★★★ Directed by: #ShivamSharma Written by: Shivam Sharma Starring: #ShwetaHandoo, #VaibhavChaudhary, #RavindraPratap Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen I swear to god all films are about grief right?...Well maybe. I think Care Bears the movie touches on lighter subjects. Antardwand, translated into English means inner conflict, [and by the way I just knew that, I didn’t Google it, don’t judge me], and that is exactly what this short film embodies, for you see grief is simply a form of inner conflict, all the stages we go through during these times are simply the brain’s way of dealing with all the emotional stages that grief encompasses. This short tells the tale of a young man who made a fatal mistake when driving himself and some and buddies home one night, hopefully they had been at some mental rager, listening to 90’s electro trance and blowing whistles while they danced. Or they were at a conference about owls or something. Either way, the friends all want to get home as quick as possible and that means our leading man decides to shave some time off their trip [and life spans] by driving the wrong way down a one way lane. Now this stupid move obviously was going to spell disaster, and so without having to time travel to see the end of the movie, my prediction was correct; it leaves all his friends dead, and our leading man is left to deal with the guilt and grief of what his driving error has caused. He tries spirituality to come to terms with himself, running away from the loved ones whose lives have been turned upside down due to the loss of their friends, but soon he learns he cannot outrun himself. This all manifests when he returns to visit a friend of the group who has clearly been deeply affected by the deaths. Visually, Antardwand is experimental and engaging. Director, writer and editor Shivam Sharma employs a variety of skills and techniques to make his film stand out from the crowd, giving his own twist on the use of colours and angles, developing a style for himself, important to any budding director. Audio is a little confusing, the film seems to have been dubbed for the dialogue, even though they are not speaking a different language from the one acted on screen, and he cuts sound, then re installs it to give scenes more of a dramatic effect. An interesting approach but does not particularly bring anything essential to the viewing experience. Overall this short film explores grief in an interesting and dynamic manner, the storyline is strong with a good back bone and the acting is excellent throughout. Although, the dubbing can make it seem a little like we are watching a Spanish soap opera. However, you can still find yourself engaged and empathetic to the characters on screen, and overall it teaches us not to drive the wrong way down a one way road...But I think most of us knew not to do that already.

★★★★ Directed by: #NevenRufio Starring: #AnaBretsnajder, #MilosDjuricic, #MilosTanaskovic, #TaraTanaskovic Short Film Review by: #HarryKing Writer and director Neven Rufio tells an intriguing story about love, lose and betrayal with his unconventional short film that must be watched. The film follows a young girl named Nina (Tara Tanaskovic) and the tragic story of how her once beautiful, simple and peaceful life was changed forever. Throughout the film we come to see that her mother (Ana Bretsnajder) and farther (Milos Djuricic) are not so happy with each other with dense looks at each other and when another man comes into the picture Kovac (Milos Tanaskovic) it all heats up and becomes tense for everyone. Rufio, (Blue Eyes) made the decision to make this film inaudible and in a result of that it comes with both positives and negatives. The ambition and creative talent to not only make a short film with no speech just sound effects and a score but one that works so well. Even though this is a short film with a limited budget, Rufio’s vision doesn’t seem affected by it and this shows just what talent he has for filmmaking. The #cinematography can make or break a film and behind the camera for Kingdom Lost: Pale Princess is Predrag Gavrilovic who clearly has a key eye for capturing the stunning visuals for a films purpose. It starts off showing some beautiful shots where the film is located with massive green farming fields. In one shot young Nina runs to her mother and the title comes up on screen and we see the blood-filled title which foreshadows the blood and danger which inevitable follows. The shot here is a beautiful slow wide tracking shot with the hills and mountains perfectly placed in the background. Although this shot is gorgeous it becomes a bit of a go-to-shot and loses what makes it special because of how many times it is used. In a short film the slow wide tracking shots are hard to miss. Which is incredibly annoying because in a feature film of 90 minutes these shots would work perfectly and add something more to the film. The creative decision to make this without speech and use the actors for their facial expressions and movements really put them to the test on how good of an actor and actress they really are. They performed to the best of their ability and achieved exactly what was set out for them. As a viewer I could understand their body language and expressions to know how they felt. Which for a film with this style is exactly what you need to understand the plot of the film otherwise you would be lost. However, I feel like they could have been used better. I thought they were such professional actors that they could have gone the extra mile and performed even better with speech. As well as relying on the actor’s performances without speech the other means of sound was the score by Igor Ivkovic. He had to use a range of sounds for Kingdom Lost: Pale Princess from the calm lightly touched piano whilst the trees whistle and Nina runs to her mother. To the beat of drums raining down with the diegetic sound of thunder as the gunshot fires. The tempo and volume of the score tells the audience how they’re supposed to react and feel. Rufio realises that you don’t need speech if you have a quality score because it highlights the good and bad elements for the characters in the narrative for you.

★★★ Directed by: Imogen Ross Written by: #ImogenRoss Starring: #AndrewCutcliffe, #CarolineLevien, #HarryParker Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick What are we doing here? What is our purpose? And what happens after? These are the eternal questions that humanity has pondered since we first came into existence, yielding no definitive answers. Yet there are some who believe they do understand their reason for being and what is waiting for them on the other side. But what happens to such a person if they suddenly realise that everything they had ever believed might be wrong? Absit, brought to us from LoneRoss Productions and both written and directed by Imogen Ross, looks at the possibility of those worst fears coming true, and in this instance, how one's faith can give them great strength and hope but also how devastating it can be when that faith has been shattered. Kiran (Andrew Cutcliffe) is a young man who has found his purpose through religion and has devoted his entire life to following that path, abstaining from drinking and romantic relationships and instead dedicating his time to seminary school studies with aspirations to become a priest. But after an incident while swimming, he is briefly taken through to the other side of mortality, only to discover it is not what he imagined. Now without a sense of purpose, Kiran's life begins to spiral out of control as he struggles to come to terms with this horrifying realisation that has come crashing down upon him. The #shortfilm itself is split into two acts, with Kiran's incident being the pivotal moment between the two. Director Imogen Ross manages to really highlight the contrast between the two sides of this turning point, opting for brighter tones in the first half as Kiran's strength in his belief is unwavering, but moving to darker shades as he descends deeper and deeper into feelings of hopelessness and loss. This results in some impressive visuals throughout, which help emphasise Kiran's inner torment. The film perhaps could have benefited from another couple of minutes where Kiran at least tries to rationalise or comprehend his experience more before beginning to let his faith slide away. But instead the change in his character seems rather swift, maybe even a little rushed. However, Cutcliffe turns in a decent and believable performance that is both relatively understated and grounded where it very easily could have been much more dramatic and over-the-top. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is left with little else to do apart from provide exposition and backstory and most of this is unnecessary and already apparent, as well as making up nearly all the script. But it is not too much of a detriment to the film's overall message as this is very much about Kiran's journey and delivered through showing rather than telling. A mostly well-rounded piece, Absit tackles some of life's most pertinent questions and explores some interesting themes around faith and purpose and how important that can be to any of us if it is suddenly taken away.

★★★★ Directed by: #SheikhShahnawaz Starring: #SharniTapakoBrown, #NisaroKarim Short Film Review by: #BrianPenn 10 minutes is a limited time frame for a film that is both coherent and aesthetically pleasing. The opening titles for some films can last that long; so the discipline shown by Sheikh Shahnawaz in short film Duality has to be admired. In five scenes he plots the engaging story of Vanessa (Sharni Tapako-Brown), who is trapped in an abusive relationship with Simon (Nisaro Karim). A beautifully shot piece opens on a wedding ringed hand; a symbol of love and commitment for Vanessa. But where Simon is concerned it merely represents control and possession. Following a brutal sexual encounter Vanessa is left in tears. Then a voice calls out; her alter ego has come to visit her. This is not so much Vanessa’s alternative personality cutting loose but her logical self, asking pertinent questions about her life with Simon: is she truly happy with him? Vanessa struggles with her logical self, knowing deep down how much sense she is beginning to make. More importantly, she sees her true self; the person she wants to be; a confident and assertive woman in control. Simon has stripped away her independence and is little more than a needy domestic drudge. She finally makes a decision as the film reaches an appropriate conclusion. Shahnawaz cleverly uses neutral lighting and a discreet soundtrack to slowly build the tension. The script is sparse but well judged, using some memorable images to drive the narrative. Verbal exchanges between Vanessa and her logical self always stand out, as she finally succumbs to reality. For such a short piece, the editing is surprisingly smooth with an almost effortless transition between scenes. Both actors lend authenticity to the story and are totally convincing in their respective roles. Nisaro Karim maintains a sound presence as abusive husband Simon. However, Sharni Tapako-Brown is a telegenic female lead, and takes the cigar effectively playing two roles. If Duality does have a weakness it lay in the portrayal of well-trodden subject matter. We know instinctively where the story is heading, offering little in the way of insight or originality of thought. However, the real skill here is economy of effort. Sheikh Shahnawaz has presented a self-contained story in 10 minutes that some directors might take an hour to achieve; but the dramatic impact is no less compelling in a shorter format. With a growing portfolio of films, I sense a blossoming talent on whom we should keep a very close eye.

★★ Directed by #MNightShyamalan Starring: #JamesMcAvoy, #BruceWillis, #SamuelLJackson, #SarahPaulson Film Review by: #BradyClark Once 2016’s Split revealed itself to be part of a larger universe, it became clear M. Night Shyamalan had a plan afoot for his first film series. The master of plot twists managed to keep Split a secret sequel, meaning it was a genuine shock for most movie-goers as David Dunn (Bruce Willis) made his return from Unbreakable (2000) and muttered the words that would go on to title the conclusion to the ‘Eastrail 177’ trilogy. Glass combines three acting powerhouses in McAvoy, Willis and Jackson, and seeks to conclude a story that started nearly two decades ago. The premise is strong and the cast is intriguing, but the ultimate endgame is anticlimactic. Shyamalan isn’t exactly known for pace in story-telling – anyone who has sat through The Village knows that much. But fans of his work do expect a high-level of intrigue, trickery, originality and character depth. For much of the film, we are treated to this, with the clever bringing together of the established characters from the franchise’s previous entries (in spite of their seemingly chalk and cheese relation), namely the welcome return of McAvoy’s “Horde” who is equally terrifying and hilarious. Where Split was often lost in confusion on the existence of “The Beast”, Glass wastes no time in having the persona at the forefront of the story. We come to understand how it can be summoned and contained, though are no clearer in its goal. This, combined with Dunn’s pursuance of the “Horde”, Dr Ellie Staple’s (Paulson) mysterious presence, and the welcome return of Anna Taylor-Joy, embellish a compelling curiosity for the fate of the characters. Unfortunately, the final act is clueless, misguided and irrelevant. Shyamalan was clearly all out of shock twists. The meta superhero story-telling is clever to a point. The fighting amongst the characters is clever…to a point. But Glass loses itself amongst the decline in quality of both. McAvoy can scream at SWAT teams all he wants – it won’t save the movie. It could be said that Glass is at least original – few would predict the finale as it departs from your traditional comic book ending. Though perhaps this is so because the audience expect more from Shyamalan and the trilogy he has poured his time into. It feels rushed and amateurish, disrespectful to the first two thirds of the film even. The calibre of the characters created and the performances given are eventually frustrated by Glass’s confused purpose, perhaps stemming from the title being as misleading to the centre point of the story as calling a Batman film Superman. Still, it’s not as bad as The Village.

★★★★ Directed by: Jonathan Blagrove Written by: #JonathanBlagrove Starring: #LisaHogg, #TimPlester Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Home invasion has been a popular choice for horror/thriller #filmmakers for many years, with hit and miss success largely accounted to how terrifyingly real the portrayal feels. In short film Brink, directed by Jonathan Blagrove, the audience are given an affecting and convincing home invasion plot that always feels authentic and immersive. Largely taking place after the home invasion has taken place, we see a woman (Lisa Hogg) being held captive by a dangerous looking man (Tim Plester). As she begs and pleads for freedom, covered in cuts and scrapes, the reality of the situation becomes clear with devastating results. A wonderfully original story and utilising excellent atmosphere and performances to suspend the audience in heart-stopping panic throughout, Blagrove proves himself capable of delivering a tense thriller. Brink is a short film laced with tragedy and supplied with engrossingly dark visuals and shadows to arrest the audience, leaving them in a state of vulnerability for what's to come. Hogg is a terrific on screen presence, her desperation and energy are the perfect complement to Plester's violent and stoic anguish. Plester is also excellent, providing the short's most sincere and affecting moments. There is a wonderful sound design to Brink from George Castle and Rory Wallace, and an original score from Alex Ball, that elevates the darkened scenes and enhances the dramatic tension superbly. This is in fantastic partnership with the camerawork, which works hard to deliver a sinister movement to each sequence, from the eery opening shots of suburban isolation, to the frenetic chaos of the living room. The pacing could have been improved, it felt as if a load was splurged when the reveal happens and there was not enough build up. This was such an interesting premise and the characters were thoughtfully created, that the sub 5-minute run time shortchanges everyone involved. That being said, there is a potency to the piece that could have been risked with additional scenes. That potency is essential in delivering the movie's ambitious themes. Blagrove chooses to buck certain trends with his story and subvert cinematic assumptions, making the plot all the more powerful. The use of a family home and a typical location are also important in tempting the viewer into a classic deduction which proves misguided. Impressive filmmaking that contributes nicely to the home invasion genre, Brink is a formidable watch for any thriller fans that is not afraid to stray from conformity. Watch teaser movie trailer below...

Filmmaker Interview by Chris Olson. Having recently watched and reviewed #shortfilm Brink, I was keen to find out from the film's writer and director more about this short #homeinvasion movie. What made you want to tell the story in Brink? I’ve been producing short films for a while now, but never really directed a narrative short myself, I’ve got ideas for bigger films in the pipeline which I would love to direct, so BRINK was conceived as project to give me some hands on experience working with actors and putting myself in the director seat. I really wanted to tell a dramatic story which revolved around a single location with a maximum of two actors, that played on audience expectations. It would also be a project which would be manageable with no money! Fair enough. How influential were other home invasion movies when you were writing this short? Probably not directly, though its possible the long shadow cast by watching ‘Funny Games’ and ‘Straw Dogs’ when I was younger might have certainly crept in there. I was wanting to create something which didn’t really inhabit a single genre and have its feet grounded in reality. Luke Witcomb (#cinematographer) and I were looking to films that merged genres for inspiration both visually and thematically. Films like BLUE RUIN, GREEN ROOM, ANIMAL KINGDOM and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN were all scrutinised. As an indie filmmaker, what were the challenges in getting this film made and how did you overcome them? As always the lack of money or time! The whole project was self funded, so we had a very limited budget than normal, a lot of favours and good will from cast and crew alike kept the good ship BRINK afloat. As we had limited funds and limited access to the camera and lenses, we had to shoot the whole film in one day, including the night time shots of suburbia. Despite the script only being a handful of pages long, it was still a challenge to get all done in one day. Well I certainly enjoyed it. Where can people watch the film? We had a good run at film festivals in 2018 and following that the film was acquired by Gunpowder & Sky for their ALTER online platform. Its currently streaming via ALTER on YouTube, Facebook and web alongside a collection of other thriller & horror shorts. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEjONYyO1zo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchALTER/videos/316065372351404/ WEB: https://watchalter.com/video/brink/ Thanks for that. What would your advice be to anyone looking to make movies? Have an idea? Get some friends and go out there and do it. We are living in age when its never been easier to make a film, the access to the technology now is incredible. Don’t have access to a camera? Use a smart phone. Keep the idea simple to start with and learn from your mistakes. Even Stanley Kubrick had to start somewhere. A legendary #filmmaker. Who would you most like to work with and why? A very good question! In front of the camera, I would love to have a chance to work with Ben Mendelsohn - I thought he was terrific in Animal Kingdom and Blood Lines and I pretty much watch anything with him in. And I would love to have an opportunity to work with Elisabeth Moss, I’ve admired her work since Mad Men onwards and think her versatility is incredible. Behind the camera…The list far to long to mention! What’s next for you? I’ve got quite a busy slate of things at the moment. I’m currently entering pre-production on a very short #documentary about veteran scenic artist Tony Strong; he has worked with the likes of Ken Russel, Stanley Kubrick, has been involved with more Bond films than you can shake a stick at (he even painted the tarot card from Live and Let Die!) and still paints for pleasure. Narrative wise, I’m in pre-production on another short thriller at the moment, which we are hoping to shoot in early February of this year. I’ve also got a few other projects on the boil, including a feature with long time collaborator, director and actor Jonny Phillips (Woodwoo). Thanks so much. What would you say if you were a dolphin? So long and thanks for all the fish!

★★★ Directed by: #RizwanWadan Starring: #AaronTaylor, #DavidSchaal, #ConorBoru, #ThanimChoudury, #EdwardKugutzi Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Challenging a multitude of stereotypes and prejudices, short film Character, from Say Hello Films and director Rizwan Wadan, holds little back in getting its overt message across. The result is a thought provoking, if slightly gloopy, piece with impressive cinematic flair. David Schaal plays a harassed businessman whose bad day gets even worse when a couple of BMX-riding “youths” (Thanim Choudury and Edward Kugutzi) take a key to his fancy car, smash the window in, and rob him. After a witness lets the victim know that one of the boys was Asian, quick assumptions are made and it's not long before racist ramblings come spewing from the businessman's mouth. Listening to the bile is a do-gooder (Aaron Taylor) who helps get the car's window fixed whilst contemplating the foul rhetoric emanating from its owner. In a film called Character you would hope that plenty of attention had been given to the characters within and it's my pleasure to say that this is the case. There is plenty for the audience to chew on when it comes to intriguing characters with different viewpoints. The dialogue is a little one directional for the majority of the short (with Schaal being given a lot of the lines) but this only tells us more about the personalities being depicted on screen. As the racial and social tensions are explored the viewer is asked to scrutinize what's being said and the reaction to it. The movie is fairly on the nose with its intentions. A tender score plays throughout, often lending too much gravitas than is necessary. The use of narration at the end injects a large dose of blatant context and religious connotations that threatens to derail the atmosphere of the movie. That being said, there are plenty of excellent themes at work within the story and the #filmmakers do well to represent not just racial and economic disparity but also the generational attitudes that are often just as bleak. From a filmmaking perspective there are some lovely moments within Character. The use of news reports offering subtle exposition whilst the boys throw stones into the Thames River was a particular highlight. The #London skyline becoming a startling visual representation of some of the unwelcoming aspects of our society. There is also some nice editing used when we see Taylor's character in his garden, encapsulating the anonymous peace of isolation perfectly before ushering him into social conflict. All of which supports the film's motive of exploring our character. A severe lack of female characters and a little too much eagerness in the schmaltz department aside, this is a worthy outing for first time director Wadan. Great performances (in particular Schaal) and an enjoyable aesthetic make this a compelling cautionary tale.

★★★★ Directed by: #FreddieHall Written by: #DCJackson Starring: #CraigParkinson, #JonnySweet, #SusanLynch Short Film Review by: #ChrisOlson Like Get Him To The Greek meets Smashed with a profoundly British feel, short film Dead to the World from director Freddie Hall is a fun and flavorful romp through the consequences of excess. Craig Parkinson plays James, a crude drunkard whose status as a popular actor has secured him a sobriety coach Ben “not Benny” (Jonny Sweet) in order to keep him on the straight and narrow whilst his latest film is being shot. However, all the sparkling water and diet coke in the world can't keep this sardonic hooch-hound from creating havoc everywhere he turns. Enjoyably rebellious, Dead to the World has a script overflowing with jibes at society and stardom facilitated by the cynical worldview from an inebriated James. As he torments his would-be saviour with endless shenanigans (ranging from a tinnie in the privy to some booger sugar and adultery) the audience quickly sympathises with Ben's insurmountable challenge. This is enhanced, with comedic effect, when the origin story for Ben's career path is revealed. Containing few missteps when it comes to timing, the movie's biggest laughs come from Craig Parkinson, who is a tour de force of tawdriness. The man seems to be revelling in the role and rightfully so, it has plenty of gut-busting one liners and turbulent antics to chew on. Especially when his equally clamorous co-star Emily (Susan Lynch) appears with a serious bone to pick. Sweet on the other hand seems slightly out of his depth in certain scenes, playing up to the timid helper too much and getting a little lost in the drunken haze of James's antics. Nicely filmed with a slick production value and aesthetic, Dead to the World has a stylish appeal that many audiences will gravitate towards. This gets brilliantly juxtaposed with the audacious nature of the plot and foul language, a fitting reflection on the two main characters. As their two stories coalesce into something almost shared, an enjoyable camaraderie forms that is very watchable if a bit familiar. Creating a funny onscreen drunk is a difficult task but D. C. Jackson's script gives the character of James some excellent material (although a script is more of a guide, right?) and his provocative words will be a suitably pointed elbow to the ribs for plenty of viewers. Parkinson elevates the short film into very entertaining heights and should certainly be granted more of these comedic roles.

★★★★★ Directed by: Daniel Robbins Written by: Zach Weiner Starring: Zachary Byrd, Phillip Andre Botello, Zach Weiner, Aaron Dalla Villa, Cameron Cowperthwaite, Erica Boozer, Joe Gallagher, Jean-Louis Droulers, Jesse Pimentel Grimmfest Film Festival Review by: Chris Olson Animal House gets sadistic in this 2018 horror Pledge, written by and starring Zach Weiner and directed by Daniel Robbins. Featuring at this year's Grimmfest Film Festival, this is arguably the best indie horror of the year. Weiner stars alongside Zachary Byrd and Phillip Andre Botello as three freshman buddies looking to join any frat house that will take them. Having received the brush off from most of the traditional houses on campus, a seductive invite comes in the form of Rachel (Erica Boozer) who invites our heroes to a remote mansion where the good times flow. Coming back the next day to pledge, the group are perturbed to discover the cruel initiation which awaits them. Phenomenally well balanced and containing outstanding performances across the board, this is incredible horror/thriller filmmaking. The narrative is tightly constructed with compelling themes of identity and loyalty, the movie is well paced and gripping throughout, and the chemistry between the three central characters is engaging and vital to the success of the story. The trio reminded me of the Superbad kids, if they had been dropped on to the set of Saw! Weiner’s nerdy but eager David works well with the more cynical Ethan (Botello) and Justin (Byrd). Above: the official movie trailer for indie film Pledge. The villainy comes in the form of three preppy seniors with a penchant for violence. Whilst their clothes and demeanor scream white privilege, their brutality is terrifying. Cameron Cowperthwaite is particularly engaging as the frat's envoy, straddling the friend/foe fence brilliantly out of focus. As the plot deepens and the scary reality of this fraternity's mission statement is revealed, audiences will relish the intelligent storytelling alongside the compelling horror cinema. University movies typically strike a chord with viewers as they are perfect settings for coming-of-age stories, as are horror films, where the fears of our youth and/or future can often be our monster. By combining these two genres, Weiner has created a fascinating study of the vulnerability of those on the cusp of manhood. Assimilation (in cinema land) can often lead to a bad place and in Pledge it most certainly does. So many of the characters become victims of their own need to fit in, or belong to a society that they understand so little of. A cautionary tale that has so many relevant topics of discussion for a 2018 audience. #Grimmfest #GrimmfestFilmFestival #Grimmfest2018 #FilmFestivals #ChrisOlson #Horror #IndieFilmReviews #IndieFilms #ComingofAge #comingofagefilms #DanielRobbins #ZachWeiner #ZacharyByrd #PhillipAndreBotello #AaronDallaVilla #CameronCowperthwaite #EricaBoozer #JoeGallagher #JeanLouisDroulers #JessePimentel

★★★★ Directed by: Yad Deen Starring: Tania Watson, Agustín Mateo, Rawand Khalid Saeed, Youssef Osman Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Set in a remote factory in Iraq, two filmmakers (Tania Watson and Agustín Mateo) look to uncover the secrets hidden within. Knowing that their presence is likely to be unwelcome and doing their best to stay under the radar, the pair must put their trust in their driver (Rawand Khalid Saeed) and pretty much hope for the best. Carga, a short film directed by Yad Deen, who also co-writes here with Chesco Simón, benefits from an incredibly tense atmosphere throughout. Knowing that our protagonists are venturing into an area that is highly dangerous in order to document what they see keeps the audience compelled to keep watching. As the pair go even further off the map, managing to get past a seemingly curmudgeonly gatekeeper (Youssef Osman) we start to panic as to how much peril is in store for these characters. The performances are excellent, in particular Watson who flows through a number of ranging emotions during the movie and her dedication to the final third is wonderful. Mateo is also brilliant as the kind but distrustful sidekick, constantly looking for danger but unable to do much about it. The chemistry between the two performers is great too, allowing the audience to genuinely care about them both and invest in their journey. Above: the official movie trailer for Carga. Viewers may find the coalescing genres a little too much to take. Starting as a road trip and then morphing into a tense thriller and finally more of a horror movie, there is quite a ride to be had. Fortunately, Deen handles this expertly, so if you are willing to embrace the chaotic journey there is a lot of enjoyment to be had. On top of this, there is some wonderful cinematography that captures the isolated landscape of the setting spectacularly. From an aesthetic point of view, Carga is faultless. The story embraces some scintillating topics and themes, such as gender roles, trust, relationships and more. These get played out on a formidable foundation of great characters which allows them to explore such a wide variety without jolting the audience straight out of the picture. We care very early on about these two people and are invested in their endeavour and it’s the menacing elements of their surroundings that cement our attention. #ShortFilmReviews #ShortFilms #ChrisOlson #MovieTrailers #WorldCinema #YadDeen #TaniaWatson #AgustinMateo #RawanKhalidSaeed #YoussefOsman

★★★ Director: #DianaGalimzyanova Cinematography by: #SvetlanaMakarova Starring: #RashidAitouganov, #IrinaGevorgyan, #MarinaVoytuk, #KoylaNeukoellin, (Ksenia Zemmel) Indie Film Review by: #AndrewMoore The Lightest Darkness is the debut full length feature from Moscow based, award winning film short director Diana Galimzyanova, and very much a modern-day homage to 1940’s Film Noir. It also has a much-cited reverse chronological order in which the central characters backstories are revealed in backwards (all of course whilst the train and narrative moves forward towards its ultimate destination). Additionally, The Lightest Darkness has been promoted as first female-directed Russian #filmnoir. In this nefarious tale a murderer is stalking a rail route (with six victims to date) and neurotic Private Detective I.R. Musin (Rashid Aitouganov), who we learn was initially hired to find missing wife Lyubov (Ksenia Zemmel), finds himself sharing a rail cabin with Arina (Irina Gevorgyan). She’s a somewhat abrupt, detached, emotionally distant PhD student computer game programmer who’s in the process of researching for a game about the actual killer himself. The self-referential theme of the narrative (and of course of Noir itself) tows a strong undercurrent throughout the film. There’s also a knowing, quasi-philosophical tone in a lot of the key actors’ dialogues (especially the female characters). The third person sharing this carriage is the equally emotionally distant Elina (Marina Voytuk). Elina is a celebrated concert pianist travelling between concerts with her hotchpotch of beauty accessories. And thus, a journey begins on a train route which to date has totalled six victims (with a ripe strawberry left next to their bodies by a killer known as The Fruiterer). Strawberries and objects with multiple holes in them (like strawberries) are a bit of a central theme in this film although personally I’m not particularly sure why. That said it does lend itself to the film’s slightly surreal style which itself could be further augmented by the discovery that Private detective I.R. Musin is heavily medicated. A nod towards the film’s slightly misanthropic tone is revealed when we realise the trains conductors (glamorous femme fatales) are doing a roaring trade in souvenirs on the ‘murder express.’ Obviously, in true noir style, we must accept that everything is not quite as it seems. The private detective’s suitcase and another suitcase with some less than savoury contents (shown in the film’s opening shot) are not one of the same and many characters motivations and circumstances are only revealed film during the conclusion of the reverse chronology against the narrative. This film thus plays out that scenario with an unfolding story that usurps the spectator’s initial expectation. Diana Galimzyanova is admittedly a fan of Alfred Hitchcock (it’d be hard to miss this) and there’s very much a feel of his earlier films such as The Lodger (1927) running through The Lightest Darkness. Additionally, there’s a reference to Carol Reed’s The Third Man (1949). Further to this the film obviously adheres to many of the other traits of 1940’s noir such as the use of props, and glamourous, strong, cold women (femme fatales) against men who seem lost, suffering and of course a deeply flawed Private Eye. The Lightest Darkness is well edited and beautifully shot in black and white, with characters often offering partially hidden point of view shots or reflected in conversation by mirrors, and this combined with interiors and exteriors used set the films tone perfectly, it works. Then there’s a deeply atmospheric, quietly brooding yet unobtrusive soundtrack superbly augmenting an underlying sense of terror to it all. To this extent I feel the films ultimate stylistic effect creates an almost surreal sense of psychological suspense/terror that goes beyond a mere homage to noir. Look at something like the Lynchian Noir of Inland Empire (2006) and you’ll see what I mean, that wonderfully hypnotic feel that the truth is always one corner more past your perception, something that can hit you on a far more cerebral level. I wouldn’t exactly say the film completely achieves that, but it makes inroads in this direction which make for pleasurable viewing. A stylistic criticism, and maybe this is just me, of the film is that the mood it creates in relation to a 1940’s noir somewhat jars against that when it’s characters get out their laptops and start facetiming. I haven’t completely worked out for myself yet if it’s because it’s done or just because of how it’s ‘actually’ done. An exception to this is the Private detective I.R. Musin who’s appears a complete anachronism to anything outside the 1940’s as he neurotically sits opposite the game programmer tapping away at her laptop. Maybe it just feels a bit too contemporary after you’ve allowed yourself to be enveloped into the mood and style of the film (which is realised superbly) because I certainly don’t have an issue with this when Noir is combined with the future. Blade Runner (1982) being a painfully obvious choice. The acting styles are (as noted) quite emotionless and detached. Whether this comes across a bit flat, deadpan and lacking in range or in fact lends itself (in the female actors) to the role of the cold, controlling Russian femme fatales will perhaps depend on how you’d choose to view the overall film and its intentions. Personally, whilst I felt that emotive, overacting would have scuppered the intended mood of The Lightest Darkness I would’ve preferred a little more scope to the acting method and perhaps the dialogue to have been a little more developed between characters in places. The slightly nebulous nature of film may possibly be less to do with style and more to patchy elements of the narrative and does the actual murderer (when revealed) have a strong enough role within the parameters of the film (perhaps a little more back story on her in the reverse chronology wouldn’t have gone amiss). That said we’re talking about a IndieGoGo funded, first full feature for the director, and in that respect we should look less at elements such as the acting ability involved or plotting and in reality at and what is overall a pretty ambitious and impressive project by Diana Galimzyanova which is ultimately realised and has hopefully set out a pretty strong statement of intent for what lies ahead from her. I’d certainly look forward to viewing future projects. Incidentally, it should be noted that post #filmfestival circuit The Lightest Darkness is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming - I’d recommend giving it a viewing.