Archives

Drama

Reality Bites

Quote

This Is Her
New Zealand
As she reflects back 20 years earlier while in the throes of childbirth, Evie’s devastatingly acerbic commentary reveals exactly what life has in store for her baby daughter, her husband and herself. Happy endings … only happen in fairytales. Directed by Katie Wolfe. Principal cast: Mia Blake, Fraser Brown, Christina Du Plessis and Caitlin Bossley.

Dog Fixation
Spain
Hector wants a dog. His parents don’t. They hope by ignoring him he will forget about it. As time goes on he just gets more adamant. Hector discovers you can’t always get what you want, but if you try some times, you get what you need. Written and directed by Patrick Bencomo. Principal cast: Cesar Vea, Fatima Baeza and Hector Mangas.

Ten
France
Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. What happens when you’re an adult and you still believe this old wives’ tale? Marc goes to a psychiatrist in hopes of overcoming his phobia. Written and directed by Jules Janaud, Fabrice Le Nizet and Francois Roisin. Principal cast: Lucien Momy, Alain Choquet and Ian Faure. Watch the film again:

Watch Ten:

Drama

Imagine a World Without Me

Quote

See You
Denmark
Fourteen year old Nete’s world collapses when her twin brother Noah is killed in a car accident. The family decides to move to Copenhagen to start life anew. Nete, still traumatized by her brother’s death, begins classes in a new school, but the day she starts, she finds she is not the only new student. To everyone else he is just the new boy, but Nete is in total shock … because the boy looks exactly like her brother. Get out your handkerchiefs for a surprising and touching film highlighting the important connection between brothers and sisters. Written and directed by American Film Institute graduate Jesper Waldvogel Rasmussen. The film was short listed for the 2009 Academy Awards. Principal cast: Coco Hjardemaal, Mikkel Juul Jensen, Henrik Birch and Julie Carlsen.
– Watch the film again, below.
– To purchase this film, go to iTunes.

Watch See You again:

Drama, Suspense

Bleed to Love Her

Quote

Shadow of a Doubt
Denmark
Liv wants to fall in love, but choosing to love another person means having to confront your inner doubts and fears. Commitment is frightening when running away seems like an easier option for a young couple of the cusp of a big decision. Written and directed by Esben Tonnesen. Principal cast: Rita Angela, Nicolei Faber, Anders Hove and Sara Quist.

Ellie, After the Love
Belgium
Would you die for love? After the death of a young man due to suspicious circumstances, a seductress is brought in for interrogation. It is soon discovered the woman has eerie connections with other men who have also died mysteriously. The detective wants to expose her secrets and understand the seductive power she has over men. The trap has been set, but by whom? Written and directed by Vincent Guillemot. Principal cast: Flora Thomas and Simon Homme.

Drama

From the Mouths of Babes

Quote

The Runaway
Germany
On his way to an important meeting, Walter bumps into a child he has never seen before. 6 year old Yuri insists on Walter taking him to school … and keeps calling him daddy. In an attempt to clear up the confusion and to get rid of the little nuisance, Walter starts a search for Yuri’s mother with surprising results. Ulrike Grote directed this Student Academy Award winning film. Principal cast: Peter Jordan, Maximilian Werner and Monica Bleibtreu.

Little Girl Waiting
Mexico
Eight year old Angelica wanders around the airport looking for her parents. She corners Carlos and Ana, two strangers who have never met before, and tells them they are her parents. They both have planes to catch and don’t know what to make of this strange little girl. This is writer/director Esteban Reyes first film. Principal cast: Maria Fernanda Urdapilleta, Juan Rios, Julio Casado and Ximena Rubio.

Drama, Suspense

Love Isn’t Pretty

Quote

Love Story
England
Why do people love people? … because they can’t help themselves. A young girl asks her father, “Why do you love mommy?” As the man considers this question, he remembers the first sighting of his future wife which reveals the depth and complexity of his love for her. You know you’re in love when you realize there is nothing you wouldn’t do for them. Written and directed by Amit Gupta. Principal cast: Anthony Green, Shelley Conn, Colin Salmon and Alan McKenna.

Ordinary Love
Germany
On the seventh anniversary of his wedding day, a police officer not only has to solve a murder case but also his marital problems. He interrogates the man suspected of murdering his own wife. He seems to push all the right buttons and quickly gets a confession. How did he do it? The investigator and the murderer share a lot more in common than at first glance. Written and directed by Oliver Dieckmann. Principal cast: Jan Gregor Kremp, Michael Mendl, Carolin Fink and Suzanne von Borsody.

Drama

Just a Girl

Quote

Missed
England
Will is shocked when he’s told that a girl who worked in his office died while away on holiday. He feels a sense of loss and regret for not having taken the time to get to know her better. The next day he’s even more surprised when he sees her walking passed the window of the café in which he’s sitting. He can now make amends, but is he too late? Written and directed by Guy Ducker. Principal cast: Jalaal Hartley, Sarah-Jane Pitts and Dan Mersh.
– Watch the film again, below.

River Child
Scotland
On a hot summer’s day, two girls head for the river to cool off. The self-assured Janice is almost a woman. The dreamy Katie is still a child. A dramatic event by the river alters the destiny of one of the girls forever. The film won the Scottish equivalent of the Academy Award in 2008. Directed by Damian Wood. Principal cast: Gemma Houston, Sinead Carroll and Darren Russell.
– Watch the film again, below.

Pink
Canada
Set in 1976 apartheid South Africa, a ten year old white girl attends the funeral of her black nanny, killed during a protest march. Sympathies shift swiftly in this stark examination of how politics are truly lived. Directed and edited by Ed Gass-Donnelly who made his start directing in the theater. Pink was originally created as a theater piece. Principal cast: Marian Wihak.

Watch Missed again:

Watch River Child again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d76xWdajOY

Comedy, Drama

Life Is Full of Surprises

Quote

The Bloody Olive
Belgium
It’s Christmas Eve 1951. Werner and Mylene are looking to forward to a quiet evening when the doorbell rings. It’s Sam, Werner’s business partner. He has discovered than Werner has been falsifying the books and wants his money back. This is the beginning of a night full of surprises. If you like stories with twists, you’ll lose track trying to count them all in this award winning tongue-in-cheek film noir. Written and directed by Vincent Bal. This story is based on a French comic strip entitled Imbroglio. Principal cast: Gene Bervoets, Veerle Van Overloop and Frank Focketyn.
– Watch the film again, below.
– To learn more about the film visit pov.imv.au.dk.

Life’s Hard
Romania
At knife point, a thief jumps into a young woman’s car while stuck in traffic to avoid the police. The frightened young woman becomes dumbstruck when the thief starts complaining about her dangerous driving. They both start arguing that each one’s life is harder than the other’s life. This unusual relationship takes twists and turns until it reaches a surprising climax. Written and directed by Gabriel Sirbu. The film won the Audience Prize at Aspen Shortsfest in 2008. Sirbu currently teaches film at the Romanian National Film School in Bucharest. Principal cast: Claudia Prec and Andi Vasluianu.
– Watch the film again, below.

Watch The Bloody Olive again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB041MXW1Rw

Watch Life’s Hard again:

Comedy, Drama

Chance Encounters

Quote

On Time
USA/Germany
A young man sits dumbstruck in an airport terminal. His fiancé has refused his offer of marriage. A traveling salesman sits next to him and offers to sell him a remarkable invention. In his suitcase is a product that will allow him to see thirty seconds into the future. A pretty outlandish claim, or so he thinks, until he witnesses it in action. Had he had this before, he could have prevented his current broken heart, but is knowing the future all it’s cracked up to be? Directed by Ted Chung. Principal cast: Kai Albrecht, Peter Farkas, Sabine Krause and Greta Galisch de Palma.
– Watch the film again, below.

Gnome
USA
A sheltered suburban wife accidentally hits a car in a bad part of town. Expecting the worst, she is shocked when three transvestites emerge from the car. She reluctantly accepts a ride home from these complete strangers. She comes face to face with her own fears and prejudices. We all play roles and wear costumes. The question is do you play the role or does the role play you? Based on a true story. Prior to directing and writing this short film, Jenny Bicks produced and wrote numerous episodes of Sex and the City. Principal cast: Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls), Joe Holt, Joey Cee and Michael Benjamin Washington.

Itsy Bitsy
USA
David is having a hard time getting up the nerve to ask his girlfriend to marry him. After another sleepless night, he goes into the kitchen for a midnight snack only to find he is not alone. He discovers you can’t always pick the perfect time or place to pop the question. The only thing standing between him and the love of his life is a spider … a REALLY BIG spider. Written, produced and directed by David May with amazing visual effects by Paul Hargrave. Principal cast: Brett Simmons and Amanda Zarr.
– Watch the film again, below.

Watch On Time again:

Watch 0507 again:

Drama

You Sexy Thing

Quote

Pierre, a Hole with a View
USA
Vermin need love, too. Follow the trials and tribulations of a French mouse and his gorgeous new roommate. Never mind that the roommate is human. As the saying goes, one doesn’t always choose who you fall in love with. A charming love story about unrequited love inspired by the classic animations from Warner Brothers and Tex Avery. The film took writer/director Dan Brown two years to complete. Principal cast: Tasha Smith and John Armstrong (voice over).
– Watch the film again, below.

Mickey and Maria
Germany
Twenty year old Maria goes to a birthday party in hopes of escaping her troubles. She has just broken up with her immature boyfriend and has become disenchanted with men and love. That is until nine year old Mickey offers her the most romantic proposal ever. Directed by Steffen Reuter. Principal cast: Stefanie Stappenbeck and Max Schmuckert.

The Aviatrix
USA
Anne has no friends, lives with her mother and has cancer. Her escape from reality exists in the form of The Aviatrix, an intergalactic superhero alter ego who rockets through space to fight the power of evil on distant planets. Anne’s fantasy world is her only way of experiencing adventure and romance in her lonely life until Miles shows up. Written and directed by Virginia T. Burton. Principal cast: Jessica Robertson, Nicholas Yedinak and Barbara Chisholm.
– To learn more about the film visit theaviatrix.com.
– To read an interview with the filmmaker visit independent-magazine.org.

Watch Pierre, a Hole with a View again:

Animation

Intelligent Design

Quote

One Rat Short
USA
A subway rat finds himself in an amazing adventure of love and loss on a dark Manhattan night. The award winning animation was written and directed by Alex Weil (the same man who directed the classic Cars music video You Might Think).
– Watch the film again, below.

The Cathedral
Poland
An explorer discovers what appear to be the ruins of an ancient cathedral on the edge of an abyss. His journey at an end, he stands and waits for transformation. Tomek Baginski’s Academy award nominated film is based on the Jacek Dukaj science fiction novel.

Mirage
South Korea/USA
A bio-mechanic robot must fill his glass chest with water to stay alive. When his survival depends on the possible death of another, he uses his ingenuity to solve the problem. The stunning animation won a Student Academy Award for filmmaker Youngwoong Jang and took two years to complete.

Watch One Rat Short again:

Drama

Stand by Me

Quote

Room 10
USA
Getting married is easy … staying married is hard. Frannie is an emergency room nurse going through a rough patch in her marriage. She hides in her work at the hospital to avoid addressing her problems at home. It’s a typical night in the E.R. until an expected encounter with an old man and his dying wife challenges her beliefs and choices in life. Based on a true story. Co-directed by Andrea Buchanan and Jennifer Aniston (yes, that Jennifer Aniston, making her directorial debut). Principal cast: Robin Wright Penn and Kris Kristofferson.
– Watch the film again, below.
– To learn more about the film visit oprah.com.
– To read an interview with director Jennifer Aniston visit msnbc.msn.com.

Wherever You Are
Spain
An old man relives beautiful memories of his younger years on a farm where he met the love of his life. He returns to the farm and finds a surprise waiting for him. This is writer/director Nicolas Tapia’s first short film. He has worked as a production manager on films such as Sexy Beast and many of Pedro Almodovar’s films. Principal cast: Lucia Jimenez, Enrique Alcides, Fernando Tielve, Maria Herze and Manuel de Blas.

Watch Room 10 again:

Drama

One Life to Live

Quote

Chicxulub
USA
65 million years ago the Chicxulub meteor collided with the earth and erased 75% of all living species. Tonight, Ted and Maureen receive a phone call that their daughter has been hit by a car. These two tragedies begin to intertwine. Ted and Maureen are about to rediscover the power of fate. Written and directed by Malona Voigt. Chicxulub is based on the New Yorker magazine short story by T.C. Boyle. Principal cast: Joel Swetow and Susan Tierney.
– To learn more about the movie and to read the short story visit chicxulubmovie.com.
– To watch an interview with the filmmaker visityoutube.com.
– To learn more about the author T.C. Boyle visit tcboyle.com.

Manon on the Asphalt
France
What will flash before your eyes at the end of your life? It’s a lovely spring day and Manon is on her way to a rendezvous with her boyfriend until an unexpected bump in the road has her seeing life from an entirely different perspective. As everyone gathers around the accident, Manon’s thoughts wander. It must be easy to die in Paris in the springtime. Written and directed by Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont. This 2009 Academy Award nominee won top prize at the Toronto Worldwide Short Film Festival in 2008. Principal cast: Aude Leger, Bastien Ehouzan, Yves Lecoz, Edouard Raix and Michele Leger.

Drama

You Are Being Watched

Quote

On the Line
Germany/Switzerland
A department store security guard is secretly in love with a clerk in the store’s bookshop. He watches her daily on the video monitoring system. One day he follows her on the subway and sees he has a rival for her affection. He is racked by guilt after the rival is attacked in the subway by some punks and he does nothing to stop it. This 2009 Academy Award nominee has won numerous awards including a 2008 Student Academy Award. Written and directed by Reto Caffi. Principal cast: Roeland Wiesnekker and Catherine Janke.
– To learn more about the filmmaker visit retocaffi.com.

Comedy

Anarchy in the U.K.

Quote

This episode includes:

I Am Bob
Heap of Trouble
Goodbye Mr. Snuggles

I Am Bob
England
On his way to a Make Poverty History fundraising event, celebrity Bob Geldolf is accidentally abandoned by an incompetent chauffeur in one of the remotest and tackiest motels in Northern England. To his horror, he discovers that a look-alike convention is taking place and no one believes him when he tells them who he is. Just when things look like they can’t get any worse, he realizes that he may not be the only Bob Geldolf at the convention! Sir Bob Geldolf plays himself in this hilarious tale of celebrity gone awry. Written and directed by Donald Rice. Principal cast: Bob Geldolf, David Bamber, Brian Conley, Peter Dunwell and Claire Rushbrook.
– Watch the film again, below.
– See the film’s IMDb entry at imdb.com.

Heap of Trouble
England
Ladies beware! Men are tired of upholding the macho facade any longer. A group of men are rebelling and are shedding the shackles (as well as a few other articles) of their enslavement. Mass hysteria overtakes an unsuspecting suburban town. Be forewarnedyou will find yourself singing their catchy protest song at the most inopportune times. Writer/director Steve Sullivan was amused when the New York Postal service banned postcards promoting the short film. Principal cast: Andrew Scofield, Paul Dean Taylor, Kathryn Dimery and Jo Price.
– Watch the film again, below.
– To learn more about the “controversy” about the film, visit lizditz.typepad.com.

Goodbye Mr. Snuggles
England
Two elderly gentlemen head off into the lush green meadows of the spectacular English countryside in search of a great view and a quiet day of painting and relaxation. Ruining their idyllic afternoon is a gun-toting clown hell bent on destruction. Who are you going to call when clowns go bad? An absurd comedy written and directed by Jonathan Hopkins. Principal cast: James Fox (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Robert Hardy (All Creatures Great and Small), and Tony Bluto.
– Watch the film again, below.

Watch I Am Bob again:

http://player.vimeo.com/video/61273157

Watch Heap of Trouble again (for mature audiences):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE_wbO45FYE

Watch Goodbye Mr. Snuggles again:

http://player.vimeo.com/video/13100091