What happens when a man only has 1500 words left to live? Does he rage against the arbitrary nature of life where words have come to reign supreme when it comes to human communication? Or does he accept silence as his fate and goes on with life with his head down? The film is a humorous yet heart-breaking exploration of the same dilemma as Stanley struggles to stay alive as well as his keep marriage afloat. In its own nuanced and comedic manner, the narrative further engages with the importance (or the lack) of silence in a relationship. As Stanley strives to extend his life, a very tough enemy remains to be conquered - the absolute human need to articulate - be it sadness, pain, anger, denial or love. Amidst all this rigmarole of emotions, expectations and duties, where will the protagonist finally find himself?

1500 Words | Short Film of the Day

The film packs a complete punch of humor, absurdity and the complete immersion of the viewer within its narrative. It bemuses you, and deliberately so, as it takes you into a day in Miles' life who wakes up to find a stain on his otherwise perfectly clean bedsheet. Amidst the lovely flamingos in the shade of the most aesthetically pleasing pink, rests a spot of a dirty brown-red. Thus begins Miles' bewilderment in unpacking the cause and reasons behind it. For the viewer who frequently engages with creative content, the instinct is to look for metaphors, symbolism and hidden meanings within this seemingly complex narrative. However this pursuit of meaning, this fixation with making sense of a regular story unfolding before you is no different from Miles' fixation with the stain. It is then in this manner that the protagonist and the viewer not only reach a space of overlap, but perhaps also doom themselves to the same fate of uncertainty in a world where absurdity reigns free, even in the face of all our desperate attempts to look for order, patterns or sense in the functionings of a possibly arbitrary universe.

Stain | Short Film of the Day

The title of the show sets the premise - the misadventures of a bunch of adults trying to find their way in the world. From dating to religious inclinations to sexual fetishes to health problems, the show encompasses it all and more. For instance, the first episode is a hilarious and expert handling of a man’s mid-life crisis. However, it does not simply put its writing and script in the age-old category of humor and moves on. Instead it portrays what it means for a high school teacher to be unable to accept where he finds himself located at this particular stage of his life. Attempting to invoke and pique the interest of his students in Victor Frankenstein’s monster, perhaps a character who echoes his own isolation and inability to fit in, he instead finds himself trying to imitate them in a bid to perhaps add some colour to his life. From being in a band to buying the same clothing as his students, from looking to date younger women to turning up for the date distinctly dressed in a manner that can potentially turn out to be disastrous - he tries it all and fails at it most miserably. The narrative succeeds at generating humor at the expense of the character, while also garnering sympathy for him. In the process, it becomes a well-rounded portrayal of a man’s struggle to come to terms with what he perceives as a dull, mediocre life. Similarly, the other situations the series explores with its varied characters are sometimes relatable, sometimes plain absurd, using the freedom allowed to the genre of comedy, but never not entertaining and engaging. As different characters negotiate their location in society, there are overlaps and crisscrossing of paths. Essentially, what Fully Formed Adults does is provide brief and succinct capsules of amusement and laughter. The length is just right to stoke the viewer's curiosity, involve them in the narrative, eventually concluding with a satisfying tying of ends. The singularity of the concerns of each character is not unfamiliar, but delineated in a way that gives a fresh spin to the story. Its progression involves moving from one aspect of contemporary lifestyles to another, and includes a lighthearted commentary by its characters on social media, smartphones, Judaism, atheism, Woody Allen, the internet's fixation with other people's pets, to name a few. If you happen to stumble across the series, sit back and enjoy this bizarre ride of eccentricities that never has a dull moment.

Fully Formed Adults

Fully Formed Adults 1: Josh

Ep 01: Josh

Fully Formed Adults 2: Sean

Ep 02: Sean

Fully Formed Adults 3: Lindsay

Ep 03: Lindsay

Fully Formed Adults 4: Steph

Ep 04: Steph

Fully Formed Adults 5: Black Shabbat

Ep 05: Black Shabbat

Fully Formed Adults 6: #coolassboxerdog

Ep 06: #coolassboxerdog

The film opens on a note that is fraught with tension - a man is sitting by himself at a restaurant, impatiently waiting for someone. The first impression is of darkness and shadows, a palette of deep colors that is intended to conceal the secrets that simmer underneath the surface. The entry of the second character deliberately makes the viewer locate the film as a crime fiction - one marked by a violent undertaking that has just seen its completion. After the premise has been set, the unexpected appearance of humour subverts the intensity located within the narrative so far, and allows it to now take another form the viewer did not see coming or prepare themselves for. What begins as a parody of crime fiction soon develops a whole new characteristic it had been preparing itself for all along. This, in turn, enables the film to not only succeed, owing to convincing performances, effortless chemistry of its two actors and crisp writing, but to also offer an interesting treatment and understanding of the word 'crazy', giving it a lighthearted (but well-meaning) and unpredictable twist.

Crazy | Short Film of the Day

In a world where despair often seems to reign free and things appear bleak and despondent, stories about kindness and hope gain a renewed significance. The short film is an endearing and heartwarming example of one such story. An old woman, one day, hears her neighbor talking about a sum of money and how Krishna, a Hindu god worshipped by several Indians, has sent it to her in reply to a letter. Our protagonist thus gets determined to send out a letter of her own, also requesting the god for a small amount of money, to the utmost shock of her neighbor's son who she has roped in to write and post it. The film has an intimate tone throughout, along with a portrayal of the deep devotion towards divinity and the childlike wonder that people often develop in old age. There is further an efficient utilisation of limited resources to tell a simple, but compelling story with a sweet message at its core. Additionally, Dear Lord Krishna, evidently a sincere and dedicated attempt at storytelling, leaves the door open for more projects of the kind by the young filmmaker, Jhanvi Gadhvi.

Dear Lord Krishna | Short Film of the Day

The world has battled the coronavirus pandemic desperately and long enough to make the phrase 'the new normal' more than just a simple, oft-repeated set of words. The short film takes the same thought a step further to imagine a reality after about a year since March 2020 to bring to life a perfectly average, mundane occurrence, but in a post-Covid world. Now, this is a time marked by detailed health measures and palm-sized devices that update the user on-the-go about their body temperature. These little touches and elements allow the story to be complete with humour, and a sense of absurdity which now simply seems part of contemporary social norms. A man and a woman meet at a bar. However, since the world is already afflicted with enough complications, especially marring the dynamics and equations of dating, they waste no time in getting to the point. And yet, irrespective of one's desire for companionship, safety and health remain paramount. Thus ensues a detailed exchange of information as being safe on a date acquires a whole new meaning in a society that is only just coming out of a pandemic. The film remains entertaining and engaging throughout, enhanced with energy and verve that is also translated in the chemistry of its only two actors, and the intimacy it strives for with a generous use of handheld shots.

The New Normal | Short Film Nominee

In a sterile world of colorless pipes with a deeply questionable origin, much to to the identity of the corporation that owns them, Mush operates as the be-all and end-all of people's dietary supplies. Within the corporation exist strict hierarchies of power, also determining which color of Mush is made available to its employees for their lacklustre meals. The story truly begins when a level one employee, Marcus is promoted to level seven under the leadership of a seemingly underage manager. While navigating the power structures of his new position, he stumbles across another strange, previously unencountered object in his own backyard - a tomato. Unsure of what the item truly is, describing it as a flower of sorts hanging from the plant, clearly having only been familiar with mush as a meal, his world gets a welcome surprise of tasting a fruit for the first time, and yet, the structures he moves and functions within might not be as welcoming of it. The narrative of the film invokes all of these underpinnings by satirising the closely regulated workplace hierarchies, the inner functionings of a big corporation, young upstarts given crucial professional positions and of course, the complete control of a truth narrative by a handful custodians of power.

Most Viewed

Genres

Awards

Follow Us

Quick Links