First up is the most stylish and opaque of the four films this evening. Teenager Lili (an other-worldly Isabelle Carlean-Jones) juggles life in a strange, gothic house with her image-obsessed with her love for them boy next door. Her mother is constantly replacing her facial features with new ones she obtains from ‘The Gardener’, who grows them to presumably sell to special clients. There is a darkly whimsical air that feels like classic Tim Burton, not least in the score which is highly reminiscent of long-time Burton collaborator Danny Elfman. It’s a sweet and sour take on both the perils of young love and the desire to defy the ageing process. A fine opener.
The Sub
Dan Samiljan/ USA/ 2016/ 17 mins
The emphasis is very much on the first element in this comedy-horror from writer/director Dan Samiljan. Funded through Kickstarter, The Sub takes its cues from classic sci-fi like Invasion of the Bodysnatchers and more recent efforts like Robert Rodriguez’s The Faculty. Zöe Jarman is Mae, a hapless young substitute teacher who realises odd things are afoot with the staff and pupils at her new school. It’s not in the least scary, but it is bright, likeable, and very, very funny. Samiljan apparently hopes that he can raise the funds to extend The Sub into a full length feature, in the same way Damien Chazelle did with the celebrated Whiplash. If he can throw a few genuine chills into the mix, he may be onto a winner.
Set Yourself Free
Mad Kids Originals/ Australia/ 2016/ 2 mins
A short, sharp, shock is the best way to describe Set Yourself Free. Sun kissed kids head to the beach in a beautifully shot parody of thousands of generic holiday adverts. That is until the screaming begins and the body parts start flying. It’s a message to stay in school that is as blunt as only the Aussies can be, as Clive James used to demonstrate on his 90’s journey around the weird world of Global TV. There were few jaws left off the floor by the climax.
Mister Popular
Charlie Mayforth/ USA/ 2016/ 6 mins
Few films set in a high school ask us to sympathise with the most popular kid, but no one deserves the fate suffered by the alpha jock Sid in Charlie Mayforth’s brisk, blackly comic shocker. He’s unfortunate to be on the receiving end of the attentions on outcast Ben whose desire to be Sid is taken to extremes. Once we see Ben appearing in a papier-mâché mask there’s no doubt at where the story is going, and it never feels like Mayforth plans to pull the rug out from under us. However, the execution is very strong, and genuinely horrific. The ending pulls an abrupt tonal shift, but the uneasy tectonic rift between laughs and genuine horror is achieved more deftly than in The Sub.
Overall, this is an extremely strong start to the short film programmes. Often, they feel like an afterthought in festival programming, but there really isn’t a weak link to pick at here.