So's Reel Thoughts: Shorts

Showing posts with label Shorts. Show all posts

Every year, I like to create at least one short film just for my own sanity. So, Kristine Gerolaga and I went out to my favorite place in the city AKA Koreatown (of course), to shoot a little something something. You may have noticed that Kristine was my actress from my short last year, Blue Paradise (See here) for the YOMYOMF + Justin Lin short film competition. She also directed her own short for that called Hit or Miss and it's one of my favorite shorts (See here). While we were shooting this, we realized that this story could be a continuation of Blue Paradise.

Blue Nights follows an an aspiring actress who leaves her mom a heartfelt voicemail during one somber night in Koreatown. I wanted to show the realities of being a struggling artist living in Los Angeles. As second generation Asian-Americans, many of us still feel obligated to comply to our parent's wishes and this film was a way to show how sometimes we have to sugarcoat our lives to them in order to keep pursuing our dreams, no matter how lonely that journey may be. I hope you enjoy.

Surprise you guys! YOMYOMF + Justin Lin have teamed up to bring you the Interpretations 2.0 shorts contest and I have submitted my own short called Blue Paradise! The rules were that we could only use four lines of dialogue: "Don't do that", "Of course", & "I have my doubts", "What is it?" and it had to be under 3 minutes!

I have always been fascinated by how people process grief and so when I read these lines, this story about a man retreating to his safe haven after finding out his girlfriend's infidelity, came immediately to mind! It's dark, nuanced, and plays with sexuality and gender roles.

Now that I submitted it, we shall just wait to see if it passes the selection process! Whatever the outcome, I really enjoyed bringing this story to life and am so thankful to all my friends who have helped make this into a reality. I hope you watch it in fullscreen with the audio blasting! & let me know your thoughts!

My Interpretations Page

There are some things in life that you just can't unsee. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS! Samantha simply wants to be like every other girl and post up a selfie on Instagram but she can't because she was born with a butthole for a mouth. Yes, A BUTTHOLE FOR A MOUTH. Eduardo Casanova's grotesque yet endearing Spanish short film, Eat My Shit, takes a look at a girl who was born different and it sends a direct and unforgettable message. It's one of the most outlandish, brilliant, and downright barf-inducing shorts I've ever witnessed (and survived) but you will be fantastically transfixed by it all! (Tbh, I'm scarred, horrified, & everything in between. Abort! Abort!) Eat My Shit is screening at SXSW in the Midnight Shorts Competition. I don't think anyone will ever be ready to see something like this so now is a good a time as any!

"I'm not on a mission. I'm not trying to start a revolution." In MissMe: The Artful Vandal, renowned Montreal-based artist MissMe quit her successful job at one of the world's top advertising agencies and became an underground street artist. Director Mohammad Gorjestani crafts a beautifully shot and enthralling portrait of MissMe who simply just want to provide a counter-voice to the objectification of women in mainstream advertising. Although she has no intentions of starting a revolution, her work and voice is a powerful testament to the cause itself. MissMe posts up images of iconic and influential women like Nina Simone, Frida Kahlo, and even herself in her unmistakeable mouse mask. She's the kind of modern day superhero I've been waiting for. MissMe: The Artful Vandal premieres at SXSW in the Documentary Shorts competition.

As a daughter of a liquor store owner, I instantly become attached to stories of the race tensions that are still prominently present within the Los Angeles communities since the LA Riots. So it's no surprise that Macgregor aka Miguel de Olaso's short film, Los Angeles 1991 about exactly that, hits so close to home. Set in Los Angeles, the story is based on a real-life shooting that occurred at a local liquor store. It's a powerful drama about the intersecting lives of four different people whose presence and ethnicity are incessantly stereotyped and pit against one another. As much as we've seen this story before, the narration by Gordon Capps adds more context and richness to each character, even if it seems like from an outsider's perspective. In the end, it does make you wonder if there will ever be an end to this exhausting race war. Take a look.

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After the tremendous success of Sean Baker's film, Tangerine, it was only natural that he would be getting offers left and right. But it was only in my wildest dreams that one of my favorite fashion powerhouses, the Japanese-Parisian line, KENZO would ever tap Baker to make their next short film. Introducing their collab short film, Snowbird features the KENZO Spring-Summer 2016 collection from Creative Directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. The story follows Young Theo (Abbey Lee), a young woman living in a remote desert community. Entirely shot on the iPhone, the story showcases a beautifully universal story that is equally whimsical as it is real. If there's anyone that can capture the gritty sweetness of real life, it's Sean Baker.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Snowbird Premiere party this past Tuesday. It was incredibly delightful to see it on the big screen as it should be experienced with the music blasting through the speakers. I did not expect to see so many celebrities and fashion bloggers and while I am usually not starstruck, the sight of Carrie Brownstein made me squeal like a little piggy!

But above all, Snowbird is one of my favorite things Sean has done yet! He continues to make refreshing and ground-breaking stories that are built around real people and communities and this time, in Slab City, CA. Accompanied by Stephonik Youth's kickass tunes, Snowbird hits all the right notes and even gives you a little extra with its surprising ending that'll have you reaching for the nearest tissue. I can't wait to see what he does next! But in the meantime, check out Tangerine (See Review) if you haven't!

(L-R: KENZO Creative Directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, Abbey Lee, & Director Sean Baker)

Could this short film be Gareth Evans' next project after his wildly successful The Raid films? Who knows but over the weekend, he dropped an untitled short film/test footage on his YouTube of footage that would fit the PG-13/12A rating so he could potentially make something that his daughter could watch. The results is an incredible 5-minute, action-packed, samurai fight that embodies the same kind of style and pace as his previous works. Hannah Al Rashid, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman star in this knit-tight and thrilling short film that would make a worthy successor to the beloved The Raid films!

Storyline: In a time of civil war, a young warrior is given the task of delivering a treaty between two rival lords. During her journey through the woods however, she finds herself hunted by two assassins intent on intercepting her message of peace in a bid to maintain the fear, instabilty and violent rule of their leader.

Elizabeth Lo's remarkable short film, Hotel 22 documents one night on the 24-hour bus in the California Bay Area which serves as a shelter to the area's homeless. Lo is a Stanford University MFA student who spent countless nights on the bus to get to know the environment and people. With 6 days of shooting and over 30 hours of footage, Lo condensed the film to make the story seamlessly feel like only one night. Enter into the unfiltered and raw lives of the many homeless and their safe haven that is Bus 22.

The short film premiered at Sundance Film Festival which was met with praise, eventually leading Lo to be named one of the "25 New Faces of Film" in Filmmaker Magazine. It's the short's observational yet immersive filmmaking style that immediately makes Hotel 22 an engrossing watch. I was actually surprised when it ended because I wanted to know more about these unique characters who are ironically living in the booming money town of Silicon Valley. Lo is currently expanding Hotel 22 into a tonally different feature that will premiere next year that will focus on more of her interactions with her subjects. I definitely cannot wait Elizabeth, I cannot wait!

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You may remember Leah Shore's work from when I shared her engrossingly hilarious & eye-popping short film, I Love You So Much last year. She returns yet again with a provocative short film called Hallway, which premiered at this year's SXSW Film Festival! As Shore describes it, Hallway is "queer, about mental disability and existential breakdowns and is set in a real Brooklyn sex dungeon." (If that doesn't grab your attention, you're dead inside!) She had wanted to create something that was both sexually and gender neutral as to not be categorized. And naturally in the name of love, there are no boundaries. I've always enjoyed Shore's work as they are thought-provoking, visually mind-fucking, & simply so emotionally powerful! Take a ride into the trippy mind of Leah Shore & you'll know what I mean!

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Yorgos Lanthimos is leading the Greek Weird Wave Cinema movement with his genre-bending and provocative films like Dogtooth and Alps. The subject of identity is nothing new as seen in this video essay prepared as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival Critics Campus program. Conor Bateman looks at the way Lanthimos' narratives present the transformation of identity in three of his films-- Kinetta, Dogtooth, and Alps. Lanthimos dares to challenge not only his characters but the audience to face the absurdity of the society we live in. His next film The Lobster is executed in the same satirical themes and is sure to ignite some conversations about our society's orthodox perception of matrimonial status and true love. Take a gander below and if you haven't seen any of his films, be ready to have your mind-blown!

Motherfucker is the fourth short of the Takeaway Scenes series where it is made by Anonymous, a group of anonymous people who must follow strict guidelines (listed here), one of them being that they all need to be shot in one take. I love the concept and the ego-less of the whole project as literally no cast & crew gets credited in this series. Adapted from the play, The Motherfucker With The Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis, Motherfucker follows a moment between lovers Veronica and Jackie after Jackie tells her that he got a job today. With most of these shorts, the story relies heavily on the actors as they have to carry the story on their shoulder but Veronica and Jackie succeeds effortlessly with their explosive energy and chemistry with one another. These Anonymous collaboration has the right idea about filmmaking that truly strips down the form to its bare bones that allows experimentation and story to be the main focus. I can't wait to see what they do next!

The first time I saw Leah Shore's I Love You So Much, it was at Los Angeles Film Festival '14 and I completely fell truly madly deeply in love with it, Savage Garden style. She took such a simple concept of two people who love each other so much but incorporated belly-achingly hilarious dialogue and wacky animation that resulted in one of the most eyegasmic short films I have ever seen! Shore herself star in this piece that had me kicking and screaming on the floor due to it's insanely comical one-liners (Tinder-worthy) that may seems outlandish and ridiculous but I must admit, I've uttered these words to my once lover(s) (no shame) in my lifetime. Leah Shore is in all sense of the word an artist--an artistic force to be reckoned with even if she just wants to make you feel uneasy! But I mean who doesn't!

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I had the privledge of being invited to the King of Reactions, Ryan Right's popular YouTube channel, The Reel Rejects, to do some trailer and shorts reactions with him! I haven't really gotten a chance to collab with many YouTubers but I got to say, Ryan Right is pretty fun! He has an outrageous and explosive personality that basically screams DGAF all the way! We did a trailer reaction to the new Peanut's film and Cinderella as well as a Shorts reaction to There's a Man in the Woods. I normally would not pick these kind of films but it was refreshing to see films that hasn't been on my radar especially if it were not for Ryan. So take a look and get ready to laugh a butt load because we were a cosmic riot together!

There's a Man in the Woods is a spoken word short film that is very reminiscent of Atonement. Director Jacob Streilein endured at a young age, the older kids starting a rumor that quickly became a terrifying experience. He's been wanting to make this animated short film and the results are chilling. Who said animation couldn't be scary! Just look at Yeon Sang-ho films.

I don't know if you know this about me but I dislike the Disney Princess movies because as a 90's kid and as a female, these princess stories warped our expectations of marriage and relationships and I honestly don't know if this is the kind of message we should be sending to our little girls. I thought by now, with all these new Pixar films that we would have more films about empowered girls and so to my surprise, they are reviving a lot of Disney films and one of them is Cinderella starring Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter. Visually, it is stunning but obviously there is nothing original about this version. The only reason I will see it though is for Blanchett and Carter's impeccable acting!

I didn't grow up with Charlie Brown and so I don't really know anything about the world of Peanuts and Snoopy. But It looks like Snoopy is getting his own spin-off which is exciting! As for the teaser/trailer, it seems like Snoopy is going to go on a grand adventure that includes flying through Paris and what not! It looks decent but obviously, it is not for me.

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As a big fan of Park Chan-wook, I am always excited to see new works by him whether it is features or shorts. And this time, we get all the ingenuity of Park but in a pint-size in a A Rose Reborn, a short film in promotion for an Italian fashion company, Zegna starring Jack Hudson (Boardwalk Empire) and Daniel Wu (Europa Report, Warcraft). The short introduces us to a young CEO who travels across the globe to meet a Chinese investor but stumbles upon a number of riddles and other odd exchanges before they can reach a deal.

A Rose Reborn is filled with many Park trademarks of vivid and dark cinematography that is filled with a number of chilling and mysterious quirks which eventually transforms the tone to highlight the magically beautiful philosophical contemplation on life. I've only seen one other short film by Park called Nightfishing and this is another rare film that never ceases to amaze in his never-ending ability to tell dense and thoughtful stories that encompass the universal story of the human experience. It was a great move by Zegna to have Park concoct a unique and global story about the journey of discovery and growth that also emphasizes the lifestyle of fashion.

(See more on the Zegna site)

As if I didn't post enough related to Spike Jonze's Her, I am back once again with a documentary brought to you by The Creators Project and Jonze's friend, Lance Bangs, chronicling the reactions to Jonze's film as well as featuring stories and reflections of their own experience with relationships, love, and technology. An array of artists from Author, Bret Easton Ellis to Comedian, Charlene Yi to even Opening Ceremony's Humberto Leon give testimonial of their experiences and you can't help but simply realize the beauty and tragedy of love.

The doc takes us 360 on the different types and stages of relationships and it is presented in such a raw and intimate light, you are bound to be overwhelmed with emotion as we somberly nod in agreement to the reality of life that entails continuous growth and change. This is possibly my most favorite short doc I've seen in a while (also biased.)

Eros: The Hand

(2004, Wong Kar-wai)

Grade: A-

I've made most of my Oscar predictions here and one of the few categories I seriously had no idea in was the Best Animated Short Films. Luckily, Bleeding Cool via The Film Stage was able to collect all five short films and here they are! The Academy Awards is just around the corner (one week in fact) so chop chop chop and make your predictions! Honestly nowadays, I could care less about who wins and whos hot and what's what. But the animation section is one category that always stays true to its art form. Check it!

Adam and Dog, directed by Minkyu Lee

Fresh Guacamole, directed by "PES"

Head Over Heels, directed by Timothy Reckart & Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly

Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare", directed by David Silverman

The Paperman, directed by John Kahrs

These are all exceptional animated short films. I'm glad more Koreans like Minkyu Lee, who was an animator for Disney, is getting more recognition for their work. I've noticed the majority of the best animators are from Korea which I had no idea about till my friend who works at Pixar told me. Minkyu wanted to make Adam and Dog unlike any other short and infuse tranquility like a Terrence Malick or Andrei Tarkovsky film, which he does beautifully. Fresh Guacamole by "PES" is undoubtedly the most imaginative shorts on the list. It's quirky and eccentric enough that'll make you smile from ear to ear multiple times. Head Over Heels is like a trailer to a indelible Michel Gondry romance film which left me wanting to see more! And I was actually surprised by this pick but The Simpson's very own Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare." If you're a Simpson fan, it doesn't disappoint. Then we have the most reblogged, tweeted, and posted short film that wasn't made by Pixar but Disney. The Paperman was shown before Wreak-It Ralph and I was completely floored by the imagery and story. Pixar has made so many amazing short films like La Luna and Day and Night that I didn't think Disney had it in them anymore. Boy, was I wrong. And I'm glad I was wrong because if there is one romantic film that has captured and made 50-year-old men cry, it's The Paperman. I am positive that The Paperman will win the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Guaranteed.

At the San Diego Asian Film Festival there was back-to-back shorts showcase of Bong Joon Ho's Influenza and Park Chan Wook's Night Fishing.

Night Fishing was entirely shot on the Apple iPhone 4 which means Park has to put in more creativity and possibly effort. Park always blurs the lines with death and reality and once again he mixes the two together. this short film is a eloquent ghost story about fisherman (Oh Kwang-rok) who goes into the depths of the woods for a weekend trip only to capture a dead body in the river. The corpse is played by none other than Lee Jung Hyun (YES, THAT LEE JUNG HYUN) who floats between the dead and living worlds.

The short film leaves a lot for the audiences to piece together this puzzle. but what ensues when the audiences finally gets it is wonderment and a transcendent experience. as a korean american i am a newb to the traditional korean funeral ceremony and watching the odd and peculiar ceremony is intimidating and powerful in its rituals. the picture exudes an eerie, atmospheric, ethereal feeling that seeps into the viewer's soul that allows them to feel the sorrow of the fisherman. its a beautiful short film that was almost unexpected from Park Chan Wook's usual violent blood-baths. in retrospect it is invigorating and surprising but at that moment i almost wanted it to be Park's usual good guy vs. bad guy routine. I always expect the best out of Park Chan-wook and considering that Night Fishing was completely not what i had expected and in that aspect, it can be seen as a masterpiece. He didn't get comfortable and instead surprised his fans by telling a story that was modest and very comedic. Night Fishing transcended beyond his usual filmic traits and our expectations and gave birth to an unprecedented piece of work that juggles the boundaries of life and death. A