By Betsy Galchutt, Entertainment Reporter
TheWrap’s “Shortlist” finalists have been announced and we’ve got the lucky nominees below!
The finalists include short prizes from the Sundance Film Festival as well as the LA Film Festival, and showcase talent from all around the world.
“We are thrilled to honor 12 of the most interesting, creative and inventive short films of the past year. We hope this festival allows many more viewers to see some of the most exciting new work in filmmaking,” said Sharon Waxman, CEO of TheWrap.com.
The Finalists
Animation
FEAR OF FLYING
- Directed by Conor Finnegan
- Ireland, 9 min
- A bird with a fear of flying tries to avoid heading South for the winter.
- Best Animated Short Film, Galway Film Fleadh 2012
- Best Animated Short Film, LA Shorts Fest 2012
THE MAKING OF LONGBIRD
- Directed by Will Anderson
- UK, 16 min
- A ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at an Animator/Filmmaker as he struggles with his character.
- BAFTA 2013 – Short Animation
- British Academy Scotland Awards – Best Animation
THE PUB
- Directed by Joseph Pierce
- UK, 8 min
- A day caught up in the murky slipstream of a North London pub.
- Curtocircuito, Santiago de Compostela ’12 – Best International Animation
- Los Angeles Film Festival ’12 – Best Experimental Short
WHAT DO WE HAVE IN OUR POCKETS?
- Directed by Goran Dukic
- Israel/USA, 4 min
- A most unusual love story unravels when the objects in a young man’s pockets
- come to life.
- Best Script in a Short, 2013 Nantucket Film Festival
Narrative Fiction
BLACK METAL
- Directed by Kat Candler
- USA, 9 min
- After a career spent mining his music from the shadows, the actions of one fan create a chain reaction for the lead singer of a black metal band.
- Short Grand Jury Prize, 2013 Dallas International Film Festival
- Grand Jury, Narrative Short, 2013 deadCENTER Film Festival
CAFÉ REGULAR, CAIRO
- Directed by Ritesh Batra
- Egypt, 11 min
- After two years together, Alaa and Mai encounter the first big crisis in their relationship in a café in Cairo. In this city, always changing and always relentless, the old and the new clash and anything might be possible.
- FIPRESCI Critics Prize at the International Film Festival of Oberhausen,
- 2012
MAGNESIUM
- Directed by Sam de Jong
- Netherlands, 20 min
- A talented gymnast makes a life-changing discovery as she prepares for an important tournament, which is her last chance to reach the top.
- Tuschinski Award, 2012 Netherlands Film Festival
UNTIL THE QUIET COMES
- Directed by Kahlil Joseph
- USA, 4 min
- Shot in the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts, Los Angeles, this film deals with themes of violence, camaraderie, and spirituality through the lens of magical realism.
- Special Jury Prize, 2013 Sundance Film Festival
VOICE OVER
- Directed by Martin Rosete
- Spain, 10 min
- I won’t tell you whose voice over leads us through three extreme situations that are actually the same. Will you survive?
- Chicago International Film Festival, Silver Plaque
- New York City Short Film Festival, Best of the Fest
Fiction / Doc
CATNIP: EGRESS TO OBLIVION?
- Directed by Jason Willis
- USA, 7 min
- Catnip is all the rage with today’s modern feline, but do we really understand it? This film frankly discusses the facts about this controversial substance.
- YouTube Audience Award, 2013 Sundance Film Festival
Documentary
THE LAST ICE MERCHANT
- Directed by Sandy Patch
- Ecuador, 14 min
- For over 50 years Baltazar Ushca has harvested the glacial ice of Ecuador’s Mount Chimborazo. His brothers, both raised as ice merchants, have long since retired from the mountain. This is a story of cultural change and how three brothers have adapted to it.
- Best Short Documentary, 2012 Woodstock Film Festival
- Best Short Documentary, 2012 Woods Hole Film Festival
- Best Short Film, 2013 Independent Film Festival Boston
WHATEVEREST
- Directed by Kristoffer Borgli
- Norway, 16 min
- A documentary about the unlikely inspiration behind a dance tune produced by Todd Terje called “Inspector Norse”. “Inspector Norse” is the internet alias
of Marius Solem Johansen, a failed musician living in a small town, producing dance videos and drug recipes for YouTube. - Special Jury Awaard at AFI Fest 2012
Share Your Thoughts
For more information, check out TheWrap.com and shortlistfilmfestival.com. For updates, like TheWrap’s Facebook page and follow along on Twitter.
What do you think of the finalists? Voice your opinion in the comments section!
