The SHORT+SWEET FILM FESTIVAL is only one child in the Short+Sweet family.  Short+Sweet has spread its popular 10-minute format in theatre, dance, cabaret & comedy across Australia and around the globe with the 10 minute films  showing in heats over the last few weeks with the  finals last night.

There are great prizes on offer including the winning film being  screened in Los Angeles at the Short+Sweet Hollywood Film Festival in late 2018 and there are many other professionally based prizes up for grabs. Including mentorships with working Hollywood industry professionals, producers and actors who are all on the Stella Adler Theater Board.

The finalists were:

NAVIS (AUS)  
Writer: Angharad Nettle-Smythe
Director: Roan Sajko 
Producer:  Marianza Zumbo
Cast:  Ashleigh Stewart, Natana Poa 

A Science Fiction drama where a woman awakens after a violent crash and makes it her mission to survive despite the unfamiliar terrain. Plagued by memories of a little boy knows she can’t rest until she finds him.


Coherent and cohesive world building using orange and grey washed soft focus palatte to delineate the present and the memory. Especially good technically was the use of light especially around the face inside the helmet. Clever costume creation too.

BAD HOMBRES, BEST MEN  (US)
Writer/Director Carlos Grana 
Cast:Megan Putnam, Ben Russell, William McCarthy, Benardo Cruz, David Bladwin

A fake mariachi wedding band has a disturbing way of ensuring newlyweds remain together forever. . .

The audio design here was really enjoyable, not just the slight echo in the vehicle but the use of cacophony in the beginning and with the 2 person band, streetscape and sirens.  There was a controlled use of colour, especially inside the van with the light used very effectively.

#METOO  (AUS)
Writers:Tony Paulley, Ayeshah Rose
Directors:Tony Paulley, Ayeshah Rose
Cast:Ayeshah Rose, Tony Paulley, Ellen Westberg, John Boychuk

Even in 2018 women are often seen as objects. In this instance a woman is auditioning for a role but it seems her acting ability is not enough. She feels the obligation to bare everything.

This virtually wordless offering was replete with sadness explored through very effective black on black.  The impassivity and indifference of the female judge was a superb counterpoint to the protagonist's suffering.  The use of XCU intercuts really brought the audience in, as did the power of the viola/ piano score.

THINGS THAT GO BUMP (AUS)  
Writer/Producer:Aisha Jakszewicz
Director:James Shannon  
Cast: Steve Young, Aisha Jakszewicz

A black comedy with a twist. Rose, our Femme Fatale, as evil as evil comes, walks her latest victim through a desolate bush track, under the cover of night. But unbeknownst to Rose, she too is being hunted…

Stellar use of natural framing here in a very technically adroit film. Foliage, swinging objects even shadows to give a shrouded yet fully seen image. The dialogue foregrounded the re-troping of a whole genre with a delicious final twist.

WORKING LATE (UK)  
Writer/Director:David Gilbank
Cast:Kathryn Hanke, Art Bastard, Jamie Smelt, Tome Jackson 

A suspicious wife confronts her husband when he arrives home late. He offers a litany of increasing outlandish excuses to explain his tardiness, none of which are believed.

The uneasiness of the situation was well communicated by a slightly unsteadiness in the camera and the use of sneaky zoom in and/ or outs. Clever story which turned the traditional on its head with a couple of fun performances at its centre.

KISS ME (AUS)  
Writer/Director:Lara Gissing
Cast:Grace Lowry, Nicholas Denton

A young couple goes camping in an attempt to salvage their relationship. Is this really what they want?

An unusual visual take on the bush with a sandy, hazy, washed out feel rather than gum greens or tree browns. A good central performance that was cleverly passive-aggressive. Clever use of angle for the tent sequence and a nice scripting of a relationship in real trouble.

STRANGERS IN THE PARK (UK)  
Director/Writer:Danilo Zambrano 
Cast:Danielle Galligan, Mark Griffin

Two strangers, Trevor and Aisling, share a park bench during their lunch. Trevor is shy and reserved, while Aisling is outgoing and sociable. An improv-based short.

Apart from the very engaging performances, this film had terrific shot sections.  From the locked off long shot which allowed the characters to explore proximity and apartness, to the cuts to puppets interspersed with character CUs, the film explored the intimacy or distance very subtly.

12 ZLOTY (ISRAEL) 
Directors/Writers/Producers: Yael Reisfeld & Nofar Schweitzer

A dreamy, animated fantasy that moves from a Polish butcher shop to a romantic undersea paradise!

Such an attractive watercolour feel to the animation with completed lines but limited fill ... just enough to give the figures character.  Red cheeks just lovely.  The sadness at the end very well engendered in the opened out setting.  The ethnic, old-world sound effects and figure shapes was very appealing.

BLIND DATE (AUS)  
Writer/Director:Mitchell McArdle 
Producer:Alyce Comey 
DOP:Samuel Battin
Cast:Sean Luther Hall, Raechyl French, Atlas Adams

Daniel, desperate for love as his mid-life crisis approaches, turns to blind dating.  Upon arrival, he soon realises that his date, Anna, is not as she seems.  Unfortunately for Daniel, his best mate Simon attempts to sabotage the date for his own cruel enjoyment.

The storytelling here was excellent due mainly to the character creation and development.  The use of close-ups to get inside their heads and to put his initial social inadequacy on display is excellent.  You can see his mind working.

SOUL WHISPERINGS (AUS)  
Director: Simmone Smiles
Cast:  Lexi Smiles, Simonne Smiles

A dance/documentary capturing the shared creativity and passion for dance between mother & daughter.

Beautiful washed watercolour used here. The bare room with polished wood floors and ecclesiastical windows and doors to give the nostalgia of children’s dance classes. The wistfulness of movement and dance to move the spirit. Gentle and with a delightful use of landscape and long shot.

BUBBLES (AUS)  
Writer/Director/Producer:Mohini Herse 
Cast:Aileen Huynh, Luke McMahon

Rom-Com where Carmen (and her pet fighting fish) use an app called 'Touch' for nightly, platonic cuddles.

Sound and vision allied here with a vaguely aquarium blue cast to the practical lighting elements in her apartment, especially the round window. The audio use of bubble motif for the communication of the fish and the phone app meshed well. Cute cartoons on the final credits too.

THE MISTRESS OF THE FOREST  (AUS) Director/Writer/Producer:Nicholas Hiatt  
Producer:Eleanor Stankiewicz/ Emma Playfair 
DOP:Jonathan Tyler
Cast:Nicholas Hiatt, Eleanor Stankiewicz,  Linden Wilkinson, Troy Honeysett

Fantasy Drama where, to meet an impossible deadline, a clueless illustrator must come face to face with his own creation: the mysterious Mistress Of The Forest.

This film made use of excellent design both for backgrounds and the drawings.  The latter being especially effective to deepen the storyline.  The "sequential artist" and his imagination and obsessions is well drawn in both the fantasy and real-life with the narrative moving swiftly.

A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION (AUS)  
Writer/Director:Maddi Fitzmaurice 
Producer/Actor:Claire Stewart-Moore 
Cast:Sam Wallace, Tara Geraghty

Crippled by social anxiety, Terry has finally met his perfect girl.

This sweet and touching offering made excellent use of backgrounds to show the sterility of the situation and the use of very well created graphics over the medical professional added to the poignancy of the man's longing.

BEYOND THE BUBBLE  (AUS) 
Producer/Director:Anna Hilderbrandt
Writer:Cec Parnell
Cast:Alice Ansara, Jared Jekyll, Michelle Lim Davidson, Maxi Shield

As rents skyrocket in the city, 3 friends must consider life outside ‘the bubble’.

The use of context worked very well to set up the premise of the film and the characters were clear and the relationships accessible from the first.  It certainly pokes gentle fun at millennials and their lifestyle without becoming too broad.  That was left to the fun, dynamic presence of the redoubtable Maxi Shield.

SAVING MERCURY  (AUS) 
Writer/Director:Ali Kadhim
Producer:John Worthington
Cast:Olga Miller, Anastasia Miller, T. Ropati, P. Pedersen, A. Volmer

In the not too distant future, a young woman carries the key to humanity’s survival…

The action sequence in this short was as good as you would see on the big screen.  It was shot and edited to put the fight on perfect display, mixing slowmo and speeded up with different angles. The bloodletting really got the audience going.  An excellent exploration of genre.

Mrs S  (AUS)  
Writer/Director:James R. Woods
DoP:Shaun Dougherty 
Cast:Gabrielle Scollay, James R. Woods, Jay K. Cagatay

A brother and sister in search for help in the Australian bush visit a petrol station where the owner gives them more help than they had bargained for…

Some very enjoyable scripting here, particularly in the first sequence in the car when the 2 characters and their relationship is really well, and quickly, communicated to the audience.  The acting is great fun all round, too, with the bickering very well explored.

And the winners:
The Judges selected BEYOND THE BUBBLE & MISTRESS OF THE FOREST

The AIT Award going to A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION.

The Audience Award was picked up by SOUL WHISPERINGS and STRANGERS IN THE PARK.

My favourite on the night: SAVING MERCURY.  A kick ass female protagonist and excellence in technique with great costuming, makeup and special effects.

Festival director Gregory Dolgopolov said “In a wide field, all films attracted awards and considerable audience love. Congratulations to all the filmmakers who contributed films and took part in the Heats and were a big part of the Short+Sweet Film Festival in Sydney.”

If you are getting your film ready for next year more information is available at SHORT+SWEET FILM FESTIVAL [Facebook].