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annuinWednesday evening we did something else rather than our usually scheduled karate class, though it was an event we went to with someone that we know from karate.
Last week Anne, one of the other ex-pat Aussies at the dojo, had mentioned that there was an Aussie short film festival/evening, which sounded very interesting. And as a result we decided to go... it's not often that you get to go see any short films anywhere, as they're not in a habit of showing them on tv or in cinemas.
There were 8 films on the schedule, which was going to run about an hour and a half in total. Each of the films had won a prize, and one was an Oscar nominee this year.
Lucky
Second prize Winner Tropfest 2005. A four-and-a-half minute short that definitely managed to be action-packed and have a little twist ending to boot. Funny too.
And One Step Back
Best Film Winner St. Kilda 2004. A poignant vignette of two sisters and their mother.
We Have Decided Not To Die
Best Australian Short Film at Flickerfest 2005, Audience Prize at Clermont-Ferrand 2005. I have to say that this didn't do much for me. We'd already been told that there is no narration as such, which there wasn't, nor a real point. A kind of state-of-mind piece. I guess it was just too artsy for me :P
Birthday Boy
Oscar nominee Best Animated Short Film 2005, BAFTA Best Short Film 2005. A poignant story of a little boy playing war in South Korea in 1951 while his father is at the front. Lovely animation and a good story.
Everything Goes
Best Short Film Lexus IF Awards 2004. Based on the short story "Why Don't You Dance" by Raymond Carver. This starred Hugo Weaving, so bonus points just for that, I love Hugo Weaving. Hugo Weaving plays a middle-aged man whose wife has just left him, and he decides that he's going to get rid of all his furniture. A young bargain hunting couple gets a little more than they bargained for though.
This piece was hilariously funny in places, sometimes if only for the setting due to the fact that Hugo's character had basically set up house outside, as all the furniture was out on the front lawn, but with all the electrical appliances plugged in. There's a certain charm about sitting on your couch on the lawn with your drinks cooling in the fridge next to you.
Australian Summer
First Prize Tropfest 2005. Two bums experience an Aussie Summer. Very funny indeed, even though it has a bittersweet aftertaste. This starred Bruce Spence, who seems to pop up in most Aussie movies (Mad Max springs to mind for starters).
Happy Endings
Best Production VCA School of Film & Television 2004. This piece revolves around Floyd, a dorky loser who is so disillusioned by the stupidity around him, that he asks Spider to make the pain go away. Meanwhile she turns his entire opinion of the world upside down. Also a very funny piece, and it also didn't pack any punches.
Bomb
Best Comedy Tropfest 2005. Absolutely hilarious, though along the way you could see the punchline building up. Very cleverly done though. And very short and sweet at a mere 3.5 minutes.
It was definitely worth a visit, and I enjoyed almost all of them. It's interesting that even most of the funny pieces had their share of bittersweetness added to them, walking the knife's edge between comedy and tragedy, without getting too sentimental when it did lean towards the latter. Apparantly an annual event, so we might have to check it out next year, if schedules and baby permit us to do so.
Last week Anne, one of the other ex-pat Aussies at the dojo, had mentioned that there was an Aussie short film festival/evening, which sounded very interesting. And as a result we decided to go... it's not often that you get to go see any short films anywhere, as they're not in a habit of showing them on tv or in cinemas.
There were 8 films on the schedule, which was going to run about an hour and a half in total. Each of the films had won a prize, and one was an Oscar nominee this year.
Lucky
Second prize Winner Tropfest 2005. A four-and-a-half minute short that definitely managed to be action-packed and have a little twist ending to boot. Funny too.
And One Step Back
Best Film Winner St. Kilda 2004. A poignant vignette of two sisters and their mother.
We Have Decided Not To Die
Best Australian Short Film at Flickerfest 2005, Audience Prize at Clermont-Ferrand 2005. I have to say that this didn't do much for me. We'd already been told that there is no narration as such, which there wasn't, nor a real point. A kind of state-of-mind piece. I guess it was just too artsy for me :P
Birthday Boy
Oscar nominee Best Animated Short Film 2005, BAFTA Best Short Film 2005. A poignant story of a little boy playing war in South Korea in 1951 while his father is at the front. Lovely animation and a good story.
Everything Goes
Best Short Film Lexus IF Awards 2004. Based on the short story "Why Don't You Dance" by Raymond Carver. This starred Hugo Weaving, so bonus points just for that, I love Hugo Weaving. Hugo Weaving plays a middle-aged man whose wife has just left him, and he decides that he's going to get rid of all his furniture. A young bargain hunting couple gets a little more than they bargained for though.
This piece was hilariously funny in places, sometimes if only for the setting due to the fact that Hugo's character had basically set up house outside, as all the furniture was out on the front lawn, but with all the electrical appliances plugged in. There's a certain charm about sitting on your couch on the lawn with your drinks cooling in the fridge next to you.
Australian Summer
First Prize Tropfest 2005. Two bums experience an Aussie Summer. Very funny indeed, even though it has a bittersweet aftertaste. This starred Bruce Spence, who seems to pop up in most Aussie movies (Mad Max springs to mind for starters).
Happy Endings
Best Production VCA School of Film & Television 2004. This piece revolves around Floyd, a dorky loser who is so disillusioned by the stupidity around him, that he asks Spider to make the pain go away. Meanwhile she turns his entire opinion of the world upside down. Also a very funny piece, and it also didn't pack any punches.
Bomb
Best Comedy Tropfest 2005. Absolutely hilarious, though along the way you could see the punchline building up. Very cleverly done though. And very short and sweet at a mere 3.5 minutes.
It was definitely worth a visit, and I enjoyed almost all of them. It's interesting that even most of the funny pieces had their share of bittersweetness added to them, walking the knife's edge between comedy and tragedy, without getting too sentimental when it did lean towards the latter. Apparantly an annual event, so we might have to check it out next year, if schedules and baby permit us to do so.