★★★★ Directed by #AdamKontras Written by #AdamKontras Starring #MichaelJordan #AdamKontras Film Review by George Wolf and Hope Madden Normally, you’d expect the MVP of any doc about Michael Jordan – especially one featuring some priceless footage of MJ in his prime – to be the man himself. But in Meeting Michael, he’s upstaged by two kids curious about their Dad’s obsession. Dad is writer/director Adam Kontras. An Ohio native, Kontras was just a youngster himself when he first idolized Jordan and the mid-80s Chicago Bulls. Now, his L.A. attic is bursting with impressive MJ memorabilia, including two special videotapes with some amazing behind-the-scenes footage. At just 19 years old, Kontras was pulling the overnight shift at a news/talk radio station in Columbus. Through that gig, he scored a press pass for the Bulls game in Cleveland on Nov. 9th, 1995, and brought a camcorder. With both courtside and locker room access, Kontras captured a truly compelling moment in time. He released some of the footage five years ago as a short film, drawing superlatives in outlets ranging from online blogs to the Washington Post. For the feature length version, Kontras smartly reframes the entire story as one he’s telling his young son and daughter on the day they’re finally allowed to explore his fan cave. Though Kontras’s storytelling can flirt with self-congratulations, it’s more often laced with a sheepish wonder at what he pulled off, and some endearing self-deprecating humor aimed at his younger self. As a director, Kontras (Fastest Delorean in the World, Fastest Delorean Part II) exhibits fine instincts for answering the questions raised by his on-court encounter. For example, footage of Jordan finally answering a merciless heckler sparks a natural curiosity about the garishly dressed front row loudmouth, and Kontras delivers. Bypassing this sidebar wouldn’t have wrecked the film, but giving some time to Eddie “the Heckler” Nahra leads to a richer experience. It’s these details – some personal, some observational – that keep the film from feeling like a short surrounded by filler. For Jordan and/or NBA fans, Meeting Michael is a must. But by anchoring the story through the sharing of passions – and by using a touching story about shoes to cement a life lesson – it’s a film with more of a purpose than just liking Mike. #GeorgeWolf #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by: #AustinSmagalski Written by: #EdwardHamel, #AustinSmagalski Starring: #WestonLeeBall, #MikeSchaeffer, #AnthonyMartinez Film Review by: Patrick Foley It is clear from the off that not all is as it seems in Donovan Reid – the psychological thriller from director Austin Smagalski. Films with the premise of a central mystery usually experience the same challenges. Are audiences going to be bothered enough to re-watch once the truth is uncovered? Does the reveal create plot-holes, or lead to more questions than answers? And could all the confusion have been cleared up with a simple phone call, or by recalling some key info? A young man (Weston Lee Ball) arrives at a police station claiming to be a missing child – Donovan Reid. An initially suspicious detective (Mike Schaeffer) introduces him to Donovan’s family. Donovan’s father Hank (Anthony Martinez) embraces him - convinced he has found his long-lost son - but his mother Linda (Lydia Revelos) is doubtful. We learn that ‘Donovan’ is actually Michael – a traumatised young man who has escaped an abusive home. But as he tries to hide his true identity from the law and Donovan’s parents, he begins to discover that the Reids are hiding a secret themselves. The cast carry Donovan Reid, providing strong performances – if a little clichéd at times. Weston Lee Ball is appropriately enigmatic as Michael/Donovan – echoing Rami Malek’s Elliot from Mr. Robot in how inapposite he appears in his new home. Anthony Martinez gives a devastating performance as Hank – still bearing the scars of losing his son and devastatingly unable to understand why he cannot connect to ‘Donovan’ once he has returned. There are moments in which the film descends into melodrama – unfortunately coinciding with some of the most pivotal scenes. Each cast member has their slips at times – but these are forgivable given the overall quality of the performances. The story is intriguing and gripping upon first viewing. The film balances twists and reveals well without becoming outlandish. But a healthy suspension of disbelief is required in retrospect, and the film does not do enough legwork to believably convince that some characters would not have information at hand that would resolve the central mystery of the film within minutes. The double-mystery dynamic – of the viewers following Michael’s efforts to uncover a secret whilst the rest of the characters try to uncover his – feels fresh and exhilarating. But the payoff could have been stronger. Creative filming works wonderfully to the story's advantage and demonstrates Austin Smagalski’s promise as a director. Edits between Michael’s past life as a prisoner in his former home, and his new life hiding his own identity are consistently used to draw parallels between the dueling mysteries at the films core. The viewers feel Michael’s unease as he investigates the Reids’ home, and feel the growing pressure as their suspicions over him arise in turn. The film makes the most of its short 84-minute runtime, and allows time for characters to breath and grow before cascading into the big reveals. Donovan Reid is a psychological thriller that keeps audiences on edge with a strong intertwining of past and present events. The story could have been tighter, with a few glaring plot holes left unattended to. However the central premise is well explored, and strong performances and slick storytelling from the director leave the audience eager to spot missing clues on a second watch.

★★★ Written and Directed by: #InbarHoresh Starring: #NataliyaOlshanskaya, #KristinaSim, #MichaelLerner, #RomanGudovich and #AntonMakalenko Short film review by: Brian Penn In a world charged with racial tension relocation seems to be a loaded concept. But Birth Right explores the concept with more pragmatism and belief that Israel is the true home place of all Jewish people. Natasha (Nataliya Olshanskaya) has joined a coach trip to promote the immigration of Russian speaking descendants to Israel. A complicated home life makes Natasha wonder if life might be better in sunnier climes. However, a non-Jewish mother might limit her options if she relocated to Israel. The group arrive and are met by two Israeli soldiers, who extol the virtues of life in the country. All the girls on the trip fall for Shlomi, the handsome combat soldier. But Natasha catches the attention of a less confident and diffident soldier. As they talk into the night under a starlit sky, they discover much in common. But is relocation the answer to Natasha’s problems? The film leaves a maddening series of loose ends that need resolution. Director Inbar Horesh sees fit to leave the narrative hanging on a thread. A twenty minute film admittedly allows little time for a deep dive into the narrative. There should be some reward for the viewer but ultimately the film redeems itself. A bleak existence in a former Soviet bloc country might not hold a candle to the constant summer of the Middle East. But does it provide a 4th generation Jewish girl with hope emigrating to one of the world’s most volatile regions? This juxtaposition of choices is a fascinating proposition; it feels like an almost impossible choice as we realise how much trouble there is in the world. With fires starting everywhere we care to look who would dive into unknown territory. It’s this dilemma explored in the narrative that wins this film an extra star, and reminds us the grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side of the fence.

★★ Directed by: #GlennMcAllenFinney Written by: #GlennMcAllenFinney, #SamWinterton Starring: #KellyMcCormack, #MickyOcean, #TommyCastleman Film review by: Joseph Rodgers Addressing the alarming prospect of rising pollution levels and climate catastrophe, Project 444 is an ambitious sci-fi short film that draws inspiration from classic dystopian movies, yet in its dialogue, acting and plot development it unfortunately falls somewhat short. There are several stages to Project 444’s opening. It begins with a long quote from Belgian biochemist Christian de Duve, warning how capitalist success comes at the expense of natural resources and the climate; should we progress in this manner, de Duve cautions, we are not only ruining the world for future generations, but potentially causing extinction for humankind. Following that quote comes a documentary-style montage on old-fashioned film-reel, tracing nature’s pollution by humankind. This short seeks to build upon de Duve’s unsettling words, through exploring this path of destruction a few decades down the line. Hence, we are placed in 2039, though not before some more opening exposition: “The world is in turmoil. Pollution is ruining air, water & soil faster than ever”. So far, so urgent. Then, after some ultra-stylish opening credits, we are finally placed into the action: a man (Lee Riordan) sleeps in the back of a moving car at night, but the scene is dominated by a radio DJ setting out once more the context of environmental hazard. As is perhaps clear, Project 444 works very hard to establish its vital message and immerse the viewer in its dystopian context. After this protracted opening, we are more than ready for a story which elaborates on humanity’s struggle with pollution in a gripping and insightful way. However, the way it does so is surprisingly indirect, focusing purely on attempts to create androids to take our place in the forthcoming battle to reverse humanity’s destruction of nature. Strangely, environmental turmoil is never evident beyond this opening exposition and the occasional explanation via in-film TVs. The plot is confined to just a few rooms: the lab of Jeff the scientist (James Kerr) as he works on android T1M (Lee Riordan) under his boss’ (Tommy Castleman) supervision, a lecture hall where they reveal their results, and the living room of a couple (Kelly McCormack, Micky Ocean) who found the escaped, sleeping android and drove him home. Time is of the essence for the latter to act appropriately and salvage the scientists’ plans. Perhaps it is indicative of the gap between the ambitions and budgetary limitations that director Glenn McAllen-Finney had, but Project 444 never builds on the opening context with much depth or drama. Compared to the alarming set-up, the plot feels slightly underpowered. The storyline’s two strands – the couple contemplating what to do with T1M, and the scientists’ path to creating it – are interweaved in a non-linear fashion, jumping back and forth across years. However, this progression is disorienting and doesn’t come together in the exciting way we hope for, as the choice of narrative climax feels somehow misjudged. Unfortunately, Project 444’s main failing is that the storytelling never lives up to the seriousness of its subject matter. While it does have nods to The Terminator, with its cool android concept, and Blade Runner, with its saxophone-heavy soundtrack, it is hampered by a ‘telling’ instead of ‘showing’ approach, as well as some occasionally kitschy dialogue and acting. This approach continues right to its finale, which resorts to merely explaining what happens via narration. Project 444 worthily takes on the issue of rising pollution and environmental catastrophe to create an ambitious sci-fi short film, yet the subject matter never quite gels with its slightly inert android plot and low budget film-making style.

★★★ Directed by: Christopher Logan Written by: Christopher Logan Starring: Andrea Rosolia, Beverley Breuer, Kyle Charles Gannon, Adiam Haddish Asrat Film Review by: Jason Knight Mobile devices are everywhere today. People use them for a variety of reasons, including communication. A man is going out to do some shopping. He carries a tablet computer with him and he uses it in a rather...unusual manner. When he encounters someone, after they walk away from him, he uses his tablet to send messages to them, even though they are strangers and do not appear to be carrying a device themselves! For instance, when he accidentally bumps into a woman, she forgives him and as she leaves. In response he says kind words addressed to her, which he also 'sends' to her with the tablet! In another scene, a man is rude to him, so he shouts insults at him and 'sends' them to him! This short drama is an interesting look into how technological devices influence people these days. It seems to imply that they believe that in order for actions to have meaning, even spoken words, then they have to be done and communicated through computers (eg social media). The final scene though sends a rather different message. It appears to be a life-or-death situation and the man attempts to provide assistance to the person in danger by sending them 'messages through the tablet'. It does not work. This scene seems to point out that although these devices are very useful, they cannot take care of every problem. Prior to the last scene, the tone of the film is quite joyful. The man is smartly dressed, smiles a lot and gives the impression that he is happy. He is polite and seems to want to get along with everybody. And the music is tender and sweet. The performances are rather good. The main character is believable as a man who looks at the bright side of life and the supporting cast act well. The film is well directed and the sound effects that are heard when the man uses his tablet are effective. Thoughts and Prayers is quite short but it carries a strong message: that people cannot count on mobile devices to take care of every problem. #JasonKnight

Due for UK cinematic release on 15 January 2021, get excited with a viewing of the Archive trailer featuring Theo James, Stacy Martin, and Toby Jones. From co-creator of the cult classic Moonand debut director Gavin Rothery comes a slick sci-fi thriller that looks at the future of artificial intelligence and its impact on the universal human experience. With an all-star British cast including Theo James (Divergent Series, Sandition, Downton Abbey, Stacy Martin (Nymphomaniac, Vox Lux, High Rise) and Toby Jones (Detectorists, The Hunger Games, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), ARCHIVE is in cinemas on 15 January and on digital download from 18 January, 2021. 2038. Two and a half years into a three-year research contract, George Almore (Theo James) is on the verge of a breakthrough. Stationed halfway up a snow-capped mountain near Kyoto at a secret facility codenamed ‘The Garden’, he has been working on a model that is a true human-equivalent android. His prototype is almost complete. But this most sensitive phase of his work is also the riskiest. Especially as George has an ulterior motive for his work that must be hidden at all costs: Being re-united with his dead wife, Jules (Stacy Martin). ARCHIVE boasts a high‐calibre creative and VFX team including cinematographer Laurie Rose (Highrise, Free Fire), production designer Robin Lawrence (Star Wars, Blade Runner 2049, Spectre), and music by Academy Award-winning composer Steven Price (Gravity). ARCHIVE IS RELEASED IN UK CINEMAS 15 JANUARY & ON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD 18 JANUARY 2021

★★★ Directed by #MaxWinkler Written by #TheodoreBressman #DavidBrandonSmith Starring #CharlieHunnam #JackOConnell Film Review by George Wolf Jungleland is a film with a path that’s so well marked and worn, the biggest attraction becomes what a new group of actors can bring to such recognizable characters. Director/co-writer Max Winkler has two fine ones in the lead. Jack O’Connell is “Lion” Kaminsky, a talented bare knuckle fighter in Boston who’s constantly at the mercy of bad decisions made by his brother Stanley. Yes, Stanley Kaminsky, which doesn’t make you think of Stanley Kowalski at all. Charlie Hunnam plays Stanley, and he and O’Connell are able to craft an authentic brotherly bond that holds your attention as the film hits one familiar benchmark after another. Stanley is in deep to a local crime boss (Jonathan Majors) who has a proposition. Go to San Francisco and enter the big Jungleland tournament. If Lion is king, it’s 100 large. And also, take this girl named Sky (Jessica Barden) with you. Desperation breeds dreams of one big score and a better life. Sky has more secrets than just a fake name. Complications arise. The storytelling is competent, the performances fine. But we have seen this so many times, contenders and pretenders begin to look pretty similar and you can’t help but wonder what point there is in another round. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by #AliceWinocour Written by #AliceWinocour #JeanStephaneBron Starring #EvaGreen Film Review by George Wolf I don’t know how many jobs are more challenging than astronaut, but there can’t be many. And it is via that intense work experience that French writer/director Alice Winocour’s Proxima ruminates on the career struggles faced by women in every profession. Eva Green carries this weight gracefully as Sarah, the only female member of a team of astronauts training for a year-long stint at an international space station. This means a year away from her young daughter Stella (Zelie Boulant), who will stay with her father/Sarah’s ex-husband Thomas (Lars Eidinger). From the moment Sarah is introduced as a crew member by team leader Mike (Matt Dillon), her gender is fodder for subtle (and not so subtle) condescension. Resisting a heavy hand, Winocour (Mustang, Disorder) revels in the details of the job, showcasing the added strain carried only by Sarah. The setting may center on spaceflight, but this is not a film about going into space. It is about preparing to go into space, preparing to leave your child, and preparing to be separated from your mother. And all of that preparing is work. Green has never been better, and Winocour continues to display understated insight as a filmmaker. Like that walk among the stars that Sarah has long dreamed about, Proxima is quiet, but often emotionally dazzling. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by #JohannesNyholm Written by #JohannesNyholm Starring #LeifEdlund #YlvaGallon Film Review by Matt Weiner What about Groundhog Day, but with unrelenting psychological dread? That’s the premise of Johannes Nyholm’s horror fable Koko-di, Koko-da, and it’s a testament to writer/director Nyholm that the film’s excruciating time loop manages to go from torturous to therapeutic. After a family vacation takes a shocking turn, Tobias (Leif Edlund) and Elin (Ylva Gallon) lose themselves in their own private grief, their marriage one submerged argument away from total annihilation. What better time for a camping trip in the foreboding Swedish forests to get that old magic back? Their unresolved trauma starts to literally stalk the couple in the shape of three carnivalesque figures, with each nightmare encounter ending the same way: some gruesome death, and then Tobias wakes up to repeat the loop all over again. The horror of Koko-di Koko-da rarely gets gory. Tobias and Elin continually suffer extreme violence and torture, but it’s all (thankfully) implied. Instead, what’s so unnerving about the film is the inescapable dream logic that suffuses their fateful loop: no matter how hard Tobias tries or how fast he runs, it’s only a matter of time before the first strains of the fateful nursery rhyme on which the title is based start up, and the couple’s shared torture begins anew. The film’s main down side is that we aren’t allowed to see or know much beyond the confines of this inexorable—and unrelenting—loop. And once the metaphor is clear, there’s little else to do besides feel like an eavesdropper in a long overdue couples therapy session. (An unconventional one, sure, with more murder and animal attacks than the APA likely recommends, but who knows what they get up to in Sweden.) Still, it’s impossible not to feel for the grieving pair. Anyone deserves some kind of catharsis after enduring such tragedy, and both Edlund and Gallon manage to make it feel earned, even with their thinly detailed characters. Koko-di Koko-da is not a pleasant film to watch, but it is often a beautiful one. And it lays bare the truth that there’s no escaping misery in life—that the only way to break the cycle is to confront it, pain and all. #MattWeiner

★★★★ Directed by: #NeilLinpow Written by: #HunterAndrews and #NeilLinpow Starring: #MichelleFairley and #NeilLinpow Film review by: Brian Penn We often view hospitals with a modicum of ambivalence. Wishing they weren’t necessary but knowing full well how much they are needed. Very good things or very bad things will happen; people either get better or they don’t. And hospital is invariably the place that opposite ends of the life cycle will play out. Ash (Neil Linpow) sits impassively in a car outside a hospital. He listens intently to Lesson 7, a recording that will set him free. The gentle, hypnotic tones of Max (Michelle Fairley) will guide him through this stage of his journey. He enters a dimply lit, grey hospital and searches for something but what exactly is it? Max is soothing and caustic in equal measure, berating Ash for the slightest indiscretion or departure from his task. He wanders almost aimlessly past doctors, nurses and patients. Max almost ceases to be a recording, and instead morphs into a breathing being who reacts to what he does or more significantly what he doesn’t do. Will he reach his destination and be ready for lesson 8. What tasks could he possibly have completed in lessons 1-6? Lesson 7 presents many teasing curiosities that annoyingly stay in the viewer’s mind. You watch thinking the premise is easily understood but then presents another version of the truth. It explores the implicit theme of hypnosis and power of suggestion. Can a beguiling voice be so mesmeric and trigger such deep seated reactions in the sub-conscious mind. Director and co-writer Neil Linpow maintains a brooding presence to perfectly capture the mood. But the real bonus is the crystal clear delivery of Michelle Fairley as Max, adding gravitas to the piece. This film is cold and daunting but demands the viewer’s attention for a tense but tightly packed six minutes. There are less disturbing ways to pass the time but few could be quite as compelling. Neil Linpow has a great eye for genuine suspense and deserves to be on our radar. https://vimeo.com/474638738

★ Directed by Conrad Dela Cruz Written by Conrad Dela Cruz Starring Philip Jay Kho, Jake Montajes Film Review by Tom Boardman A short film doesn’t have the same amount of time to tell it’s story that a feature-length film would, and it’s immediately clear that Living Dead: To Hell and Back does not use its time effectively. Following a man who experiencing strange occurrences in his apartment, the short really seems to take its time in what could be seen as the first act. The reason why I say this is because it seems to establish a first act, but the rest of the narrative diverts from this in a way that no sane film would. There is a through-line of the narrative, which comes in the form of some sort of entity making the visuals on the protagonist’s tv move, twist, and bend to the point where the short almost seems like it’s attempting to capture elements of Science Fiction. A good minute of the short’s opening is devoted to strange imagery within the tv, perhaps setting up that whatever is happening inside the tv is going to be the antagonist of the short, and will come to hinder or at the very least impact the protagonist in some. However, it never has any baring on the plot. As previously touched upon, the first act of the short seems to be setting up the power that this tv has within the protagonist’s apartment, although this never comes to a head in any way. In fact, after following the protagonist in a somewhat sinister way, the narrative, introduces our second character, who comes in with no prior role or mention in the story, and exists solely to create shock value and confusion from the spectator, as his role in the narrative doesn’t amount to anything, and after entering so late, his part to play and relationship with the protagonist is never explained, and so his inclusion comes down to nothing in the grand scheme of the narrative, especially when his role is undone only for the protagonist to do the same thing himself. At its best, the short is confusing its spectator with the creepy opera music and sound mixing. However, every time it attempts to run with this, it will have music stop at points that make the short lose momentum, and jarring sound design which takes away any eeriness the short has going for it. Every time this happens, the sound is taken over by something completely different without any connective tissue to allow one to blend into another. There is fairly consistent imagery, and a sense that the protagonist is being watched, throughout, but there is never any focus or hint that there is an effect on the protagonist himself, aside from one shot where he looks out of a gate. The short seemingly attempts to establish the mundanity of the protagonist’s life, with him carrying out regular day tasks such as making and eating food, smoking, and reading a newspaper. However, nothing of the protagonist’s character — if it can even be called a character, more like an empty shell — sets up anything that happens to him or that he does in the climax of the story. Perhaps the short is trying to capture experimental filmmaking techniques, as there is no real narrative to speak of or make any sense of, and the shots presented seem to be trying to capture some sort of visual spectacle rather than trying to create a narrative that can be followed with ease. As such, the best moments of this short come through the almost mind-bending “tv visuals” that presents a world of confusion and disjointedness to the spectator.

★★★★★ Directed by: #FarahNabulsi Written by: #FarahNabulsi Starring: #SalehBakri #MariamKanj #MariamBasha Film Review by: Madison Ford The Present is a brilliant 25-minute short film about a man travelling to get his wife a present on their anniversary. He takes his young daughter and they set out on a journey across segregated roads, checkpoints, armed soldiers, all in a bid to go shopping. What seems like a simple narrative, explores so much more than just your regular shopping trip, it reflects a family’s struggles in daily life and the lengths you have to go through just to live your life. Farah’s writing/directing is truly incredible, the story is captivating and honest and really opened my eyes to life in Palestine and the West Bank. The Present premiered at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival this year and it was awarded the Audience Award for Best Film, a title the film and Farah herself definitely deserves. I am really excited to see more of her work, I think she's incredibly talented, with only three productions under her belt she's one to watch! The film feels naturalistic, it’s extremely aesthetic, the costume design is great, and the cinematography by Benoît Chamaillard provides excellent quality to the film but stays in keeping with a sense of realism. The Present is immersive and engaging and a delight to watch. The stakes feel real and there’s nothing fake about this fiction film, it’s pure and emotive in all the right places while allowing for conversations to flow in a natural way. The dynamic between Yusef (Saleh Bakri) and Yasmine (Mariam Kanj) as father and daughter respectively felt completely natural and it didn’t feel scripted. The connection between them was clear and the relationship felt honest. It’s as though you’re being given an insight into their lives rather than watching a piece of fiction. Adam Benobaid provides the score on this piece, and it adds an extra depth to the hardship the family are facing, finishing off the terrific film with sound that matches the emotion. The interactions in The Present feel genuine and the acting is perfect, the journey Yusef goes on places him as the sort of ‘everyday’ man of this country, he represents the struggles of daily life. There are some funny moments, particularly with the appliance store, it brings a sense of light relief, Yusef also adds jokes to his conversations, to make his daughter feel safer, around the large guns and soldiers at the checkpoint. I also found this film very touching and emotional; you’re positioned to sympathise with Yusef, a man who simply wants to go shopping and then return to his home, but even this poses a challenge. For someone who doesn’t experience these troubles first-hand, it’s an eye-opening piece of art that captivates from the offset.