Performed and recorded live at Phoenix Central Park, Sydney, Australia, The Fall by Genesis Owusu, brings to life a deeply personal conversation which, in the process, acquires a universality in its reach and the experience it presents to the audience. In a world where conversation around race and identity gains increasing relevance every day, the stunning music video invokes a discussion on the ideas of oppressive spaces, both within and without. 

We are hurled headlong into a realm that is marked by a protagonist who is held captive by tightly wound ropes. However, amidst the struggle to break free, his voice remains loud and clear, a gleeful, near-delirious grin never leaving his face. It is indeed in this visual that the narrative lays bare its primary thematic concern. It is also in this manner that the personal becomes political, allowing the vocals and the visuals to work in tandem with each other, rather than one triumphing or overpowering the other. 

 The video is especially notable for how it exhibits the creative range of Versus, evident in their usage of the same physical space as seen in a previous video ('Refracted' by Gordi), transforming it to tell a story completely different in texture and the intentions it communicates to the viewer. Consequently, while microphones, architecture, the overwhelming nature of art - all of them find an echo in the claustrophobic cornices, again, both physical and mental, the words "Get your hands off my mind...I cant breathe now", stay with you long after you're done interacting with 'The Fall'.

The Fall | Short Film of the Day

‘Trill’ is a heartfelt portrayal of a moment in a girl’s life, a moment defined by self-doubt, uncertainty and the pursuit to overcome it all. The film is especially beautiful in the intimacy it brings to everything that this moment comes to stand for, while efficiently utilizing narratorial brevity all along. 

The protagonist, a young woman, ruins a singing audition. After the disappointment, she comes home to a nagging mother who reminds her to focus on her academics more than anything else. She is not only left with the heartbreak of a failed audition, but also a resounding sense of isolation and loneliness in a space where there is little recognition of her talent and desires. 

The developments portrayed thus are tied together by a single triumphant act in solitude, one where the girl’s voice is undiminished and invincible - whether only in her head or in the real world, that remains irrelevant and inconsequential. However, the might of it all, whether or not it is witnessed by another, exists within her, and it is indeed this sentiment that takes the film home in a complete manner.

Trill | Short Film of the Month

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 | Spotlight

The most notable aspect of the film is its single-take execution of the story. The narrative revolves around a crucial moment in the protagonist's life, a high schooler who finds himself distracted by his sister's, one who lives with a mental disability, calling out to him from the audience amidst his senior performance. The portrayal of the situation enables the film to capture a stressful event in Tim's life, but one that gets entangled further in the complexities of familial dynamics. The film is notably an ambitious, zealous endeavour to put forth its intention for the viewer. Using an interplay of experimental visuals, a fast-paced progression of events and an opening that, after starting at an instance of heightened emotions, only goes higher and higher, it leaves no stone unturned in offering the viewer an engaging plot. The fragility of circumstances Tim attempts to navigate comes to possess a voice and delineation that allows the audience a lucid and stable view into the various elements that constitute the events at hand, as well as their gradual unravelling. Much of the weight of the product is staunchly taken over by director Lincoln Robisch, also the writer and lead performer, whose art of storytelling exhibits significant potential, expected to be developed and expressed more seamlessly in future projects.

For The Rabbits | Short Film Nominee

On the night of a very crucial performance, one that could define his future as a musician, Jai finds himself with a broken instrument. As a frantic scamper begins to somehow procure a tabla, with only a few hours to the performance, he receives the most unusual phone call. 

A man is willing to provide the instrument, as long as Jai can deliver a plate of butter chicken within the hour to the given address. Alongside this bizarre, but completely hilarious and entertaining route, is Jai’s own internal performance anxiety, manifesting itself in a shiver of the hand. 

The narrative allows a successful portrayal of all of these elements, irrespective of a few rough edges in the overall end result, presenting characters that are endearing, and notably fitting as hapless performers, or intimidating antagonists. The deep potential with regard to storytelling and narrative-building, alongside some skilled performances, is unmissable, paving the path for more engagement with similar stories and characters in the future.

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