Ingrid & the Black Hole (Canada) (2016)
A boy and a girl see what they think is a black hole one night and ponder on time travel. Written and directed by Leah Johnston, this short is sweet without being saccharine and it has a touching way of going through these two kids’ lives and showing how a small thing can affect someone for a very long time. The cinematography by Christopher Ball looks great and shows the night sky in a beautiful manner as well as the interpersonal relationships of the characters through the years.
Glimpse (Canada) (2016)
This experimental short follows a man as he goes through different emotions and situations. This reviewer must apologize for not being clear, it was an odd one to watch and not exactly defined clearly. Writer/director John Nicol makes a mysterious film here and wraps it in a visually interesting package with parts in black and white and parts in color with interesting imagery and sounds involved.
Constance (Canada) (2016)
After a break-up she has trouble getting over, a young woman moves in with her friend had tries to readjust while a ghost gets to her to try and get a message across. Based on a story by Bobby Knauff, written by Ian Pozzebon, Kevin Prystanski, Trish Rainone, and Rebecca Rodley, and directed by Pozzebon and Prystanski, the short builds an interesting mystery before bringing a bit of chills and a good denouement. The lead played by Trish Rainone shows good emotions and connects with the viewer well.
TIK-TIK (Canda) (2016)
A woman about to give birth is surrounded by family and members of her community as a creature looms outside. Written and directed by Larica Perera, this one lays on the atmosphere in a good way and builds a dread for a creature most viewers are unused to. It creates and builds an interesting folklore that could be fascinating to see in a longer format film. The film’s Tagalog/English narration adds some mystery to the proceedings. The film is dark, but easy to see what is going through cinematography by Michael Peeling, showing the action clearly while also keeping some secrets from the audience.
Taking Possession (Canada) (2016)
In an isolated location, a man takes possession of the house he just bought from the realtor. Soon after moving into his dream home, things go weird and he starts questioning reality and his sanity. Written and directed by Peter Campbell, this short has some creepy moments and plays well with the character’s mind while getting the viewer to also question what is really going on. The location chosen for this short is perfect, a huge house with an amazing staircase and a basement that gives the creeps. The music by David Federman, the cinematography and the editing by Danny McIvor add to this feeling of unease that turns to fear. This short shows how to use a location to its fullest while also running on a short time frame.
Cauchemar capitonné (Canada) (2016)
In this French-Canadian film, a man takes home a chair that has lived in a friend’s garage for a long time following a suicide. After the chair leads him to negative and dangerous thoughts, he puts it out to get rid of it until someone else finds it. Writer/director Jean-Claude Leblanc creates a good story of a haunted or cursed object destroying, or at least attempting to, the lives of those who own it. The visions created by the chair are well done and the special effects by Jean-Mathieu Bérubé, Matisse Contant, and Carlo Harrietha are properly grim and done with talent. The two leads played by Maude St-Pierre and Sébastien Huberdeau show fear in different ways and turn in strong performances. This one is a fantastic surprise.
Blood in the Snow ran from November 25th to November 27th, 2016.