Sex, Violence And Comedy: The Bafta-nominated Shorts Have It All

Feb. 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Yours truly had the absolute delight to be invited along to a screening of all the BAFTA-nominated short films who are in the running this year. HOW EXCITING!

As I entered BAFTA I didn’t know what to expect, but I must say I was absolutely delighted with what I saw. Each film was completely unique and made me proud to be British.
For your reading pleasure and as this is a category whose films rarely get seen beyond the festival circuit, here’s a breakdown of what’s on offer this year.

ANIMATION: 3 Films In Competition

Title
Abuelas

Summary
In a small apartment in Buenos Aires, an old woman eagerly awaits the birth of her grandchild. However, horrific circumstances means she will be forced to wait over 30 years.

The Team
Director / Animator / Co-Writer: Afarin Eghbal
Producer: Kasia Malipan
Co-Writer: Francesca Gardiner

Derek’s Verdict
A thoroughly engaging short film which captured the essence of the era, and chillingly effective at portraying the loss and suffering experienced by countless Argentinians during dictatorial rule.



Title
Bobby Yeah

Summary
Bobby Yeah is a petty thug who lightens his miserable existence by brawling and stealing stuff. One day he steals the favourite pet of some extremely dangerous individuals, and finds himself in deep trouble.


The Team
Director / Writer / Producer: Robert Morgan

Derek’s Verdict
To be honest, whilst watching this film I couldn’t make heads or tails of anything that was happening. There were moments when I genuinely couldn’t figure out what was going on and didn’t know whether to laugh or recoil in horror.

Thankfully the Q&A managed to clear the air and one thing is clear: Robert Morgan is a hilarious genius. In his own words he “had no idea what I was doing.” The whole film took 3 years to complete and was originally going to be 2 mns long but Robert continuously got distracted and added scene after scene. The Chair of the Q&A Will Massa (British Council), compared the film to David Lynch’s Eraserhead which Robert gleefully accepted as a lovely compliment. Yet as Morgan himself explained, not even he “had any idea what the film is about.”

One thing is clear though: it is a brilliant filmmaking masterpiece, but be prepared to be sucked into the mad and unusual world of Robert Morgan’s imagination.


Title
A Morning Stroll

Summary
When a New Yorker walks past a chicken on his morning stroll, we’re left to wonder which one is the real city slicker.

The Team
Director / Writer: Grant Orchard
Producer: Sue Goffe

Derek’s Verdict
A simple and delightful film apparently based on a true story that appeared in the New Yorker.

LIVE ACTION: 5 Films in Competition

Title
Chalk

Summary
When a gymnast is selected for the National training camp she discovers something new about bodies, boys and friendship.

The Team
Director / Co-Writer: Martina Amati
Producers: Gavin Emerson, James Bolton
Writer: Ilaria Bernardini

Derek’s Verdict
No stranger to the awards season, Martina Amati has already won a BAFTA for her short film “I Do Air” back in 2010. Her follow up Chalk which is in the running this year, is again a perfect example of a director perfectly in control, who’s able to tell a story the way she sees it. Another strong contender and one to watch.

Title
Mwansa The Great

Summary
An eight-year-old boy who aspires to be a hero embarks upon a journey to prove his greatness, with unexpected consequences.

The Team
Director / Writer / Producer: Rungano Nyoni
Co-Writer / Co-Producer: Gabriel Gauchet

Derek’s Verdict
A fantastic and uplifting piece of filmmaking. A truly refreshing, moving and funny short that is deservedly in the running for a BAFTA. It’s also a brilliant testament to Focus Features for funding a programme of African films. It was brilliant.


Title
Only Sound Remains

Summary
In the wake of the violent post-election protests in Iran, a man and his wife, Babak and Nahid, try to hide the devastating news from Babak’s grandmother that his brother is missing.

The Team
Director / Writer: Arash Ashtiani
Producer: Anshu Poddar

Derek’s Verdict
Gripping, fascinating and brilliantly made. As Arah was explaining in the Q&A, the film is set in Iran but was shot entirely in London. In order to maintain the film’s authenticity though he asked a friend in Tehran to record the sounds of everyday life over there and send them over to him in London to use in the film. This is a perfect example of a great
story told with micro-budget means.


Title
Pitch Black Heist

Summary
Liam (Liam Cunningham) and Michael (Michael Fassbender) are professional safe crackers who meet on a simple job to relieve an office safe from its contents. The catch is a light-activated alarm system.

The Team
Director: John Maclean
Producer: Gerardine O’Flynn

Derek’s Verdict
Yours truly was pleased to see a genuine comedy make the nominations for this year’s BAFTA awards. Considering Michael Fassbender can be seen in Hollywood blockbusters like X-Men and Inglorious Basterds, I especially loved the fact that he took time to star and help write this brilliant short comedy.
According to its director John McLean, the script took 9 months to perfect, and Michael had a truly active involvement throughout the process. Love it. Kudos to Fassbender, you’re a legend!

Title
Two and Two

Summary
In a school governed by a strict regime, the pupils are informed that what they had always been taught as fact is no longer true. But when the incredulous students speak out, they are forced to question how far they will go to stand up for their beliefs.

The Team
Director / Writer / Producer: Babak Anvari
Co-Producer: Kit Fraser
Co-Writer: Gavin Cullen

Derek’s Verdict
A beautiful and thought-provoking short film. The power of this film will shock and inspire all audiences. Babak I hope you continue making such great films.

Enjoy Ladies and Gentlemen!

Hugs and Kisses

Derek x

derek@ineligibleforgreatness.com

twitter.com/ineligiblederek