Hello ladies and gentlemen, Muldoon here with this week's set of stellar shorts sent in by readers like you and me. While I've found SATURDAY SHORTS typically end up being horror or comedy (I really do get sent way more of those than any other genres), it pleases me more than you know to shine some light on today's drama filled block of shorts. Today we've got four dramatic shorts that I think really bring it, they don't hold back while knocking you in the chest with raw emotion and quality. If you don't typically go for dramas, still give these guys a shot - I'm fairly certain you'll really dig them, hell - there might be a bit of the supernatural in a few of them. As always, if a short is on SATURDAY SHORTS, you know I'm a fan, but how about you? Shoot off your thoughts in the TalkBacks after the screening. There's always a filmmaker in the audience who might be interested in your thoughts on their short or perhaps some filmmaker about to set off to make a dramatic short of their own who might be curious. Either way, I hope you really enjoy the shorts.
Go grab yourself some popcorn, lock your kids in a closet, kill the lights, relax and check out this little weekly film fest we've got ourselves here:
THE ALLY
TRT: 9:36
Let's kick this week off with a period film from filmmaker Robert Gajic.It's a beautifully written, shot, and scored film that I've watched multiple times now. "WWII finds its way to the backyard of a young Serbian boy when he discovers a downed American pilot. The boy’s life takes a dangerous turn as he’s drawn into a desperate chase, and the Pilot is drawn into to the boy’s life, much more than he anticipated." I'm definitely going to want to check out what Gajic's got next. Quality stuff.
The Ally from Robert Gajic on Vimeo.
THE CANDIDATE
TRT: 20:35
Up next is a relatively raw film, a slightly straightforward conversation piece that's incredibly well crafted. I image the script was quite the page turner as the film effortlessly leads to its final destination. David Karlak has made quite the short. Check out his website for more info on the guy.
"Burton Grunzer – a hyper-aggressive and confident dealmaker – lives in the pressure cooker of a Fortune 500 company. His hard work and tenacity guarantee him a place at the top, but one man threatens everything that heʼs built. Co-worker Whitman Hayes is protected by someone high up and his blunders in the board room are damaging Burtonʼs reputation. Burton is repeatedly contacted by a secret organization called the Society for United Action. Mystified, he agrees to meet with a representative from the society, sealing his entry into a world where wishful thinking is used as a tool for murder.Burton Grunzer – a hyper-aggressive and confident dealmaker – lives in the pressure cooker of a Fortune 500 company. His hard work and tenacity guarantee him a place at the top, but one man threatens everything that heʼs built. Co-worker Whitman Hayes is protected by someone high up and his blunders in the board room are damaging Burtonʼs reputation. Burton is repeatedly contacted by a secret organization called the Society for United Action. Mystified, he agrees to meet with a representative from the society, sealing his entry into a world where wishful thinking is used as a tool for murder."
THE CANDIDATE from David Karlak on Vimeo.
THE TRUTH ABOUT STANLEY
TRT: 21:48
Here we have director Lucy Tcherniak's touching piece on the strong bonds people can build even while living on the streets and how everyone needs to know that they somehow matter. You can check out the film's website HERE or go HERE to possibly donate to a fund for the homeless if you feel inclined.
"The Truth About Stanley tells the story of an unlikely friendship between an old Congolese man and a young runaway, living rough on the streets. It is about friendship, loss, and the way in which we choose to deal with personal trauma. For Stanley, what he lacks in material possessions, he makes up for with his vivid imagination and an insatiable desire to tell stories."
The Truth About Stanley from www.thetruthaboutstanley.com on Vimeo.
BLIND BET
TRT: 17:08
Here's a first, an uncompleted short that still manages to hold my interest and has me guessing at what's going to happen next. Sean Cruser's film is and will be left uncompleted due to somehow losing files or corrupted files or... I'm not sure, but I've been there myself. There's nothing like tripping over an external hardrive, watching it hit the ground in slow motion, and only then realizing you didn't back up the stuff... It's a sticky situation. At any rate, we're left with an export Sean had sent the composer, so hopefully you can look past the color grading, sound mix, etc... and just enjoy the thing.
"Abbie, a desperate, young woman hoping to save someone she loves by sundown; reluctantly enters a high stakes gambling operation run by a mysterious cipher."
BLIND BET (Unfinished Short Film) from Sean Cruser on Vimeo.
And there we have it ladies and gents, this week's set of drama films that rocked Muldoon's world. I hope you dug them all, but even if you just dug one that you wouldn't have seen otherwise - I'm okay with that. I'll see you all next saturday with possibly a return to horror or comedy or who really knows? Feel free to toss out a suggestion in the TalkBacks.
Thanks for reading/watching. If you feel like checking out more SATURDAY SHORTS, click any of the links below:
If you have a short and think it belongs here or are on the fence about whether to send it in, please do send it in - I'd love to see what you've put together. I've already seen hundreds of fresh new filmmakers' shorts and like any good addict, I need more!
Shoot me an email at "Mike@aintitcool.com"
In the subject line include:
“SHORTS” + “Your film’s name” + “The film’s genre”
Then, in the body of the email, please include a synopsis of the film and any contact information you might think I need or would want published.
Please don’t feel the need to submit multiple times. I swear to each of you I truly check every email I get, and sending the same short a few times just makes it a bit messier.
Remember, the filmmakers might still be in the audience, so feel free to share your thoughts in Talkbacks below. (JUST DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE). I picked them, so you know I think highly of all of these, but how about you fine folks? How'd you like 'em?
- Mike McCutchen
"Muldoon"
Mike@aintitcool.com
