Boyhood is a labyrinth of self-doubt, the pursuit of imagined confidence, young romances, and the many complex struggles of everything all of this entails. Our two characters, Edwin and Steven, navigate it with an endearing charm, and in the process, without trying or consciously intending, simplify a complex experience, condensing it into something entertaining, amusing, and heartfelt. 
The two may have no idea of how the world functions, but they are full of how it functions in their own individual realms, and there is no stopping them from using that as a manual for the situations life actually presents to them. While one of them struggles to ask out a girl, the other is trying to write and act, to overcome personal inhibitions. Essentially, both boys hope to move towards finding a way to express themselves before a world that seems alien and distanced, be it a crush or a theatre audience. 
The film does a wonderfully effortless job of tying the two together. Additionally, the boys’ attempts to find a physical space to hang out with each other is an echo of the emotional space too that they seek, one where all of these uncertainties have been resolved. In the portrayal of all of this and some more, the film efficiently utilizes the chemistry of the two actors and presents a screenplay, as well as a final result, that is wholesome and balanced in a complete manner.

Practice Space | Short Film of the Day

The title of the film, a portmanteau of Filipino and American, sets the horizon of expectation right at the start. The pursuit to not only belong and find a sense of belonging but also figure out ideas of self and identity, where you came from in order to understand where you are headed, become core thematic concerns of the film. The engagement with all of these remains lucid and earnest throughout. 
Our protagonist is a young boy who finds himself straddling two identities without being sure on which side he truly falls. If on the one hand, he wears Nikes and eats bacon, his connection to the culinary aspect of his Filipino heritage, as well as his strong desire to explore more of it, remains unshakeable, alongside uncertainty and doubts. The narrative shows how the two can indeed co-exist in a person. 
The film presents an engagement with all of this and some more in a unique, authentic voice that is controlled and understated in a notable manner. The final result exhibits more potential in terms of storytelling and screenplay than could be explored in this brief project. It should definitely be interacted with further in subsequent endeavors.

FilAm | Short Film of the Day

The film preoccupies itself with a coming-of-age moment, not simply for our seventeen-year-old protagonist but also those around him. When the film opens, Jason is unhappy with how his entire life has been mapped out for him. 
He battles an internal dilemma regarding what is expected of him and what he truly wants to do. 
While Jason may be headed to a prestigious college, with options to choose from, as his peers are quick to point out, his heart lies in music that remains a deep passion. As he spends a day playing truant with the same friends, a day of discovery awaits him too. While they may sometimes usher in a little tomfoolery to help him unwind a little, they are also well-intentioned and are not going to let anything come in between all the work that he has put in and the much-deserved result that is close in sight now. 
The film’s writing and screenplay explore all of this, alongside Jason’s relationship with his parents. There is also something to be said about a channel of communication, and it is indeed by employing this that his parents evidence a growth trajectory similar to Jason's in the course of the film.

What I Want | Short Film Nominee

The film presents a sincere coming-of-age moment within its brief length by way of its protagonist, a moth. Her struggle is one of finding her light, quite literally. As she spends her time drawing in her notebook, and trying to evade the pressure of finding this evasive light on a timeline, her peers are far ahead of her, already sharing their life updates of becoming conductors and controllers of the said light. 
As we go deeper into her battles, a narrative about the pursuit of one’s identity, and its acceptance in all its glorious rough edges, comes into existence. There is further the reminder to let things come to you in their own time, much like a crucial moment of acceptance and self-discovery that awaits our protagonist, irrespective of where she stands vis-a-vis her relationship with light. It is only when one takes off the external pressure of sticking to an imagined timeline that you find your light, metaphorical, but also quite literal, as for the characters of the film. 
In the process, the film presents a quirky world of moths and explores all of this, and some more about hopes, aspirations, and ideas of the self. The screenplay, though functioning within a structure of limited means, exhibits deep potential alongside equally competent visuals, and storytelling all of which remain soulful throughout.

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