 Monday, June 29, 2009
Camelot Theatres
Palm Springs, California
By Palm Springs Guides Movie Guide Nick Jones
The final screening for the six Palm Springs ShortFest Award Winners was held Monday, June 29, the night after the closing night gala awards party. These were what the jury considered to be the ShortFest’s top six films out of a whopping 315 entries. To win, the films had to be important, have a strong message, well made and entertaining. The six winning films are as follows:
 Gloria & Eric
“Gloria & Eric” by Nicolas Calzada from USA
The film is set at a New Year's Eve house party thrown by Gloria for her daughter. She finds her daughter’s now ex-boyfriend, Eric, drunk upstairs. He informs her that her daughter ditched him. As the night progresses, Gloria becomes aware of her husband flirting at the party. Both Gloria and Eric, feeling expendable, they begin to talk, and the two get closer than the ever thought they would. The film carefully touched on important topics such as growing up, maturity, getting old, and relationships.
Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide rates this five Palm Trees.
My Four Inch Precious
“My Four Inch Precious” by Sou Yun Sim from USA
Garbageman and collector Sam lives alone and cares for one thing in his life, his garden. One day while on the job, he comes across a nearly dead flower and decides to take it home and nurture it back to health. But what comes out of that flower is unexpected — a 4-inch tall, beautiful, naked woman. The film shows their odd relationship progress, from him adoring her, to becoming dreadfully jealous, leading to the unbelievable ending.
Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide rates this five Palm Trees.
 The Taxidermist
“The Taxidermist” by Bert&Bertie from The United Kingdom
Sometime in the near future, an elixir, Pet Pro Formula, is created,
which grants pets’ immortality. Just a weekly shot, and the unusual
side effect of green glowing eyes, and your pet will never leave your
side! This is great news for the pet shop, but not so great news for
the taxidermist next door. In a twisted love story between the stores’
employees, the film shows just how far someone will go to help the
person they love.
Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide rates this five Palm Trees.
 Rare Fish
"Rare Fish” by Basil Mironer from Indonesia
This short film centers on an elderly man in a remote fishing village whose wife has just died. Slipping deeper and deeper into depression, he starts being tempted to just end the pain, but then a young boy, striving to catch up the adults, comes along and unknowingly changes this man’s decision.
Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide rates this four Palm Trees.
Love Hate
“Love Hate” by Dylan and Blake Ritson from The United Kingdom
A charity collector and all-around nice guy seems to have a problem: apparently he bottles up all of his hate and anger. He finally realizes this when he starts hallucinating his hate in the form of an attractive girl, who starts seducing him. The two eventually move in together, and with her pushing him to unleash all his anger, he becomes a mean and hateful person. Together they wreak havoc on his circle of friends, and the neighboring community.
Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide rates this five Palm Tree.
Cages
“Cages” by Juan Jose Medina from Mexico
This almost inexplicable short animated film depicts an old wanderer, a collector of things stacked high upon his back, walking through the desert. As a strong dust storm blows off a box, he accidentally leaves behind what you find out to be an unearthly spirit, finally freed from his cage. As the spirit is exploring and enjoying his newfound freedom, the old man notices he has lost a cage, and goes back to trap it once again.
Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide rates this four Palm Trees
For more about the 15th Annual Palm Springs ShortFest, click here.
For more about the Camelot Theatres, click here.
 Desert Cities Guides Movie Guide Nick Jones is a film critic and writer. Originally from the East Coast, Nick followed his family out to California and he now lives and reviews movies here in the Coachella Valley. Nick covers film events in Palm Springs and throughout the Coachella Valley.
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