by Atlanta Tsiaoukkas, resident writer at 3shotcine
London’s annual film festival organised by the British Film Institute comprises a huge range of creatives from debut filmmakers to future award-season favourites. This year's incarnation came with several films that will undoubtedly be much discussed as they make their wider releases - Anora (directed, written and edited by Sean Baker), Conclave (directed by Edward Berger), and We Live in Time (directed by John Crowley) will be certainly be particular favourites over the coming months. It’s worth noting that the documentary offerings this year were insightful, exploring post-partum depression (Witches, directed by Elisabeth Sankey), nuns (Mother Vera, directed by Cecile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson) and the twilight academic industry (The Shadow Scholars, directed by Eloise King), amongst other fascinating subjects.
The sheer size of this festival means it draws both your standard future blockbusters and new upcoming talent, and the latter is what I want to give special attention to. The shorts programming is always a brilliant opportunity to discover new creatives and offers a litmus test for current cinematic interests. It's telling that many of the shorts this year explored heritage and family (positively and negatively) across the thematised showings, pointing towards cinema beginning to get bored of excess action and romance-led narratives in favour of home-grown familial complexities. Exploring the range of shorts on offer this year, here are some, in my view, of the best, most creative films, and filmmakers that you should keep tabs on in the future.
Iranian Yellow Pages
directed and produced by Anna Snowball
A short documentary, Snowball’s story of an Iranian immigrant, Reza, living in North London, looking to build his business and life to bring his family to the UK, is a slice of life with Ken Loach-like sentiment. What is immediately clear in following the shorts programme is the range of representations we have the privilege to briefly access, and this film is exemplary of this opportunity. Watch for the pathos but also for the creative visual storytelling through audiovisual collaging that stood out as particularly striking on the first watch.
Gender Reveal
directed and written by Mo Matton
In most people’s hands, a film about a trans throuple attending a heteronormative gender reveal may come across as a trite attempt at recreating the euphoria of a viral tweet, but Mo Matton approaches their story with an exuberant humour that is hard (impossible) to hate. It is an aesthetically rich and culturally competent piece that rivals comedic pieces that attract much larger audiences. This is exactly the type of comedy I want to see in cinemas, and, with Matton’s success in the film festival circuit, I am manifesting more films like this.
Cold Snap
directed and written by Ellen Evans
Director Ellen Evans’ first venture in fiction following success in documentary filmmaking is expertly thought through and carefully made. The short film feels mysterious, tense, and anxious - credit must be given to Matt Huxley, whose music for this piece is exceptional, elevating the tension exponentially. Whilst the short works as its own complete work, there is an exciting sense of anticipation which leaves me waiting for Evans to try her hand at a longer form film.
Space(s)
directed by Luke ‘Frsh’ Fannin
Discussions about third spaces, borderlands, and code-switching are intensive at present, and this film reflects all these intersections without relying on tired talking points. It’s a film with pathos and energy, another directorial debut that points towards rich possibilities, a sensitive portrayal of multitudinous, hyphenated identities that communicates effectively with its audience without moralising. Fannin's commercial work demonstrates an eye for precision, and it's always exciting to see someone enter cinema from this avenue; I'm excited to continue watching his work evolve.
Two Minutes
directed by Jamie Benyon
This film was the epitome of expertly tense and humorous and brought to mind Guy Ritchie in its boyish, culturally relevant humour. Much like the other films considered here, it centres on familial ties, and the tensions in these relationships, and, despite being amongst the shortest films shown, it is self-assured in its motivation and execution.
A roundup by Atlanta Tslaoukkas, resident writer at 3shotcine.
Atlanta is a born and bred Londoner and a PhD candidate researching Victorian children’s culture. She enjoys exploring film and popular culture through a unique lens and understanding cinema within wider social contexts.
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