★★★ Directed by: #CallumWindsor Written by: #MarisolSuarez, #CharlieParkin, #CallumWindsor Starring: #LouiseEliker, #LewisHyman, #SimonVictor Film Review by Christopher Hart Based on Goethe’s poem ‘Erlkönig’, director Callum Windsor takes on a modern-day journey of grief and the exploration of death in The Erl King. The original poem depicts a father rushing his son on horseback to a farm, failing to see the demon ‘Erl King’ that is trying to take away his child, yet Windsor decides to take the story in a slightly different direction while still being faithful to its roots. We are presented with the character of Alfie (Lewis Hyman), a scarred young boy who appears to see what his mother, Julia (Louise Eliker), does not; he plays with his dead father and sees small puppets come to life. Julia becomes increasingly worried and stressed about her child, her frustration fuelled by her own hatred of her deceased husband. The Erl King is written very well, with good sense of punctuality to strengthen the horror aspect of the story. Part of the original poem is recited effectively by Alfie, and this haunting narration is likely to give one a hint of the chills. Child actors do not always work out, but Lewis Hyman seems to have done a good job in giving us a performance of a crazed child, haunted by the mysterious Erl King and his father, who are indeed the same person (Simon Victor). Louise Eliker acts superbly, and the detachment from her child was very clear. Her frustration was sometimes frustrating for me, as it was perhaps overacted. Simon Victor is very sinister as not only the father in the first scene, but also as the titular Erl King. For a short horror film, The Erl King builds tension very well. I understand that it is difficult to do this in such a short time, but it seems that Windsor’s direction and Charlie Parkin’s cinematography and editing is good mix, and their chemistry is clearly presented in this tension. The use of colour was finished spectacularly, especially in the final scene. Colour is a very important aspect in horror, and I believe that it is often overlooked with many using a dull tone to reflect morbidity, but it looks like Parkin knew this already. The score was harsh and cold, with soft touches to pull at our heart strings. However, it was not a particularly memorable score, and sometimes this can make the horror film just that much more amazing. The Erl King is haunting. It is not particularly scary, but it is a heart wrenching too. This adaptation does its job; it deals with grief and belonging through a family setting, and it isn’t afraid to stray far from the original material. #ChristopherHart

★★★★ Directed by: #JennyWan Starring: #TsangManWei, #LamYauHin Film review by: Brian Penn Two lost souls connecting during a taxi journey has been played out for real many times over the years. In Lonely Encounter two men from different sides of life find empathy in the loneliness they feel. Keung (Tsang Man Wei) is coming to terms with an empty life and fills the void working as a taxi driver. He finds a fare in the shape of art student Hei (Lam Yau Hin). Winter Solstice night is traditionally a time to celebrate with family; both men have their reasons for being anywhere but home. Hei is at a proverbial loose end as nobody seems to want or need his company. The realisation dawns that he must get back to college and hails down a taxi. As they motor through the streets of Hong Kong the driver reverts to type and gets his passenger to talk. Hei is estranged from a distant and cold family in Macau. Keung cannot understand why he would trek so far to study. Education seems a convenient excuse to put some distance between him and the problem. Keung is getting used to being alone and fixates on the number 22; the day that evidently proved to be a turning point in his life. The film gently teases out the characters back story as a cautionary tale lays bare the dangers of solitude. The juxtaposition is cleverly drawn as a paradox becomes more obvious. They are both consumed by loneliness but arrived via completely different routes. Keung, an older man had the condition thrust upon him; while Hei is a young man who positively embraces the feeling. Friction in the narrative is however subtle and only sinks in once the film ends. There are minor quibbles, like white subtitles appearing over a white table cloth making them almost impossible to read. But this remains an intelligent piece that doesn’t feel the need to pack dialogue into every scene; less can sometimes amount to much more.

Star Rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑ Directed by: #VictorOrozcoRamirez Written by: #VictorOrozcoRamirez Starring #VictorOrozcoRamirez Short Film Review by: Thomas Jay Initially submitted for the Guadalajara film festival, 32-Rbit is a personal reflection upon the internet, an introspection sparked by the death of a loved one. Sold as an “essay short”, this film plays with pretty much every aspect of current culture, in a postmodernist way. With this montage recounting some major points in human history and contrasting it with images from the media, notably referencing: Buster Keaton, Star Wars, Thelma & Louise and Pulp Fiction, the film contrasts modernity with the past to hit home that difference in generation that inspired this film in the first place, acting in a sense a some kind of eulogy. The title itself playing on the animation style, mixing in the leading phrase “The Rabbit is the only animal to make the same mistake twice” it’s clear that this ‘man out of time’ viewpoint is something that perhaps has only recently come to be. That said it’s very clear the online world has some serious, damning impacts, some of which you could put forth as being perpetuated by this short. One of the aspects it laments is the underbelly of the internet with sites that are willing to show the the utterly obscene and downright horrific, manifested here by scenes of violence directed towards females, a re-enactment of death by train etc. Some of the imagery on here is equally as harrowing as the original inspiration. On the flip side, the film does however, appear to back some socially positive causes, like highlighting the brutality of deforestation and climate change and on a more trivial note, does take a brief look at the current internet/meme culture that is perhaps more than a little odd to say the least, let alone outlandish. With questions raised on sexuality, celebrity worship/culture and the notion of a hyperreal society. 32-Rbit is an extremely thought provoking short film to say the least. Perhaps a little conservative with its conclusions, it’s a stance that is subjective and, by classifying it as an essay, critiquing the stance of the writer is almost superficial, it’s not quite enough of a valid reason. What I will say however, is that the We Are One festival has been eye opening so far. Personally focusing only on the short films (as it stands anyway) for review purposes, the festival has given such a variety of film: narrative fiction, documentary, parody and thats just the shorter film offerings. With insightful pieces on some A list directors and a collection of features from the globe over, the online festival had been a pleasure to cover and features some truly exceptional pieces of work that have shone a light on some exceptional causes or individuals, I’d urge you to watch whatever you can during this festival period, whether it’s something that’s mindless fun or a hard hitting documentary We Are One has plenty to offer for your viewing pleasure. This personal, inquisitive short film was another entertaining viewing and has some valid, well structured points to make about the world that surrounds us today, commit some of your time and hear it out. Reviewed by: #TomJay

★ Directed by: #JamesCunningham Written by: #JamesCunningham #VanessaAbbott #SladePhillips Starring: #KrisFelix #HiginPrazmo Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick It’s hard to imagine one feeling more infuriated and disappointed for almost an entire eight minutes than one might while watching Beneath the Waves, a film that despite having three writers attached, still manages to feel completely without story, drama or anything noteworthy in fact. The official synopsis for James Cunnigham’s film reads as such; Two brothers embark on a surfing trip together, attempting to bury past grievances in the process. As their surfing adventure unravels, so do the delicate and fragile bonds of brotherhood. Honestly, many viewers might be hard pressed to draw comparisons between that supposed premise and what actually unfolds, perhaps asking themselves if they’re accidentally watching something else entirely. We know basically just as much by the end of the film as we did at the start, which is virtually nothing. We get zero insight as to who these people are, what their relationship is, what happened between them. In fact, without that brief plot summation, one would probably never even connect the two as brothers. Asking the audience to use their imagination is one thing (when done well it actually can be a great thing), but then there are just complete misfires in writing which sadly, is the category this film falls into. Obviously, we don’t need or even want it all spelled out for us, but there is literally nothing for us to go on from beginning to end. And unfortunately, what little we are actually shown is completely devoid of any sense of excitement or interest either, even the surfing is tedious to watch. The mere seconds of “drama” that the film unashamedly crowbars in is so fleeting, so unapologetically swept aside and unrealistically resolved (one brother steals from the other, and after a very brief and unconvincing heated exchange, all it takes is listening to some music and a naked shower to make things right) that the frustration one feels watching becomes almost unbearable, mostly because it makes no sense. Any film that is absent of dialogue such as this means we often end up having to rely on our leads to convey what we need to know about them and their world through their expressions, their nuances and their interactions. However, all we get from Felix and Prazmo is a constant barrage of overly dramatic glares and frantic head-shaking towards one another as the film relentlessly tries to drive the point home that there might be some friction here, but never enough to make you care. The basics of characterisation and story for any film are simple; why should we care about its characters, their predicament or their world? But that seems to have been completely forgotten here. Totally missing the mark and quite frankly just plain boring, Beneath the Waves is a film that certainly doesn’t make any, in fact, it doesn't even create a ripple. #ChrisBuick Watch the trailer here:

★★★ Directed by #BruceMcDonald Written by #Tony Burgess #Patrick Whistler Starring #StephenMcHattie #HenryRollins #JulietteLewis Film Review by Hope Madden “You don’t want to suck me.” There are moments in Bruce McDonald’s head trip Dreamland that are just bizarre fun, like that self-aware line delivered by Henry Rollins. A lowlife gangster kingpin, his statement is as much a moment of self-defense as it is a warning. Rollins’s Hercules is one of many unseemly characters orbiting each other in this surreal, jazzy noir. Veteran character actor and welcome sight Stephen McHattie (Pontypool) plays dual roles: jazzman junkie and conflicted hitman. One needs to exact retribution on the other, you see, but maybe redemption of sorts could be arranged for both of them? From one flesh-peddling nightclub to the highfalutin debauchery of a palace, McDonald’s fever dream offers consistently weird moments, each loosely connected to the next, all meandering toward a wild climax. Dreamland is a nutty drug trip of an underbelly film. McHattie’s fun, especially as the anesthetized trumpet player. The other McHattie is having a tough time learning that you can’t rely on a junkie. Both Rollins and Juliette Lewis are clearly enjoying themselves—Lewis, in particular, relishing every moment of over-the-top decadence and weirdness. Belgian character actress Stéphane Bissot impresses most as the sole voice of reason in the entire film. She’s deadpan hilarious. Not that Dreamland is a comedy. Not that it isn’t, either. It’s a tough film to characterize. McDonald hit his artistic high water mark in 2008 with the inspired lunacy of Pontypool. For Dreamland he teams again with writer Tony Burgess, and together they dive back into themes of sanity, reality and jazz. But Dreamland lacks the fidelity of vision and the internal logic that made Pontypool simultaneously hilarious and terrifying. Dreamland occasionally feels like a cheat. Worse still, it too often feels predictable when its every breath is meant to be just the opposite. Still, there’s more than enough carnage and madness packed into this 90 minutes to keep you gawking. #HopeMadden

★★★★★ Stars Directed by: #HonHoang Written by: #HonHoang Starring: #JenniferKhoe, #MonicaCho Film Review by: Alicia Moore There’s always that one angelic person that you meet at some point during your time on Earth; someone that you never want to let go of. Someone that radiates golden, positive energy - you feeding off them like a bee does to a flower’s pollen. Even if you haven’t met that individual yet, it’s something magical to look forward to. For Jennifer Khoe’s character in this short film Echoes of Departure, she finally finds her vibrant link. Khoe’s character is quiet and stuck in the dull repetition of waking up, going to work and falling sleep once again in a cyclical manner. She had no excitement or spontaneity in her days before meeting Monica Cho’s character. Her character is outwardly the complete opposite of Khoe’s; she is energetic and speaks highly of her future dreams to travel and be a part of interesting, new cultures. She is definitely not stuck in the same sense of present repetition. The contrasts between these characters are presented perfectly. They are made obvious by the way the actors chose to speak and move – for example, Cho’s character continuously walks with an upbeat bounce to her step, whereas Khoe’s character follows a considerably normal pace. The contrast brings the main focus of the film a better amount of depth and reason as it is clear that they both enjoy each other’s company even though they approach each day in different ways. Both of their individual energies attract one another and create a bond that both can identify with. The characters also do not have set names within the story that is being shown. Cho is only referred to as ‘she/her’ by Khoe as she speaks her aiming words with purpose and heart. This provides the characters with more space to flourish their personalities without having any sort of name labels attached to them. The mystery behind their past and personal details allows the audience to focus on the comparison of the two characters and how their relationship grows as the film progresses. Hon Hoang’s writing is individually extraordinary. Watching this short film is like immersing yourself in personified poetry. Each word can be remembered with grace and taken away from the production to use towards the most cherished individuals in your own life, the ones who bring you happiness and adventure. The story of these two characters meeting and almost immediately attaching to each other is beautiful; it lit up my daily path in so many forms. Along with the captivating writing, the shots in the film are incredibly eye-catching. The sets that are used in each scene are simple but the director of photography, Anghel Paras, highly succeeded in making the scenes appear enchanting. Through the expert use of the camera, the settings do not seem plain in any context of the plot; they bring a more fragile and entrancing nature to the film instead. Composer, Dash Lunde, adds to the desired ambience of the film with his brilliantly flowing tracks. The cinematography and music work hand in hand to provide an immersive experience. Matching this, in the overall end product that the audience is presented with, every element of the making of this film pairs flawlessly together. It is certain that Echoes of Departure will stay in the forefront of my mind for an extended period of time after this first viewing. I was struck by its beauty immediately; I now have the urge to share it with everyone who joins my presence. I want to personally thank Hon Hoang’s heavenly mind for bringing this short film to life. His aptitude for writing and directing cannot be denied after watching.

★★ Directed by: #IndranilBanerjee Written by: #IndranilBanerjee Starring: #SounakRay, #DebopriyaChakraborty, #OliviaDey, #MahaswetaBhowmick, #AnushkaKundu Film Review by: Alicia Moore Indranil Banerjee’s One Night Stand opens with the intent to focus on personal, obsessive love and infatuation. Aimee (Debopriya Chakraborty) and John (Sounak Ray) spent the night together, and John cannot seem to accept that it was just one night and nothing more as he calls Aimee early the next morning to explain his feelings towards her. From there, the dark shadow of John haunts Aimee, physically and mentally, wanting her presence to himself only. Tension is felt through this first section of the film, steering the plot in the direction towards violence and blood. This prediction of events is correct but not in the way it is expected to be established. A scene appears in front of the audience; Aimee is tackled by a hooded figure while wondering the streets at night, kidnapped and tied up, blood dripping from her nose. John slides into frame, showing himself as the kidnapper. Tension builds even further through this intense scene for it to only be teared down by Aimee awakening. It was a dream. The letdown that can be pointed out at this time in the film is the fact that Aimee now states that John is her significant other after telling him about this extreme dream she experienced. This really added nothing to the plot itself, it just created confusion as to where their relationship started and how far Aimee’s dream ‘stretched’ – was the dream she was having the entirety of the first third of the film? Did the one night stand with John even happen as she now states they are in a committed relationship? The dream aspect, however, isn’t exactly a total letdown in the plot as the audience then expects something more vigorous to occur later in the film, following with the atmosphere created so far. Although, regrettably, this isn’t the case as the film continues. Unfortunately the confusion of the plot thickens from the awakening scene. Aimee begins to show a deeper, darker side of her personality as she decides upon stabbing, poisoning and strangling her group of friends that have been previously introduced as harmless characters. She becomes deranged, showing the bodies to John who weeps and shakes. John is now somehow an innocent character without any faults; all of the faults that had been heavily built up during the first half of the film have now been seemingly transferred to Aimee. She committed murder because her friends mentioned John in a slightly more-than-friendly approach showing that the obsessive traits have now been pushed onto Aimee without any explanation or information for the audience to comprehend. This could have been a great high point in the film if it was approached with better fluidity and detail. The uncertainty of the plot does not end there. After the film presented itself as a physiological thriller, it sheds its genre with another dream break. The killings were, once again, happening within a dream of Aimee’s. This was supposed to be the climax of the film but it was a complete anticlimax. It was like watching a personified version of a student’s English exam essay, the ones that people continuously joke about – the student runs out of time and, to finish their essay, they simply add ‘and then I woke up’ thinking it creates the perfect end to a suspenseful plot. To write this review, I have watched the short film at least five times and each time I tell myself that I must look closer for hidden gems in case I‘m interpreting the film incorrectly. Maybe I‘m missing something within the plot, maybe I‘m missing a key piece of information that helps the audience to understand the puzzling plot, but for now, I‘m utterly confused on how to appreciate the film and its writing. Overall, One Night Stand is still enjoyable despite its mysterious intent. With brilliant performances from Sounak Ray and Debopriya Chakraborty, their presentation of the characters can be highly praised through the analysis of their acting techniques. Their abilities add immense brilliance to the film; it is obvious that they are both incredibly talented. The music throughout the film is also thoroughly enjoyable, making the atmosphere extremely thrilling and intriguing. It is disappointing that the script is this short film’s downfall as nothing seems to quite fit together, but there are still hugely positive aspects about this production.

★★★★★ Directed by #NicoOpper, #ShannonStAubin Written by #NicoOpper, #ShannonStAubin, #LeilaMottley, #AjaiKasim Starring #LeilaMottley, #AjaiKasim Film Review by Amber Jackson Curated by Tribeca Film Festival, short film When I Write It situates two Oakland teens (Leila Mottley and Ajai Kasim) exploring what it means to be young, Black and committed to making art in their rapidly changing city. This raw and real day-in-the-life captures two young people coming together and creating projects that they feel real passion for, as though we the audience are watching it happen in real time. Words create the shape of this film and their power is highlighted in the music that these characters make. Music allows them to come together and create sound that is full of soul and emotion, which only adds more power to the script. The consistent sharing of ideas, sounds and literature that is full of emotional and political power throughout the short displays how what they read informs their creativity. Passion leaks through the screen and allows the audience to immerse themselves in it fully. Leila and Ajai have a wonderfully sweet chemistry that is joyous to watch and as a viewer, you can’t help but smile as you listen to their exchange of stories. Both are on the cusp of adulthood as they enjoy their last summer before going to college. They anticipate their future as young Black artists in a city that is gentrifying around them, as well as looking at how the world is evolving. The individual intimacy and vulnerability that they both share with each other, and indeed the audience, is breath-taking. Their brilliant ‘overheard dialogue’ allows them to share stories and feelings about real situations that they have experienced with love and sexuality. In particular, their discussion over what they think is and isn’t political when writing and speaking about race is poignant to watch. These conversations feel so real it’s like the camera isn’t even there. Watching is like watching the writing process lived out, as both Leila and Ajai want to live and experience life in real time to inform their writing. The audience gets to view this in the way that the film is shot, as the simplicity of the cinematography exists to emphasise the power in what they are saying. The colour grading looks warm and the snapshot-style editing makes the tone feel real and uplifting. Ultimately, both want to highlight how their community is changing around them, amongst the gentrification, and how they want to preserve black culture for the generation after them. The end of the film is so fitting in this way, as they are sharing their music and words with young people and the audience can see them becoming inspired too. It is so uplifting to watch these young people wanting to continuously find new ways to keep expressing themselves and keep their culture away. This story feels warm and most importantly, it feels hopeful. This is an excellent example of modern film-making at its best. It is sharp, sensitive and sweet, whilst also providing its audience with a strong social message. UK audiences can learn a lot from this film, especially given all that has happened in recent weeks. We as an audience have a responsibility to share films and stories like this now more than ever. When I Write It is currently available to watch on YouTube, as part of the We Are One Film Festival. #WeAreOne #BlackLivesMatter This review will be shared on UK Film Review's social media sites with some resources on how to support Black lives in the wake of the protests in America. Please do have a look and support in any way you can. #AmberJackson

★★ Directed by: #CraigBettendorf Written by #CraigBettendorf Film Review by Matt Weiner For a documentary with the subtitle “Who’s Pushing Hate?,” you would think that HomoSayWhat, Craig Bettendorf’s brief survey of homophobia in America from the mid-20th century up to the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage, would be a long list of people to choose from. Bettendorf’s sprint through half a century of history is a helpful primer on major events in the gay rights movement. And while the film is heavy on narration and light on interviews that might contextualize the history—the longest interview segment is a casual chat with Bettendorf’s colleagues—they make the most of contemporary news footage and interviews to produce plenty of jaw-dropping moments. Far too often, though, the film serves as just that: a whirlwind introduction to the top hits and the reminder that “this sure was bad, but things are getting better.” And to be fair, Bettendorf and his crew couldn’t have known that Pride Month this year would coincide with some of the largest protests against injustice in this country’s history. But it’s hard to reckon with the film’s contention that progress is a clockwork inevitability even within the relatively rapid success of the gay rights movement. So while gay marriage gets its due, the Stonewall Riots that birthed modern Pride events are conspicuously absent. As is the very current and not at all settled fight for transgender equality. (Trans activists are almost entirely absent from the film’s history, which could be a decision to let them tell their own story. But it’s a puzzling omission for a movie that paints history in such broad strokes. And finds the time for an entire cable news monologue from Keith Olbermann.) The most generous way to think of the film’s version of events is like a high school textbook: the chronology opens up windows to so many deeper stories you can look up if you’re interested. But given how profound and moving the subject is, the documentary’s point of view seems to go out of its way to avoid sounding too radical. And that leads to some very weird territory, like spending more time on C. Everett Koop than Larry Kramer. As superficial as the historical treatment is, Bettendorf’s earnestness goes a long way to keeping the narration sprightly. But the choices are so idiosyncratic and linger on so much near history that it’s hard to figure out exactly who the audience for this retelling even is. For a film that sets out to dig into the history of homophobia and how it shaped American society, there’s an awful lot of time on the 2000s-era culture war with very little interrogation of what mission accomplished looks like today. In a way it’s quaint to look back on a time when hatred felt like it had to keep a veneer of civility and logic when arguing among the political class. Those days are gone though, and those backslapping opponents have been replaced with a new group that doesn’t have much use for masks. It’s ironic that there are plenty of events and figures to look back on who raised hell to see justice done, wielding righteous certainty along with bricks, rocks, and whatever it took. That might offer some comfort at this moment. But you won’t learn about it here. #MattWeiner

★★★★ Written and directed by #ChloëSevigny Starring #KateLynSheil, #SheilaVand, #AlisonSudol, #EleanoreHendricks, #HaileyGates Curated by #CannesFilmFestival for #WeAreOne: A Global Film Festival Short Film Review by #HannahSayer Known for starring in classic films such as American Psycho (2000) and Boys Don’t Cry (1999) as well as an array of art-house films, Chloë Sevigny’s third short film as a director #WhiteEcho appears to be a familiar ghost story on the surface. However, her proven track record of choosing roles that are controversial and experimental means that it’s no surprise that her latest short film White Echo strays away from convention. The story follows five young women who are on vacation from the city staying in a remote country house. Encouraged by Carla, played by Kate Lyn Sheil, they take part in a séance using an Ouija board to conjure a spirit. There's a haunting presence in the house, one that fascinates Carla, who finds herself wanting to communicate with it. But the viewer is kept in the dark about exactly how much Carla knows about the house and its history. This is effective in allowing for Sevigny to intrigue the viewer by not revealing too much at the beginning. However, the short running time never allows for any definitive answers or revelations to occur, which leaves the viewer slightly bewildered yet still intrigued. The film exudes eeriness and feels reminiscent of the Gothic genre through its uncanny imagery and setting of a haunted country house in a remote location. Reminiscent of the strange and otherworldly dance sequences in Luca Guadagnino’s remake of Suspiria (2018), the women in White Echo partake in a similarly haunting dance scene towards the climax of the séance, where their movements suggest they are either intoxicated by alcohol or the spirit they have connected to. These notes of surrealism and beguiling, strange imagery succeed at hinting at more complex ideas at play than just exploring typical gothic tropes. Through the character of Carla, Sevigny explores the power of women that is so often crushed, silenced and hidden away by suggesting that Carla’s inner power has something to do with these strange goings on. Her inner self is hinted at throughout the short film through a number of instances. Shadows and black cats appearing and multiplying in Carla’s field of vision further confuse reality with imagination and symbolise this doubling of the self. In the final scenes of the film when Carla returns to her flat, mirrors are central to the space and reflect Carla all around the room. The imagery of Carla multiplying evokes this multiplying of symbols and the self again as Sevigny cleverly explores Carla’s sense of self doubling. This is the moment when her inner power is finally being released. These echoes throughout the film of doubling are reinforced through the use of sound in White Echo. The score is most effectively used during the film when accompanied with these haunting symbolic images. This is most prevalent in the final moments of the film when Carla’s inner power is fully realised. The score plays in the background like the sound of a warning siren repeating over and over. The use of sound here reinforces a heightened sense of dread, further unsettling the viewer even further. Overall, White Echo is an eerie, sinister and surreal escape which is both hauntingly uncanny while being grounded in the real. Sevigny explores tropes of the Gothic genre in a novel and clever way by using them to explore universal issues of a woman’s power and self acceptance. At times the film verges into style over substance, as the beautiful visuals and sound design take centre stage, yet the story remains intriguing until the very end. White Echo is now streaming on YouTube as part of We Are One: A Global Film Festival.

Star Rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ Directed by: #JonKasbe Starring: #Jospeh & #Deborah Short Film Review by: Thomas Jay Lagos, Nigeria. Joseph and Deborah’s lives intersect when the latter‘s mortality hangs in the balance amid the blood crisis seen in Nigeria and the developing world. Backed by Google in support of Lifebank a body designed to plug gaps in infrastructures, Jon Kasbe’s third film and his second Short is a heart pounding, extremely tense affair. A short documentary, the genre/format appears to be where Kasbe specialises, the 17 minute short cross cuts between the dedicated worker and heavily pregnant woman and creates a short, fast-burning fuse that would make most feature length outings blush. Joseph, the titular Blood Rider is beyond a dedicated worker, having cut away pretty much every other aspect of his life to focus solely on his role as a dispatcher, with the intent of going ‘as fast as possible’. As for Deborah, a lesser film would’ve laid it on thick with a prolonged gaze into her traumatic past and her prior pregnancy complications but this film deals with such matter with an incredible sensitivity and such a background only piles onto that pressure cooker atmosphere and Joseph’s journey is made all the more crucial when he sets off. Shot stunningly given the logistical complications the crews had to face, up against crippling traffic jams and at constant risk of dangerous drivers, on top of whatever else the road can, and will throw at you, the small crew spread their resources amongst a number of dispatchers and women late in their pregnancy cycles. With the stars aligning so Joseph and Deborah Would intersect, the documentary manages to show, in incredible coverage, the little details. Deborah’s panic is palpable and just, with her fears of losing another child whereas Joseph is a man, racked with guilt over his previous shortcomings, having missed the window before by a matter of minutes. The work these dispatchers do both under normal circumstances and the context of this pandemic is crucial, and Lifebank deserve both the attention this film will give them as well as funding. With the world being thrown a million different complications right now and worthy causes being sprung to attention left, right and centre, Blood Rider is something I’d class as essential viewing, a truly fascinating piece of work. Once more available on the We Are One Film Festival YouTube channel with a complimenting Q&A with Director Jon Kasbe and Lifebank Nigeria CEO Temi Giwa-Tuboson, give this campaign some awareness and if possible funding, though I share that sentiment towards the #BLM movement as well. In time the world will no doubt become a better place and there’s ways of helping be that watching a film, signing petitions or educating yourself/others, take some action. (Originally written on ’Blackout Tuesday‘, posted Wednesday, June 3rd) Reviewed by: #TomJay

★★★ Directed by #RomanChimienti #TylerJensen Written by #MichaelBear #ClintCatalyst #LeoHerrera #JustinLockwood Starring #MarkPatton Film Review by Hope Madden “It was intended to play as homophobic rather than homoerotic.” So says David Chaskin, writer of 1985’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge—a film many consider to be the gayest horror movie ever made. Chaskin has long shared the belief that it was the casting of Mark Patton in the lead role, the “final boy,” that pushed the envelope from homophobic to homoerotic. Chaskin is right. Thank God for casting. The mid-Eighties hardly needed another homophobic movie, or another AIDS-terrified horror flick. Did it need the story of an adolescent boy whose homosexual nature emerges as some monstrous id, only to be cured by the love of a good woman? No, but if you just don’t watch the last ten minutes of the film, Nightmare 2 is a bizarre and glorious B-movie coming out party. Again, thanks to Mark Patton. Patton is the center of the Shudder documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street. He also produces, which means he gives the footage his OK, leading to a film that comes off as self-congratulatory and self-indulgent more often than it should. But there is no denying Patton’s life has been fascinating. Patton’s a charming, charismatic vehicle for the doc and the insight he offers into burgeoning stardom, closeted Hollywood and the Eighties is riveting. He’d lived quite a life before his first feature lead likely ended his career—but what he survived outside Elm Street was certainly tougher. So much so that Patton’s particular anxiety about how this film affected him and his career sometimes feels misplaced. But watching how his perception of the “gay controversy” has evolved and what that evolution has allowed him to do within the gay community is delightful. Of course, equally fascinating for horror fans is the debate as to who did and did not realize how profoundly gay Nightmare 2 was. Patton’s co-stars—Robert Englund (Freddy himself) comes off especially well—each add to the conversation in entertaining ways, though director Jack Sholder should maybe stop talking. First time filmmakers Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen seem unsure of their real aim: to tell Mark’s story, to help Mark find closure, to deconstruct the film’s subtext, to explore its lasting meaning for the LGBTQ community. Because of their meandering focus, Scream, Queen feels longer than it needs to be. Lucky for the filmmakers, every one of those topics makes for an intriguing investigation, and watching Patton triumphantly recreate his iconic (and likely career-ending) dance scene is sheer joy. #HopeMadden