Tag: Short Film

An Animated Guide to VC Film Fest (2024)

Taking place next month is VC Film Fest and we have our guide on must sees for the animation fan and our top three live-action cinematic presentations too. ;)

VC Film Fest Logo
Runs from Wed, May 1, 2024 – Fri, May 10, 2024

The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival / LAAPFF is now known as VC Film Fest and they’re celebrating 40 glorious years! This event is great at showcasing films from this region and this year, the shorts program includes Armed with Camera, Digital Histories and Pacific Cinewaves. This helps attendees select what they like to see, and sewn into the fabric of each of these are many animated works and they will be my focus on my top ten works to see this year.

And also included are my top three picks of live-action feature length works.

Aikane Waterfall Picture Still

AIKANE

A valiant island warrior, wounded in battle against foreign invaders, falls into a mysterious underwater world. When the octopus who rescued him transforms into a handsome young man, they fall in love and an epic adventure begins.

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Introducing a New Talent to the Horror Scene, Zach Lorkiewicz, and Why “The Night Jane Went Insane” in 2023/24!

What’s special about Zach Lorkiewicz’s art, music videos and short films is that he’s willing to put it all out for free on YouTube!

Zach Lorkiewicz and Brinke Stevens at The Night Jane Went Insane Zach Lorkiewicz may seem like a new name in the horror indie film industry, but when you look at his online profile, he’s been at it for a decade, and his prowess must be noted. According to Brinke Stevens, an icon in the horror film community, he has a solid work ethic. She’s seen him at work, and the fact he has a clear vision speaks volumes.

“And I also love art; It all started when I was young, making my own films and going to schools for it. I woke up to it,” said this filmmaker. Examples can be found on his Instagram page. “I enjoy making things outside the system. It allows you to have a lot of freedom, and that ultimately is the most important thing to realise.”

This talent is based out of Los Angeles, and to stand out is tough. He said that in this city it’s easy to meet folks in the industry, but he had to be cautious. “That’s because not all of them have my back. I’ve been very lucky. It is very difficult to find producers in the Indie world willing to commit to your project. I’m consistently making other [corporate] videos and random experimental things to put on display, to make ends meet.”

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Gale, Stay Away From Oz Offers More Than The Stuff Nightmares are Made Of!

Prepare to be creeped out in Gale, Stay Away from Oz which is no doubt influenced by Disney’s Return to Oz (for those who haven’t read the books).

Gale Movie PosterAvailable on Chilling Streaming Service

Frank Baum’s books about the fantasy world of Oz have never been cause for concern amongst those familiar with the entire series. After watching the horror film, simply titled Gale, Stay Away From Oz, I have to watch Return to Oz (1985) again to refresh my memory. It seems this short is clearly influenced by it along with the books. The story here concerns how insanity has affected the Gale family.

Just when fans of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s film Wizard of Oz thought that film was the end all be all, there’s been attempts to continue the story with Journey Back to Oz, produced by Filmation, but it largely lays forgotten when compared to other attempts by the House of Mouse, which includes Oz, The Great and Powerful, along with other studios’s interpretation. The original tale is in the public domain, and filmmakers and playwrights can do whatever they want with this fond classical piece of children’s literature.

With the novels, I like to see if it ever alluded to Dorothy Gale going insane after returning to Earth. Fans of the books know the author also included scarier elements later on in the series. As for which work made Daniel Alexander reimagine this world to a product of true nightmares, I’m glad he’s taking a chance and releasing it early, before Spooktober.

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“Parka” or Fur Baby? Sometimes You Have to be Careful in What You Love More in this Horror-Comedy

Sometimes, a pandemic can throw plans to release a short film out the window, but for those folks who love director Alrick Bursell’s The Alternate will find this work, co-directed by Marcella Cortland, a great diversion to set up the horror Halloween season that’ll be quick to come!

Parka Poster Final
Please see below for where this short film will soon be offered.

Before Alrik Bursell made The Alternate which I absolutely enjoyed (review link), this director worked on Parka. It’s a short film which is finally available to stream beginning Sept 13th, 2023, and it’s a great horror-comedy with a bit of an animal rights message added on top. The spin is very Stephen King. Or should I say it’s presented like one of Joe Dante’s horror films, namely Gremlins?

The premise is simple: Lauren Taylor excellently plays a well to do, stuck up socialite named Sara that can put Alexandra (from the classic Josie and the Pussycats cartoon) to shame. She claims to be a well-meaning activist in various circles, but the snarky attitude and what’s said foreshadows what’s still to come. After talking to her bestie, Josh (played by Ed Gonzalez Moreno), what they discuss is worth paying attention to. The direction by Bursell and Marcella Cortland really plays with emphasizing what’s important and also set up the expectations for later.

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The NFB at Annecy 2023 Competition Film Slate

A diverse range of works the National Film Board of Canada have helped produced will be in competition and exhibition at Annecy, France starting later this week!

The NFB - National Film Board of Canada LOGOThe National Film Board of Canada (The NFB) is returning to the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival with a very diverse slate of films, including works by or about festival mainstays Janice Nadeau, Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, Theodore Ushev and Diane Obomsawin. Taking place this year from June 11 to 17, the Annecy festival is the world’s largest event dedicated to animated films.

Young Audiences Short Films in Competition

Harvey Promotional Movie PosterHARVEY by Janice Nadeau (9 min)

Co-produced by Marc Bertrand (NFB’s French Program Animation Studio) and Reginald de Guillebon ( Folimage), with the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée. Head of Development: Corinne Destombes (Folimage).

  • A luminous look at loss and bereavement, seen through the eyes of a child with an overflowing imagination. Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Hervé Bouchard, illustrated by Montreal filmmaker Janice Nadeau (La Pastèque).

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Presenting The Top Three Shorts From The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival!

We offer our choices as the best short film winners from the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

39th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film FestivalThe 39th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival had lots of shorts and a bunch of movies to enjoy. It wasn’t too hard to decide on what to check out since, like other events worldwide, to restart properly following the global health scare is tough. To begin, I’ll look at my three most favourite shorts, and although two of them follow upon a similar theme, just where it goes is different:

Mom if I were a Vampire Short PosterMom, If I Were a Vampire

Wen (Ting Chiu) doesn’t want to be a momma’s girl, and life at school is rough in other departments. But when she gets in with the right crowd, with Jo (Yu-Xuan Wang) as the “it” girl, the friendship forged is no different from what I recall from Vampire Princess Miyu, a classic anime I have fond memories of.

Although there’s no similar character dynamic since most of the manga and animated series involved the title role without a human companion, what’s presented here would make for a good jumping in point for a live-action adaptation! In this case, it’s to expand upon. The LGTBQ angle isn’t anything new, but how its handled is quite deft!

In what the two characters encounter are bullies and stalkers. Also, I think Wen wants to be turned. She has a lot of feelings to get out and to explore that requires a longer story. This piece made by Deborah Devyn Chuang is certainly worth seeking for the neo-noir colour aesthetics!

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