★★★ Directed by: Rakesh Jaitly Starring: Hza Bazant Film Review by: Jason Knight Misfire is a music video directed by Rakesh Jaitly and starring Hza Bazant. The video includes a narrative. It begins by showing a man (Hza Bazant) sitting on a couch in a living room. He has a laptop on his lap, headphones on his head and an electronic keyboard on the floor in front of him, giving the impression that he is a musician. He then leaves his apartment and is seen walking outside on the roads at night by himself. Suddenly a cable emerges from his sleeve. He removes it and walks back home. Once he gets there more cables come out of his sleeves and trousers, and cables also emerge from the couch he was sitting on before at move towards him. Eventually they get wrapped all around him and he appears to transform into another entity, body covered with cables and lightbulbs that are functioning and face covered by a white mask. The entity seems to perform a brief dance before rushing towards the camera. The video ends with a deja vu, showing the man sitting on the couch, with the same devices. He then gets up and slightly trips on a cable. The final shot zooms in on the man's face as he looks down at it, before fading out. The video presents interesting patterns that combine the score that is played throughout with thee image. When the music reaches its strongest beat, the image becomes damaged and scratched for the duration of the beat, giving the video a dark, sinister mood. Also during these sequences, the ones that take place while the man is outdoors, the video cuts to moving shots of lights and roads during nigh time that superimpose by shots of the man having transformed into that bizarre entity. These sequences appear to inform the audience about what takes place later on. The video could be partially categorized as a silent film. Not a single word is utterd from start to finish and the music contains no lyrics, leaving the viewer to make sense by interpreting what they see. There are also elements of horror, as visually most of the video is dark, with minimum use of lighting but it is mainly the transformation scene that gives it a horror perspective. The character transforms into a sort of robot and moves violently and looks at the camera menacingly before attacking it, and by doing that it also attacks the viewer. The transformation scene also resembles the famous one in An American Werewolf in London, due to facts that of course he turns into another being and at one point his knees and hands are on the floor while he transforms. The transformation though could also be viewed as a satire on today's society. This is because the 'monster' is made out of cables and lightbulbs, which are electronic, and at the start of the film the man interacts with electronic devices such as the laptop, headphones and keyboard. The transformation could imply that as in today's world people constantly use electronic devices and do not seem to be able to live without them, then the result of the transformation represents what everyone has now become: living robot. Misfire has a running time of two minutes and twenty seconds. It is a short video but thanks to an entertaining score, a convincing performance by the protagonist and a well structured transformation scene, it provides the audience with a unique, surreal experience. #JasonKnight

★★★ Written and directed by #DustinGuyDefa Starring #HannahGross, #LindsayBurdge, #StephenGurewitz, #AgostinaGálvez, #ElisaLasowski, #BinghamBryant Curated by #NewYorkFilmFestival for #WeAreOne: A Global Film Festival Short Film Review by #HannahSayer “I guess I felt like that’s what my character would do there.” During one scene in Dramatic Relationships, in which two actors are asked to repeat a scene due to the female actor’s line delivery, the male actor slaps his acting partner. In this shocking moment that comes completely out of nowhere, Dustin Guy Defa highlights how the control that masculinity has over film sets can make women feel uncomfortable and over step an acceptable working relationship. This behaviour exhibited above is intrinsically damaging, as the actor justifies his actions by suggesting that this is how he believes his character would react. The male gaze and hyper masculinity is explored in a particularly meta way by Defa, as both director of the short film and the director featured within the story. Dramatic Relationships captures a series of uncomfortable yet realistic moments between a male director and his female actors on set, as he repeatedly interrupts and asserts his dominance in scenes by making micro-adjustments which don’t appear to be necessary, or indeed even revelatory. In one scene a female actor, played by Hannah Gross, is asked to move her hair to be in a certain way, interrupting the scene and meaning she has to repeat her lines. In another scene, a different female actor in the film, played by Lindsay Burdge, is asked to unbutton her shirt a little and to mess up her hair. By highlighting smaller micro-aggressions such as these and larger issues such as slapping, anger and frustration become the main takeaways from watching Dramatic Relationships, as the film explores how pervasive this behaviour can be. The film succeeds in being satirical by positioning the director of the film as complicit in the act while still critiquing it. Defa also positions the male actors as complicit, for example during the slapping scene. The film’s directing style and overall look is very stripped back and realistic, making it easier for the viewer to imagine that these scenes are everyday occurrences. There are no dramatic uses of special effects or music, further grounding this study of masculinity in the real and the everyday. Defa has since the short film’s release stated that the story is partly inspired by the controversial filming conditions that director Abdellatif Kechiche exploited lead actresses Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos to on the set of the Palme D’Or winning Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013). In the film the male gaze takes centre stage in exploitative and voyeuristic sex scenes. One particular scene took ten days to film and since the film’s release the two leads have expressed openly how horrible the experience was. There are moments in Dramatic Relationships that feel as unnecessarily voyeuristic as those featured in Blue is the Warmest Colour. For example, when Hannah Gross’s character is filmed in the shower and the camera moves over her body in a provocative way. This also applies to the aforementioned example of asking a female actor to expose more flesh by unbuttoning her top. The female actors are realistically hesitant to speak out in Dramatic Relationships, and even when one does fight back her voice is drowned out by the men directing and starring in the scene. Overall, Dramatic Relationships manages to achieve what it sets out to do, by providing clear examples of the male gaze through a series of moments that instil a feeling of frustration in the viewer. It’s a step in the right direction for film to prove that there is an awareness of this kind of harassment happening on sets. However, I can’t help but feel it’s still a heavily masculine look at the whole issue. It would have been interesting to see this taken even further and for there to be more of a female perspective introduced, perhaps even more from the point of view of the female actors. But, by highlighting some awareness from the male presence in the room, Defa’s direction does examine and critique in a way that the film sets out to and suggests that this kind of behaviour is still very much culturally instilled in filmmaking, as well as the wider world. Dramatic Relationships is now streaming on YouTube as part of We Are One: A Global Film Festival.

★★★ Written and directed by #ElizaHittman Starring #ViktoriaVinyarska, #NinaMedvinskaya, #FedoFilonov, #AndrewDrozdov, #MikePikeman, #MariyaLebedovych Curated by #NewYorkFilmFestival for #WeAreOne: A Global Film Festival Short Film Review by #HannahSayer Eliza Hittman’s short film Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and prompted excitable interest in her raw and realistic filmmaking style. Since then, Hittman has gone onto direct three feature films, including this year’s critically acclaimed Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020). Both Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight and her latest feature explore teenage girls coming of age and issues surrounding consent. Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight follows a seventeen year old Russian teenager called Sonya, played by Viktoria Vinyarska, who lives with her father in a cramped and claustrophobic flat in Brooklyn. Her father owns an ever-growing collection of cats, and their landlady is threatening to evict them if they don’t get rid of them. Longing for an escape from the confines of her situation, she goes out for the night with her friend Sveta, played by Nina Medvinskaya, where they partake in dancing and drinking with who they meet in a club. However, Sonya’s actions lead to her friend being put in a position of vulnerability. Taking its title from Bonnie Tyler’s classic anthem “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, music becomes an essential part of Sonya’s escape from her everyday life, whether it’s through her headphones to get away from her mundane everyday routine or in the club at night. The remix of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” played in the club is pounding in the background in a disorientating way, helping Sonya to forget and distance herself from her issues at home. Intimate camera shots and close ups feature heavily throughout Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight, with Hittman’s direction forcing the viewer to feel up close and personal with the action. There is no distance for the viewer, as during the clubbing scene and the subsequent sexual encounters that follow, close ups are used to heighten discomfort and evoke a sinister tension. Overall, Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight feels real as it captures the youthful quality of escaping reality, making mistakes and going along for the ride no matter what happens. However, Sonya’s living situation and her father’s ever growing collection of cats frames the narrative of her escape into the nightlife of Brooklyn, yet these two strands of storytelling feel slightly disconnected from one another. As Hittman’s style remains patient and slow at times to reinforce a sense of realism, and to allow the viewer to connect more closely, this short further highlights how Hittman works best with a longer running time. Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight is now streaming on YouTube as part of We Are One: A Global Film Festival

★★★ Directed by: #MurphyRhodes Written by: #MurphyRhodes Starring: #KateBenfield, #BlakeMcKenzie, #RobMcLean Film Review by Lucy Clarke You often hear horror stories about for-profit health care systems.  Aggressive payment plans, outrageous costs, and over prescribed patients haunt Europeans. Murphy Rhodes’ An Injection A Day is the latest short film from the Liverpudlian film company, XRhodes Films, and it infuses a mundane visit to the GPs with Charlie Brooker style horror. Our patient, played by Blake McKenzie, just came in for some standard cold meds. His disbelief is palpable when Dr Rice (Kate Benfield) confirms that he actually needs an injection every day for the next five weeks, and the cold meds aren’t just going to cut it. The figure she presents him is eye-watering. Dr Rice’s words drip with the perfect amount of insidious charm, intended to push our main character over the edge. Kate Benfield puts on a fabulously measured performance as a calm, pushy doctor. Within this satire, there are some great nods to a dystopian future outside the doors of the GP’s office, with a radio mentioning that there has been a terrorist incident, resulting in the loss of “27 normal lives”. The dystopian bent is rather thrilling, and a more in-depth exploration of these themes would be fascinating. Murphy Rhodes’ editing is particularly good. There’s a stark, sudden quality to it. There are Hitchcockian beats of tension, and you are pulled along for the ride. Alongside the excellent editing, the music choices bookending the piece are particularly good, from the jingling carnivalesque first notes to the sudden blaring of No Frills sung by Patrick Murphy.  Rhodes knows precisely when to use music, and he’s clever in his restraint. He’s not afraid to have the scene in the doctor’s office only interrupted by the conversation, and this creates an atmospheric piece which becomes more like a horror film. However, the tonal shifts aren’t handled as aptly. While the conversations in the script are believable and well-written, the short film tosses us across a tonal sea. One moment, An Injection A Day seems to be going for a horror film, then a satirical Black Mirror episode. But then, it changes gear and transforms into a comedy. It didn’t lean into either one or the other, and in something a little longer, these changes in tone wouldn’t have felt so rocky. Unfortunately, in something under five minutes in length, the tone feels especially uneven. Murphy Rhodes’ An Injection A Day pulls off the Black Mirror undercurrents remarkably well, and it is an engaging watch which plays with thought-provoking ideas.  Although you might not want to be prescribed a real injection a day, this short film is the doctor’s orders.

★★ Written & Directed by #AlexMagaña Starring #KateDurocher, #JoshGilmer, #JamieShelnitz Film Review by Lawrence Bennie What Love Looks Like is the fourth feature from writer-producer-director (as well as cinematographer and editor) Alex Magaña. Taking its cue from the online dating phenomenon, Magaña’s film follows the interwoven stories of five couples as they navigate their way through the high and lows of finding romance. Kate (Kate Durocher) is already in a relationship with phubbing-addicted Josh (Josh Gilmer) but hits it off with charming Uber driver Jace (Trevor Sean). Elsewhere, Calvin rudely bolts after a one-night stand with disappointed Summer (Jamie Shelnitz) whilst a chance meeting leads painfully shy Theodore (Jack Menzies) to finally approach his crush Bailey (Ana Ming Bostwick-Singer). Widowed Sam (Nathan Kohnen) begins to find a new spark with Evie (Ashley Rose McKenna) whilst, last but not least, likeable Finn (Kyle Meck) whisks girl-of-his-dreams Penelope (Taylor Alexa Frank) off on a night-time city tour. Inevitably, just as with its love-seeking couples, What Love Looks Like is a hit-and-miss affair. Emerging out of a troubled time, Magaña’s film is refreshingly good-hearted and innocent. It would take a hardened viewer to not make a connection with at least one of the awkward moments along the way. However, the characters, and the actors’ performances, are a decidedly mixed-bag; some are competent thespians, others are unfortunately not as accompolished. Some moments also strain credibility; Kate jumps in a car with stranger Jace in a matter of seconds, whilst a disinterested Penelope responds to Finn’s awkward advances by walking off hand-in-hand with him. It’s hardly convincing character motivation. Other choices are more successful. Shelnitz delivers one of the film’s more natural performances, whilst Gabriella Wisdom is moving in the heart-rendering story of a grieving husband letting go of the love of his life. Durocher and Gilmer’s scenes together aren’t the best acted yet, strangely, it somewhat works against the context of their relationship; there’s something touching in seeing Kate repeatedly holding out hope for her relationship to rekindle and reaffirming her love even when it really is all over. If its characters and performances are inconsistent, then Magaña’s direction is consistently artless. Unlike its love-struck leads, Magaña never aims high enough; one wonders if some more creativity and flair may have inspired some stronger performances from the cast. The closest Magaña gets to some variation are three movie spoof cutaways, one a pastiche of Casablanca no less. Other than that, the film is tonally bland. What Love Looks Like is what it is. The filmmaking is unambitious, the performances mainly bad. Yet, Magaña’s stories carry some resonance and, if its cast and crew are largely uninspired, the film has a heart and sweetness that is an unexpected breath of fresh air. #LawrenceBennie

★★★★★ Stars Directed by: #HarryLockeIV Written by: #HarryLockeIV Starring: #RobbieAllen, #ShiahLuna, #StefanieEstes, #AlainAzoulay Film Review by: Alicia Moore “A newly minted deputy and a vengeful Comanche widow seek justice against the malevolent outlaw that left them for dead.” The Redeemer is a short film surrounding the concept of its title – redemption; intertwined with revenge and strong anger. Jackson Bullock (Robbie Allen), the ‘newly minted deputy,’ and Moon (Shiah Luna), the ‘vengeful Comanche widow,’ seek out the same women who killed their dearly loved. This woman is Bronagh Bullock (Stefanie Estes), Jackson’s sister; the only one of the two who followed the outlaw calling within their blood to match their father. Each actor that appears onscreen delivers extraordinary performances. The acting is passionate and is filled with the same drive as the harsh and determined words that they speak. The plot itself carries wonderfully dark elements and the ardent cast enhances the story that they are portraying. The emotions shown throughout the film are intense and translate to the audience with tremendous success. Matching the passion of the acting, the overall writing by Harry Locke IV is a heavily memorable aspect of the film. The script is delivered beautifully but also holds beauty in its own right. The entirety of the plot is marvellous and provides an intriguing, almost nostalgic Western film concept, although the lines that have been written to create the plot itself are not necessarily the generic Western film kind. They are uniquely stylish and can be taken as symbolic through certain perspectives of an audience. The writing is then simply complimented by the way it is delivered in said performances. The cinematography and visual effects completely blew me away. The film is pleasing to the eyes when it comes to focusing upon cinematography; the shots are very immersive and immediately pull the audience directly into the story with a flash of lightning at its opening. Each camera shot left me wanting more and more; by the time the film had finished I truly wished it was much longer. Most shots are not extravagant but they are elegant and beautifully flatter each scene. The visual effects have the same impact on the audience; they are striking and create an even deeper immersive atmosphere. I can only ever desire to have the abilities that Matthew Halla (director of photography) and Ak Roy (visual effects) possess. A particular detail that I am always enticed by is the colouring in film, and this short did not disappoint. Once again, the colouring of scenes (by Harry Locke IV) simply complimented every other sector involved in the final product. The colouring is cold when emotions in the scene are cold, the colouring is uncomfortably warm when emotions are high and about to burst into flames. To directly state, every ingredient of filmmaking works perfectly together in this short and it is easy to see that as truth. It is a thoroughly enjoyable watch from a brilliant filmmaker. The Redeemer has won a list of awards since its release and I feel pride in knowing that it is being recognised in that status. I sincerely recommend this short film to anyone, it does not contain the content to ever dishearten an audience – it fully stimulates the eyes and ears of the viewer.

★★★ Directed by: #JimFord Written by: #JimFord Starring: #JimFord #HannahSloat Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick It’s a small world after all, besides being the mantra for the most irritating theme park ride ever, is a phrase many would agree has a certain degree of truth to it. With the world being so connected and available to us as it is these days, one must be cautious that the life they thought they’d left back home can always catch up with them, no matter how many miles they try and put behind them. In Jim Ford’s #shortfilm Small World, two people in a bar halfway across the world strike up a casual conversation after noticing a commonality in their American accents. What starts as a simple exchange in pleasantries between two perfect strangers soon evolves into a full-on meet cute once they realise that they are much more intrinsically linked geographically than they initially thought, and as their worlds overlap more and more, they soon realise that a relationship of sorts already exists. What’s great about Small World is that there is actually nothing really wrong with it at all. The setting feels authentic (it was handpicked from over 70 locations so the filmmakers could get the right feel), the camerawork is simple, clean and effective, even the performances of our two leads are on point and making all the right moves. The writing also manages to establish a certain level of intrigue and sense of character despite only having two-and-a-half minutes to do so, and you do find yourself wanting to see how it all plays out, which is of course always a good sign. The problem here though, is that there is nothing that really wows you about it either. Most of the filmmaking boxes are ticked and standards are met for sure, but it just feels like someone is playing along to a song while reading the sheet music and yes, they are hitting all the right notes at the right time, but they’re never injecting it with any real feeling or flair to make it stand out. The best way to describe Small World might be that it feels more like content for a showreel, a proof of concept piece perhaps that shows great filmmaking or acting promise for something bigger and better and on that basis Small World is a success, but as a piece of entertainment it's not exactly setting the world on fire. It’s fair to say that Small World isn’t exactly a film that’s breaking any moulds, but it's equally important to point out that it doesn’t really seem to be trying to either. Ford is not only a prolific writer, actor and filmmaker but clearly a very talented one, however Small World feels like it could have maybe swung for the fences a bit more. #ChrisBuick

★★★ Directed by: #BalasuryaShanmugasundaram Written by: #BalasuryaShanmugasundaram Starring: #BalasuryaShanmugasundaram, #GuhanRam, #ShreenithiRamachandran Film Review by Christopher Hart Nexus is a very poignant short film about anger, fear and guilt. Balasurya Shanmugasundaram stars in, writes and directs this film proving his many talents behind and in front of the camera. He introduces us to a nameless protagonist (himself) who has attempted suicide due to guilt over his dead girlfriend (Shreenithi Ramachandran) and is taken under the wing of clinical psychiatrist Dr Srikanth Varma (Guhan Ram). The compelling story is told artistically with Shanmugasundaram’s unique style, giving a morbid story of grief bright colours, as opposed to the usual gloomy colours associated with films of this particular genre, for example the morose tone in the group therapy was wonderfully contrasted against the bright colours, and the juxtaposition of colours of Maya and the black and white world around her. The acting by Shanmugasundaram was brilliant, and he encapsulated a grieving and conflicted man very well – one will think that the story is very personal to him. On the other hand, Ram’s character of Dr Varma was fun to watch, but the acting was somewhat off. Perhaps this is due to the writing, but the character seemed uncomfortable in his space. He is meant to be a slightly off-putting and ominous character, but this intention does not shine through all the time. This was not helped by some strange editing choices. The questioning of Dr Varma contained a very strange part when he asks, “On that day… what… happened?”, which was accompanied by some cheesy zoom ins and suspense noises. The tension built up during the whole scene was slightly ruined by this. Fortunately, the story is engaging enough to keep the viewer interested and not put off by this odd choice. The music (apart from that short wobble) is very good at creating a suspenseful atmosphere, both in the car scene and in Dr Varma’s office. The use of silence was very intriguing, and really hit hard in the protagonist’s dream about Maya. In the end, Nexus leaves you with a lot to think about. Exploration of death and what one leaves the world of the living with are themes that many can find interest in, and Shanmugasundaram has shown that while there is anger, fear and guilt in death, there is beauty too. By taking the audience to a alternative reality, Shanmugasundaram gives us a new train of thought in which we can think about the afterlife differently. #ChristopherHart

★★★★ Directed by: #IvanSen Starring:#AaronPedersen, #HugoWeaving, #JackThompson, #RyanKwanten, #TonyBarry, #TasmaWalton, #RobertMammone, #TriciaWhitton and #DavidField Film review by: Brian Penn The Australian film industry has endured a chequered history but occasionally serves up a gem that ticks all the boxes. Mystery Road is an absorbing murder mystery that builds the tension with a patient and thoughtful narrative. In the Queensland outback a teenage girl is found dead under the main highway. Newly promoted Aboriginal detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pedersen) is assigned to investigate the case. He faces resistance from his own community and a mainly white police force seemingly unconcerned by the murder of an Aborigine girl. Sarge (Tony Barry) is chronically short of resources and tries to deflect Swan’s investigation. Drugs squad detective Johnno (Hugo Weaving) jealously guards his patch as their investigations begin to overlap. Like most cops on the big screen Swan also has a broken relationship behind him; ex Mary (Tasma Walton) has a drinking habit that reminds him too much of the past. He also fears that daughter Crystal (Tricia Whitton) is in some way connected with the victim as he slowly unpicks the truth. Based on true events, Mystery Road is a remarkable piece of film making that doesn’t necessarily go for the jugular. No car chases or graphic violence are needed or relied upon; just the simple tale of a man trying to do the right thing and remain loyal to his kin. Director Ivan Sen has managed to create a very new style of Western; with characters sporting cowboy hats and the outback providing a stunning visual landscape, it bears comparison with classic Westerns made by John Ford. It does however fall headlong into the classic mantra that all films are 20 minutes too long. Nevertheless, it paints a compelling portrait of simmering tensions between the police and ethnic minorities. With the Black Lives Matter movement gathering pace the message has never carried greater resonance.

★★ Directed by #JoshuaCaldwell Written by #JoshuaCaldwell Starring #BellaThorne #JakeManley Film Review by George Wolf Arielle (Bella Thorne) is bumming. She’s got a crap waitressing job in a boring Florida town, and she’s way over living with her mom and her mom’s creepy boyfriend. And too many people pronounce her name like the Disney princess! But that’s not the nearly the worst of it. Her Instagram numbers are pathetic. Enter a hunky new bad boy in town named Dean (Jake Manley), a gun, and a string of brazen robberies along the route to a new life in Hollywood, and those followers start piling up. The news reports begin branding the couple as a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, but it’s clear early on that what writer/director Joshua Caldwell has in mind is a Natural Born Killers for the social media set. While the film’s timing – dropping right when we are seeing social media push overdue social change – isn’t great, its goal is an ambitious one. The internet age still seems ripe for the type of darkly comic and satirical fish eye that Oliver Stone used to frame mass media in 1994. And no matter how well you think that film has aged, you can’t deny the boldness of the vision. There’s nothing remotely fresh about Infamous, let alone bold. The last straw catalyst for leaving town, the sex while driving, the media obsession and the misplaced adulation of the masses all line up and fall as easily as the next robbery. About an hour in, Arielle and Dean take a hostage (Glee’s Amber Riley with a nice, understated turn) and it seems Caldwell is finally trying to make his own statement. But it stalls from exposition and generality, leading nowhere close to the intersection where Stone planted his flag, one where the film’s true commentary transcends the style and narrative. And there is style here. Caldwell gives much of the action an urgent pace and a livestream feel, with texts and comments often darting the frame to remind you where Arielle’s heart is. But she, and Dean, are more cliche than character, and what they tell us about social media isn’t much deeper. The interchangeable, angst-heavy soundtrack choices only confirm that Infamous isn’t reaching beyond these two outlaw lovers, and the youngest of adult audiences may actually identify with them for all the wrong reasons. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by #DanielGKarslake Written by #DAnielGKarslake Film Review by Hope Madden “If a lot of people have just a little bit of courage, then nobody has to be a hero.” If we can’t see the truth in that statement right now, we are truly lost. It’s a call to action, and an argument that For They Know Not What They Do patiently articulates. A sequel of sorts to director Daniel G. Karslake’s 2007 doc For the Bible Tells Me So, For They Know Not What They Do revisits the Christian church after more than a decade to gauge its movement on LGBTQ rights. The film drops you into the lives of four families navigating the complex world of faith and sexual identity. Elliott is about to leave for his freshman year at Vassar, and he and his parents walk us through what it’s like to trust your adolescent enough to begin the irreversible. Ryan, with the help of his genuinely loving if deeply misdirected parents, commits to praying the gay away. Sarah is as committed to the political career she started as a middle school class president as she is in fully transitioning. Victor survived a tragedy thanks in part to the unflinching support of his Catholic parents. In and around all of these stories, Karslake examines the political backlash to marriage equality, particularly the way the religious right has targeted the especially vulnerable transgender population and what that has meant in terms of violence. All of the parents involved display their courageous human frailty, owning their immediate and long-term responses to knowledge of their children’s sexuality or gender identification. Their continued reliance on faith to help them see where religious dogma had become poisonous is among the loveliest elements of the film. These parents lean on their scripture’s concept of forgiveness (mainly to forgive themselves for having harmed their children), love, and acceptance to help them see beyond their own fear. It’s a path Karslake takes as well. This is a forgiving documentary. It never turns a blind eye toward the way the religious right uses organized religion as a tool to oppress. But FTKNWTD is more interested in how faith does not have to be tainted by this noxious hate. It’s a bold vision for a documentary on Christianity and LGBTQ suffering. It is also perhaps the film’s strongest selling point. Karslake doesn’t preach at, condescend to or even vilify the audience most in need of the film’s message. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by: Ian Bousher and Theo Gee Written by: Ian Bousher and Theo Gee Starring: Jumaane Brown, Stephen Sheridan, Jason Griffin, Cora Kirk Film Review by: Jason Knight Don't Water the Vine is a short film written and directed by Ian Bousher and Theo Gee. The plot follows a young man who bizarrely begins to produce grapes from his mouth and is unable to stop it. The film begins by introducing it's protagonist, a young, likable architect name Cooper(Jumaane Brown), who appears to be insecure as he has placed a note on a mirror that reads: 'I am Cooper' and has developed a routine to repeat words of encouragement while he looks at himself in different mirrors around the house. The first scene shows him waking up at home and mysteriously a grape comes out of his mouth. He then goes to work, where his boss Alistair (Stephen Sheridan) bullies him. Later on in the men's room he chats with his colleague Stan (Jason Griffin) who mocks him. The next morning Cooper gets another grape out of his mouth. He then goes on a date with Helen (Cora Kirk) when as he kisses her, a grape appears inside her mouth. Frustrated, she walks out on him. As time passes Cooper's problem becomes worse as he reaches the point where he is vomiting a large number of grapes. Unable to control it, he vomits in front of Stan in the men's room and later on as he attempts to deliver a presentation in a boardroom in front of clients with Alistair present, he vomits there as well. The final scene shows Cooper lying inside a doctor's office, struggling to control himself. He then seems to reach the peak when he suddenly vomits a huge number of grapes. The doctor (Philip Gill) picks a grape up and eats it. Then a naked man emerges from the doctor's mouth. That man is identical to Cooper. The film ends as Cooper and the 'clone' stare at each other. The very first scene reveals the nature of the events that are about to follow. Cooper wakes up and a grape comes out of his mouth. In a close up he holds the grape with his fingers and examines it. As he does that the title of the film appears, accompanied by lively music. This moment tells the audience that they are going on a unique and extraordinary ride. And what a ride it is as the viewers follow poor Cooper as he struggles with his misfortune, while at the same time he is treated badly by the other characters: his boss bullies him, his colleague disrespects him, his girlfriend dismisses him and even the doctor appears uncaring. The film could be described as a supernatural comedy. 'Supernatural' clearly due to the fact that the main character out of the blue proceeds to continuously have grapes coming out of his mouth. 'Comedy' because of the awkward situations that this creates and thanks to Brown's performance. All the supporting characters deliver very persuasive performances, however it is Brown who carries the story as in every situation he is in, the viewer can clearly see what his feelings are. Although his character is having a hard time dealing with the unwanted grape production, thanks to Brown's convincing and entertaining performance, the audience will likely be amused. Particularly in the scenes where he is about to vomit, there is certainly a sense of humour there. Don't Water the Vine is a film that definitely deserves attention. The script is amusing, the performances are great, the score effectively captures the mood of the various situations and the mind-blowing ending will stay in the viewer's memory for a long time. #JasonKnight