Matthew Manhire’s Flames is a 6-minute film that witnesses self-expression and liberation from despotic control. Two young men take centre stage, enacting the tussle with their draconian grandfather over expectation and desire. Dialogue is sparsely used. Beyond a brief conversation in the car between the two men (Jabar Bains, Akshat Sharma), they almost do not… Continue reading Flames: Symbolic Demolition of Oppressive Ways of Being
Author: Indie Shorts Mag Team
Fall on Me: Personal Growth and the Place of Romantic Love in it
Isaac F. Davis’ Fall on Me explores the relationship between two young people who want to be together but their own internal lives keep them apart. Running to 26 minutes, the film develops into a theatrical style to examine this inner life, and dissect problems into their constituent parts. Ava (Ashley Fuller) and Atticus (Francis… Continue reading Fall on Me: Personal Growth and the Place of Romantic Love in it
$TACK$: The Satire Underneath the Thriller
Gerald Webb’s $TACK$ uses the crime thriller form to bring about a surprising twist that is cutting in its satire. A 6-minute film centred on an illegal deal between two rival gangs, $TACK$ maintains the tension well, even in its climactic reveal. The two parties are to meet in an underground car park. One side… Continue reading $TACK$: The Satire Underneath the Thriller
Waiting in the Wings: Post-Pandemic Resuscitation of Theatre and Life Around It
Josie Andrews’ Waiting in the Wings is a documentary celebrating theatre not only as an artform, but one that brings meaning and purpose to everyday life. The 24-minute long film divides its time between two local theatres in LA–Teatro Frida Kahlo and Five Star Theatricals. The pandemic is, of course, a pervasive presence in the… Continue reading Waiting in the Wings: Post-Pandemic Resuscitation of Theatre and Life Around It
Wannabe: Needs of a Survivor and a Wannabe Cannot Overlap
Josie Andrews’ 14-minute Wannabe opens up the world of survivors who chose their career. The film makes its protagonist completely recognizable, right from its title: the lead singer of a girl band, aspiring pop star, unmistakably from the 2000s. Jada (Margo Parker) is the natural leader of her three-member band. Though rather selfish and even… Continue reading Wannabe: Needs of a Survivor and a Wannabe Cannot Overlap
The Soldier’s Post: Yearning, Fear and Destruction in the Time of War
Joseph and Jack Archer’s The Soldier’s Post, their third short, examines how three different men react to the prospect of death in WWI. One with lust for violence, one with yearning for home, and one with fear and suppressed longing. Waiting for morning and the war it will bring, the three soldiers sit in their… Continue reading The Soldier’s Post: Yearning, Fear and Destruction in the Time of War
The Rise of Whore Betsy: A Plot Towards Revenge in the Wild West
Simon King’s The Rise of Whore Betsy is a Western-style tale of a woman left for dead and the little girl who brings her back to life. The film follows Betsy as she learns more about her saviour, Eliza, and prepares to avenge wrongs perpetrated on both of them. Set in 1880s Oregon, the film… Continue reading The Rise of Whore Betsy: A Plot Towards Revenge in the Wild West
The Rest Cure: Malevolence as a Reaction
Andreas Graf’s The Rest Cure, based on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, takes a turn towards horror in adapting the story of a 19th century woman suffocating in her oppressive marriage. Adapted into a screenplay by Claudette Jones, the 19-minute long film follows Alice as she slowly evolves in reaction to her controlling husband… Continue reading The Rest Cure: Malevolence as a Reaction
Sweet Street: Industry of Humiliation
Coz Greenop’s Sweet Street examines the failure of the state through the life of its protagonist. Set in England, the film follows Isabella, who does not have the luxury of separating her work from her personal life. The consequences have her trapped in a cycle from which escape is anything but easy. Isabella (Ariadna Cabrol)… Continue reading Sweet Street: Industry of Humiliation
The Mean Spirited: Questioning Motives Beyond Morality
Joseph and Jack Archer’s The Mean Spirited is a one shot comedy that veers into complex territory of ethics and morality through a story of four people and their stances on spirits. Set on a theatre stage, the film throws the literal spotlight on its characters in trying to etch out its argument and leave… Continue reading The Mean Spirited: Questioning Motives Beyond Morality