The realm ‘Oso’ conjures is disturbing, involving, and above all, powerful. The story of the film is about a man called Javi breaking into a house where his daughter lives with her mother. 

The protagonist is clearly an unwelcome presence here. The reason behind this circumstance soon becomes clear as the film takes you deeper into its world. The space is marked by the horrors of a monstrous being; if literal for one character, it is metaphorical for another. 

The exploration of Javi’s reality, a relative phenomenon existing beyond the area of any definite, monolithic truths, is portrayed with meticulousness and beautiful, albeit disturbing, authenticity. The sound design and the seamless edit become remarkable strengths of the film, ensuring no stone is unturned in presenting to the viewer this extremely unreliable narrator that they cannot help but feel for. The writing, storytelling, and performances further allow the film to be a cohesive whole.

Oso | Short Film of the Day

‘Alice’ presents to us a protagonist in ribboned pigtails and a whimsical realm of tea parties, complete with miniatures modeled after dreams. In this world of daydreams, however, where is reality truly located? The question becomes central to the narrative as it engages with the idea of maladaptive daydreaming, and a world of escapism that relegates reality and its truths to a far lower rung. 
In an attempt to eschew the emptiness that follows when the illusion breaks, will the protagonist end up accentuating it even more? As this ironical reversal of events is explored, the music video presents a portrayal that is consistent and authentic in its approach and storytelling, supported by equally competent performances in terms of acting, vocals, and music. 
The two, visual and audio narratorial elements, intertwine seamlessly to introduce us to Alice, and her many interactions with a world that only exists in her imagination. While imagination and dreams may be mostly painted as integral parts of a life of creativity, as well as means to enrich existence, the narrative presents a crucial and skilled engagement with the pitfalls that can follow if they are left unchecked.

Alice | Short Film of the Day

A lifestyle of expensive cars, clothes and shoes comes at a cost, and the protagonist of the film seems to be struggling to pay it with her mental health. The opening scene of the story establishes a world of overworked employees, pulling long shifts late into the night. Their disheveled appearance and tired faces serve to further give us a glimpse into the story. 

Amidst this world of men in white shirts, stands a woman in her all-black attire. At the start of the film, we have already been given the suggestion of a loop, and the sense of entrapment that it invokes. We are soon presented with the same sense of repetition and the unbreakability of the said pattern, along with a blurring of lines between reality and illusion. 

The end result is a notable, dedicated attempt, even if marked by a little rawness with regards to control on its visuals. However, it still comes across as a worthwhile endeavor, paving the path for more similar storytelling in the future.

Parking | Short Film Nominee

Your first introduction to the world of Worn Out is by way of a voiceover against the visuals of the hustle and bustle of a busy city. Amidst the rush of the activity, we are introduced to a boy who smokes by himself. A deeper look into his life reveals nothing unusual. He chats with his flatmate, goes about his daily business, and yet, the narrative seems to be building up to something amiss. As his friend heads out for a class on science fiction literature, followed soon after the voiceover's mention of the idea of time, plot points that would guide the narrative seem to be coming into their own.

 How closely is our sense of self and reality tied with the passage of time? The question locates itself at the heart of the story, as the protagonist continues to lose time, being shaken out of a stupor of confusion or panic by those for whom it is flowing at a regular pace. The final result wants to engage with all of these concerns, and makes a dedicated case for the same despite its limited resources.

Worn Out | Short Film Nominee

The pandemic brought with it the most disconcerting, isolating and hopeless circumstances, to say the least. In such a scenario, the circumstance of a creative person, deprived of their work and ability to express their internal dilemmas with the world by way of their art, was especially hard. The narrative is a portrayal of the same reality. 

Confined indoors, with no food to eat, in a world that remains quiet and desolate in the wake of the pandemic, the protagonist, an artist himself, has little left to do than scroll through others’ social media updates, specifically about food, on his phone. However, as the hunger and isolation mounts, a different understanding of reality awaits him. 

 It is in the realization of the same, both internally, for the protagonist, and externally and visually for the viewer, that the title of the film and its main message are unpacked. The final result becomes an earnest attempt to establish the premise and follow it through till the conclusion.

An Artist and the Wall of Reality | Short Film Nominee

A realm of monochromatic animation takes us into the world of this short narrative, attempting to bring to life a reality that mingles fact and fiction. A shadowed figure chases another. The horrified eyes of the latter suggests there is little by way of escape available for him.

 While one pursues the other, the entirety of the narrative comes into being, finally concluding in a floating bedroom amidst an endless galaxy. The bare walls are adorned with a single poster that reads 'surrealism', as the protagonist sleeps by himself, clearly plagued by nightmares. 

 As the title suggests, the visual narrative wants to be an engagement with the numerous complexities of the human mind, and the staggeringly powerful form they can take during sleep. It would, however, be desirable to see the micro-short in the form of a longer project, allowing sufficient time for the thematic concerns to establish a beginning, middle and end.

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