Short films are different from big Hollywood productions, not because of the length, budget or size of the audience it reaches, but because they are personal works of art. Directors of short films don’t have to worry about pleasing the studio or making a film deemed too inappropriate. Short films touch on a wide array of themes — some just pure comedy entertainment and some very personal films with a very strong message. These films can be much more moving; they can make you feel uncomfortable due to the content or perhaps be boring because the film is touching on points about which you don't seem to care or even understand. But that is the point of these films — they are not made to please a large audience, but they are made because the director needs to get out a message.

I had the pleasure of viewing a wide variety of films, everything from documentaries to animation. As an audience member, I was given a small slip of paper for me to rate each film I saw, a rating 1-5, that would be turned in at the end, then counted up for the audience choice awards. As I list some of the films I saw, I find it appropriate to share with you the rating I gave each film.


Best of Documentaries


“The Colony” by Abu Bakr Shawky from Egypt
Director Abu Bakr Shawky reintroduces the world to a small town forgotten by mainstream society, a leper colony. Everyone who lives there has leprosy, and all live together in a small town surrounded by tall walls. Nobody comes and nobody leaves. There are some unbelievable stories in this short 16-minute film, like the story of a man who was in an accident and requires surgery, but no hospital will take him because of his leprosy. So, he just lies in bed with a swollen, black foot, hoping that one day he can get the medical attention he requires.



“Lila” by Le Broadcast Club from France
This short 12-minute film depicts a world where people live in a radically different world than our own, a campground. The film has no dialogue; it’s just a collage showing these people going through their day-to-day life. Everyone there seems to live like one big family, eating together, sitting around hanging out together. It shows teens trying to find entertainment in this small campground, making out, smoking a joint on the beach and running from young bulls.

“Unconquered — Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family” by Bryan Beasley from USA
A film explains the life of a brilliant artist, whose rich culture is shown through his sculptures. Houser single-handedly created the legacy of the Apache Indians through his independence and art. Beasley shows interviews with his sons, wife and art enthusiasts, all of whom go into further detail about Allan growing up, and his life.



“Waiting for Women” by Estephan Wagner from the United Kingdom
Student Award Documentary Winner
In a remote Spanish village of Riofrio, most women have left leaving only desperate, horny single men. The men all just hang out at the bar, and talk about the women they all wish they could have. The pictures of gorgeous, naked women everywhere don’t help their urges. Finally desperate for companionship, they arrange a busload of single women from Madrid to come down to the village in hopes of finding the love they're for which they're all looking.

“20 Second Rule” by Clay Delauney from USA
This particular phone salesman has one rule — he gets in his 20 seconds of talk, no matter how many times they hang up, and he has to call back. Eventually he calls the wrong number, a voodoo priestess who is in the middle of casting a spell. She hangs up, and he calls back prompting her to curse him. Now the phone salesman has a serious problem: no matter what he tries to say, all that comes out is profanity. The film hilariously depicts him trying to find another job and remove the curse.

“In Between” by Nadine Valcin from Canada
During a late night emergency, a storeowner is forced to leave, reluctantly leaving his store to be run by his younger sister. The only comfort he has is that he demanded his younger sister to call if there are any problems. The sister runs into quite a few problems, such as people stealing, and two suspicious men who she is afraid is going to rob her.



“Maid to Oust" by Julien Rouyet from Switzerland
Stephanie is a perfectionist young maid who cares for a home for a wealthy couple who is never there. Eventually she decided to create a new life by settling in to the house. While using all the wife's personal things, the wife comes home and catches Stephanie in the act. And then there's the oblivious husband who has no idea a switch has even taken place.



"Sell it to the Hedge Funds” by Haven Pell from USA
This short four-minute film depicts a man trying to sell a half-million dollar software package to the largest hedge funds in the world. But the hardest part is getting them to take his phone call.


“Andheri” by Sushrut Jain from India
This film is about a maid, essentially a slave girl to an older woman, who treats her terribly. Eventually getting fed up with the abuse, she decides to run away and gets on a bus. But can she deal with the real world? She meets a nice woman on the bus, but also witnesses the real world — the pain, the hustle and the chaos.



“Civil Servant P327JUM” by Johan Bjerkner from Sweden
Johan Grum is a civil servant who works in an office but loves the thought of duty. No matter how dull his life, he takes comfort knowing he is getting his job done. But then one night, he has a dream about God, and it raises questions. I didn’t particularly feel the film properly touches on the topics it meant to address and didn't raise adequate questions about God.


“The Funk” by Cris Jones from USA
“The Funk” was a fantastic, short six-minute film that uses very interesting cinematography, and almost has a Hitchcockian feel to it. “The Funk” is about a man who wakes up in just that, a funk. He continues about his day, not able to figure out what has caused the funk. Eventually he just becomes a shell of his former self, and sees only one way out.



Best of Live Action Under 15 Minutes


“Cigarette Candy” by Lauren Wolkstein from USA
Student Award Live Action Under 15 Minutes Winner
A young Marine back from duty in the Middle East is forced to play the role of a hero at a party thrown by his parents. Obviously not wanting to be a part of this, he focuses his attention on a young, rebellious girl at the party who happens to always be puffing on "those" cigarettes. Things take a turn for the worse when his father forces him to tell a war story to the party, forcing him to recall terrible memories about the war.



“The Dinner” by Karchi Perlmann from Hungary
Best Of Fest Award
This Venice Film Festival award winner tells the story of a single, older pig farmer. His life includes taking care of pigs, and associating with his mother and grandmother. A minor accident turns into a wholly unexpected catastrophe for all involved.



“This Is Her” by Katie Wolfe from New Zealand
This film shows a family's progress through life through the eyes of the mother. It starts with the birth of her daughter and goes all the way up to her divorce, her ex-husband's new wife and everyone involved. The film shows it all in painful detail as the family's history unfolds onscreen.



Best of Animation

“Juiced and Jazzed” by Justin Weber from USA
This short, three-minute animation is drawn in the old style of the early bouncy original Mickey Mouse era. While a “good-girl” type is sitting on a park bench during the Prohibition Era, a bottle of booze falls into her lap. Not being able to resist temptation, she downs the bottle, becomes a drunk and goes on a drunken adventure. But she eventually gets caught and has to pay the price.



“Lost and Found” by Phillip Hunt from USA
Best of Audience Award Winner For Best Animation
This adorable, 24-minute computer graphic-animated film is about a small boy who finds himself in the company of a lost penguin. After realizing he just has to do the right thing and can’t just leave the penguin on the doorstep of a pet store, he decides to take him home. After a trip to the library, he learns that penguins come from the South Pole. Seeing only one option, he decides to build a small boat and take him there himself.

For more on the Palm Springs International Film Festival 2009 ShortFest , click here.

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.