2017 was a crazy year for film short and long. I saw 880 feature length films and 131 short films. Of those I chose my favorites have already been posted for the features here and here. The shorts were harder for me to sort through so it took longer to get this out there for you all to read. I decided to use shorts that were part of my festival coverage for the year so a few have creating dates before 2017 and I also decided to not include what I have seen online as those were too numerous. So without any further ado, here are my top 10 Shorts Films for 2017:
10. A Boy and His Beast
Seen as part of Oceanside International Film Festival 2017
A Boy and His Beast is a lovely, charming, and fun stop-motion animation film. It shows a lot of talent from all involved. It must be noted that in a field often dominated by men, this short was made by an almost all women team, except for the music department, a producer, and two consultants. The creative team assembled here shows that female-led projects can be successful and charming without going the saccharine route. This short is a fun, charming watch with lots of talent involved in making it.
9. The Call of Charlie
Seen as part of Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017
The Call of Charlie is a short film that looks great, has a talented ensemble cast, fantastic effects, and a funny story that works with the characters, the horror elements, the comedic timing. This short is hilarious in the best of way and one that should be sought out.
8. Undress Me
Seen as part of the Born of Women program at Fantasia International Film Festival 2017
Amelia Moses’ short explores themes of coming-of-age, self-image, and potential body issues, using an angle that creates a strong female-centric body horror story. Influences from David Cronenberg films are clear right out the gate and even though she stated not having seen In My Skin (Dans ma peau) by Marina de Van, her film is reminiscent of de Van’s and touches on a few of the same themes. The practical effects in Undress Me are sublime.
7. Bestia
Seen as part of Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017
Bestia shows a strong control of storytelling and imagery by Guerrero and crew, showing that everyone involved has a lot of talent and that in this team, they know how to put it all together and get it to work to the best result possible. Bestia shows not only the team’s talent, but also how they have evolved through many shorts and projects together. It makes one wish for a feature by these talented folks.
6. Creswick
Seen as part of the Born of Women program at Fantasia International Film Festival 2017
Written by Natalie James and Christian White, with James directing, it’s a film that feels personal and strong. It tells a simple story and adds a few supernatural hints and one incident that may be supernatural or could be a metaphorical representation of what is going on with the father. This piece of the film hits pretty hard and is very surprising in a film with a mostly soft approach to things. This short Is proof of concept towards a feature and if the feature is as strongly written, directed, acted, and presented, it should be a fantastic first feature.
5. Nocturnally Yours
Seen as part of Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival 2017
Nocturnally Yours is a funny shorts that is dark and twisted, with some seriously messed up ideas that it makes pass for logical in its world and it works. It has some humor that may not be for everyone, but those it’s for will love it. The short boast great writing and talented performances, a few scenes that will make almost anyone squirm, and humor that will surprise audiences.
4. Rites of Vengeance
Seen as part of Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017
In this short, Izzy Lee tackles abuse in church in a way only she could. The short is one of the shortest on this list but possibly the one with the most impact. The cast is strong and the way the short is filmed is almost like a blitz attack. It comes, it does its thing, and it ends. It’s effective and direct; it shows that some people are tired of the bullshit and how it’s being handled. It shows a violent solution that may be a bit extreme but fits the storytelling style of Lee and her way of handling such subjects. This is a strong short that is perfect as it is.
3. Creatures of Whitechapel
Seen as part of Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017
Creatures of Whitechapel is an absolutely fantastic short that could easily be turned into a feature, but works perfectly as is. The short film format gives it just the right amount of time to develop its story while keeping some mystery. The acting is powerful and talented while the whole production is clearly carefully planned and executed. The whole short shows tons of talent from everyone involved and a knack to create something visually stunning and filled with emotional connections. It’s one of those shorts that makes horror fans wish shorts were more easily accessible. It’s one of those shorts that needs to be seen on the big screen to get its full scope and impact.
2. Un ciel bleu presque parfait (A Nearly Perfect Blue Sky)
Seen as part of Horrible Imaginings Film Festival 2017
Un ciel bleu presque parfait is one of those short films that make you wish for more. Thankfully, the filmmaker is working on a feature version of it and given his talent, it should be fantastic. The short in and of itself is amazing and should be seen preferably on a big screen to get the full effect of the scenes and attention to detail put into everything.
1.Morning After
Seen as part of Cannes International Film Festival 2017
Morning After is a chill film about sexual fluidity, friendship, and so much more. It’s the kind of film that each viewer will take something different from and some will not appreciate it. However, it should be seen and given a chance as it has a message that is important and may be something many may not see in their everyday lives. It’s a beautiful looking film made with clear passion and talent from all involved.