic. It further engages with health and survival with the right balance of being clinical and non-participatory, yet sensitive. Staying completely honest and sincere to a particular event or occurrence makes it all the more poignant and moving which is what The Clinic achieves most effortlessly. Through an objective representation of an aspect of the society we inhabit, it provides a meaningful narrative about life and existence.

The Clinic | Short Film of the Day

Whether or not the film intended it, it manages to convey more than a single story through its layered narrative. A nurse, played by Gemma Whelan of the Game of Thrones fame, finds herself making her way into an eerie house which is in a state of complete abandon. The only other inhabitant of it is her patient, a bed-ridden, elderly woman. The film builds itself slowly, maintaining a pace which strikes the right balance between revealing and concealing adequate amounts of the plot. As the nurse gets to taking care of chores and looking after her patient, she stumbles across a door which wasn't previously visible on the wall. Just when she is about to succeed at opening it, indistinct noises from inside forces her to not only shut it tightly, but block its path completely to ensure it never manages to open itself. Of course this isn't the end of the road for our protagonist, instead only the beginning. The door begins to follow her around the house. However, her most difficult obstacle is perhaps something else, as suggested by the haunting, most jarring climax and the conclusion of the film. Additionally, the image of the door struggling to open itself, but constantly being pushed back by the protagonist in her fear of the unknown, becomes a notable message about one's internal struggles to shut out what is unknown to them, even if it potentially holds the key to their escape from a far more horrifying situation.

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