Thrilling, powerful and sinister are the three adjectives that most perfectly define the experience of interacting with I'm Still Here. The film takes us into the very uncertain, and therefore, doubly horrifying reality of a woman called Maggie who is hiding in a basement while waiting for her parents to come back. The latter had ventured out in search of supplies seven days ago and have not been heard from since. 

 In the process, the film invokes the deeply disconcerting situations of emotional isolation, along with a physical kind, allowing it to be a more hard-hitting story in a world that is only beginning to get back on its feet from the lonesome existence of a pandemic. The physical threat is never truly revealed to the viewer, thereby allowing it to invoke fear of a distinctive visceral kind, individual to each mind, one heightened by concealing more than what the story reveals. However, in addition to this, it is the oppressive internal, emotional threat that truly captures the viewer's attention and ensures they are unable to look away even in the face of something potentially fatal awaiting the protagonist. 

 There is further much to be said about the expert and sophisticated manner in which sound is employed to conjure the world Maggie inhabits. Markedly, it is indeed another woman's voice on a walkie-talkie, Emory, that allows decisive and crucial forward movement of the plot. As the two women find themselves a space of companionship, solidarity, and hence, much-needed strength during a moment of paralyzing panic, the film conveys all of its intentions in a notably effortless manner. Moreover, it would indeed be quite something to see the short film as a longer project.

I'm Still Here | Short Film of the Day

It is a regular day for Rudy, an incarcerated felon in a high-security prison, who is behind bars serving a life sentence for brutal crimes against women. Without dwelling on the details, and simply working with suggestions instead, which do more than an adequate job of constructing the narrative, 'Prisoner #1616' presents itself to you. 

A researcher, Monica, has come to the prison to interact with Rudy, and confirm a theory she has been working on regarding human DNA. The dance of the power dynamics between the two characters, as they blur lines between the protagonist and the antagonist, is truly a joy to watch. 

The conversation that unfolds ensures the viewer’s attention is glued to the screen throughout, lest they miss even the slightest detail. DNA and music, a song, memories, and the past, science and reincarnation, all of them are invoked to conjure the world of the film, and what a world it is. Marked by smooth performances, neat visuals and a gripping storyline, the film refuses to let even a single moment slip, building tension and taking the viewer as well as the characters down a path of no return.

Prisoner #1616  | Short Film of the Month

The world of ‘Hypodermic’ is constructed meticulously, uniting a sense of endlessness associated with water, and the title's inherent suggestion of it finding a home beneath your skin. The background score too is chosen with care, ensuring that it enhances the story and narratorial progression in a significant manner. 

Isaiah, the protagonist, seems to be plagued by a nightmarish reality, an echo of his past that threatens to overpower his life in the present. Despite the attempts of a concerned girlfriend, he is unable to open up about what truly happened, battling, all by himself, the affliction that now casts a long, endless pall on his life. 

The story is involving and shocking, leading to a revelation that sustains the drama and suspense built so far. While it shows want of a little tightness in its progression towards the climax, the film manages to pull itself back in position by the conclusion, perhaps even leaving its realm with you long after you are done watching it.

Hypodermic | Short Film of the Day

A woman goes about her day, putting on a clean dress, and taking care of chores in the house. The visuals, however, are coupled with a sinister voice of a man who proclaims god-like truths, immediately making the viewer deeply uneasy. 

The woman, on the contrary, is comfortable, and in the process of preparing for something, a ritual perhaps for the Children of Enoch, the cult she is a part of. After the death of Father Enoch, the leader whose voice now echoes through the realm of the film pronouncing the cult's philosophies, and two of her companions, she awaits their resurrection on the sixth day. The film opens on the very day when, if the dead are not brought back to life, the watcher, the woman herself, must ‘join’ them in their ‘journey’. 

Long, fixed shots of the protagonist moving about in a house with notable ease that harbors three dead bodies, daintily dressed in her pale pink dress, ushers in the definitive horror inherent to the narrative. The subtlety of the horror, quiet but undeniable in its impact, becomes the most prominent strength of the film. The consequent, skillfully-handled narrative, further bolstered by equally remarkable performances, becomes powerful and disconcerting in its brevity.

The Watcher | Short Film of the Month

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

Without explicitly stating thus, the film becomes a beautiful story about marginalization, and more so when it is self-inflicted as a result of the external social forces of the world the protagonist is located in. Sadia Hassan is tied to a strange condition that once turned her into a zombie, leading her to commit heinous, atrocious crimes. And even though, the world may have found a way to contain the ‘Otherness’ of this reality with drugs and all kinds of medical treatment, ensuring big profits for pharma conglomerates in the process, Sadia’s ordeal is far from over. 

While the external monster may have been muzzled, and quite literally, the internal monster that Sadia battles is overpowering and all-consuming, forcing her to accept that her own humanity is now a thing long lost and forgotten. It is the monster of guilt that torments her with the memory of her past actions, and the life that once was. 

The film exhibits beautiful writing, especially in terms of the internal conflicts of its characters, as well as powerful performances (an elevated Anya Chalotra-esque protagonist, for instance). Anisha Savan’s storytelling brings to life a refreshing voice that evidences deep potential, and should definitely be explored in future projects.

I'll Never Be Alive Again | Short Film Nominee

‘Windows’ is a wonderful endeavor that takes you in the most unexpected directions, in the most seamless ways. A man has arrived at a destination but is unwilling to let go of his cab just yet. He is struggling with a dilemma, an impossible conundrum with no solution in sight. A truly marvelous (read: disconcerting) conversation ensues when he shares the same with the driver. 

The man has been cheated on by his wife with his best friend. As he waits in the car before he sets out to meet the couple for dinner, all sorts of violent thoughts cross his mind. A discussion of the same with the driver carries us down some very dark, disturbing paths. The film employs the limited space of a car most judiciously to conjure this circumstance. 

The conversation that develops is free-flowing, reducing us to the status of not a viewer, but almost an eavesdropper. The lighting exhibits control, and the storytelling skill, ensuring that the film succeeds at conveying all that it had set out to convey.

Windows | Short Film of the Month

‘The Retreat’ beautifully beguiles the darkness within its layers with the humor and entertainment it presents at first glance. When David arrives at a remote house nestled deep in the hills, to spend time with his boyfriend, Anthony and his boss, he is immediately put at unease. 

The feeling of being watched, and observed a little too closely for comfort never leaves him. However, despite the obvious trampling of boundaries, and David’s clear discomfort, Anthony is quick to dismiss it as a figment of his imagination. When the truth is revealed, it is consistent with the film’s tonality maintained all along. And yet, it shocks the viewer as much as it shocks David. 

The final result becomes a bizarre, darkly humorous progression of events. The film remains entertaining throughout, with notable chemistry and performances. The storytelling and screenplay complement the comedic timing of its actors. It would be an exciting possibility to explore the premise, characters, and the world established in the short in the form of a longer project.

The Retreat | Short Film of the Day

‘Mirage’ is a skilfully executed film, free-flowing and effortless in the visual progression of the events. The story talks of love, intimacy, betrayal, and infidelity. However, the most important of all the entities on the emotional spectrum of the film is nostalgia, something that acquires a substantial presence within the narrative in the form of a drug that allows you to revisit the joys of the past when you take it. 

Adam and Loli navigate the many complexities of their relationship which seems on the brink of collapse, and the film comes into being. The performances and screenplay support it notably, presenting a young filmmaking voice with immense promise. 

Addiction, memory, intimacy, and the fallout of deep love turning into deep hurt all unite as one in this endeavor which remains heartfelt throughout. The question that remains central to the narrative, however, is — can drowning yourself in the thought of what once was, save you from the consequences of your actions in the swiftly unraveling present?

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