Short films are one of my favorite parts of the Tribeca Film Festival. Every year the festival shows up with a new assortment of quirky interesting heart wrenching films for the film buff with the short attention span. Though I truly enjoy full length films its nice to get the whole story in under an hour. The schedule was jam packed with great shorts this year, here’s a few of our favorite stand outs:
30 Year Old Bris
Writer: Michael D. Ratner
Director: Michael D. Ratner
Cast: Michael Ratner, Donnell Rawlings, Chris Elliot, Jaclyn Jonet.
Brad (Ratner) is a man in love. As a man in love he is prepared to endure the unimaginable for the sake of his hearts desire. Brads girlfriend in Jewish and insists he get circumcised. Though he could simply visit his doctor his lady love insists on having a traditional Jewish Bris. The short examines the depths we go to for those that matter and the hilarious consequences of telling your crazy best friend just how far you are willing to go. Fans familiar with Donnell Rawlings brand of humor will enjoy seeing him in this short sweet film. Despite the short run time Rawlings provides some great laughs at the expense of poor Brad.
La Carnada
Writer: Josh Soskin
Director: Josh Soskin
Cast: Angel Soto, Angelica Gonzolez, Carla Short, Carlos Valencia
A 13 year Mexican teenager is forced to grow up in a matter of minutes as his ailing mother relies on him for support. The poor family can barely make ends meet due to his mother’s illness and the young man is instantly thrust into the world of drug smuggling to survive. This heart breaking tale shows the despair and hopeless ness of poverty stricken children and the dangerous lengths they must got to for the sake of the family. Despite the short run time a great deal of passion and depth is showcased in this work. Though the run time doesn’t allow for a great deal of dialogue the scenery and images depicted fill the screen with the sadness and desperation of a young man forced into adulthood by circumstance.
Cycloid
Director: Tomoki Kurogi
A man sets his alarm clock and falls asleep sending the viewer on a colorful voyage through his mind and the dreamscapes he has created. Filmed as an ever changing painting this animated short is a combination of computer and traditional animation. If you look closely you can almost see the paint strokes that make up with beautifully visual film. Throughout this short the scenery morphs and evolves with each passing second in a hypnotic symphony of colors and textures.
Love in the Time of March Madness
Writer: Melissa Johnson
Director: Melissa Johnson and Robertino Zambrano
This animated short follows Melissa is six foot for basketball player and her quest for true love. This often hilarious sometimes embarrassing but always awkward tale is one that many tall girls know by heart. Johnson fills this visually captivating monochrome film with stories of lost love, potential suitors and the awkward encounters she faces on a daily basis. her story is as much about love as it is about human nature and our reaction to anything different from ourselves.