Why Watch? Silly and cheerful, this joyous horror short from writer/director Stephen W. Martin sees a bullied little girl try to grow a friend from a formerly used body part. It’s Mary Shelley’s The Odd Life of Timothy Green. There are definitely some lost gambles here (and a little bit of low budget shining through), but overall the bombastic nature of the sound design and music, paired with some unorthodox camera options make it a fun, semi-ridiculous jaunt that presents jump scares like a fresh bouquet of flowers. It’s not at all scary, but that doesn’t mean it’s not bloody. If it were only possible to have David Cronenberg in a crushed velvet suit introduce this one. What will it cost? Around 10 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? Smoke swirling in the air after exhalation. An ankle turning violently against a high heeled shoe. An umbrella obscuring the view. With a slow motion series of images — all delicately orchestrated — Alban Delachenal has crafted a seductively somber dance where a beautiful young woman ends up with strong hands against her throat while the world outside moves on without caring. A small child is the only witness, and her screams seem to go unnoticed. The triumph here is in exquisitely crafting moments that look stunning but also push the story along. Yes, it’s a simple story, but it’s a deadly one, and that comes with its own impact no matter how blithely the nameless characters treat it. Delachenal calls this a tribute to Hitchcock, and that seems clear only from a few camera set ups — most notably an overhead shot moving through an ornate art deco lobby. It’s got style and substance, but it also seems more like Hitchcock injected with a large dose of the New Wave. What will it cost? Around 3 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? In this short from Brian McAllister, an old man routinely visits a coffee shop, explaining to the young man behind the counter that he takes his coffee plain before pocketing a bunch of sugar packets. The young man lets his imagination run wild with thoughts of what the old man wants them for. Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!) narrates this tale via a long-form ABAB-style poem where things go from mysterious to syrupy sweet. It’s covered in nostalgia despite a mostly modern setting, and the camera does a lot of the heavy lifting by pulling in focus to the actors’ eyes or floating along gracefully when the mood strikes. Plus, it’s grounded in something that lets the tenderness of it breathe. This is the exact kind of thing that could feel false and smarmy, but ends up warm and inviting because it’s an exercise in the importance of telling stories as much as it is a demonstration of great storytelling. The poem is honestly a bit much at first, but it grows on you, and the story itself is a lot like an ice cream truck — you hear it coming from a long way off, but you’re still happy when it arrives. Hat tip to Short of the Week for this one. What will it cost? Around 8 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? In its first web series, Reddit has managed something charming but adult. Fortunately, they chose a subreddit category that isn’t horrifying. The concept behind Explain Like I’m Five is both hidden deep inside the title and a favorite of advertising campaigns, but its the execution that finds an excellent balance between subjugating children to mature concepts like “Exatentalum” and delivering something sweetly non-toxic. In this entry, Michael Kayne and Langan Kingsley talk to a group of children about Friederich Nietzsche and his philosophical legacy of challenging the Socratic status quo. It’s a tortured concept that most college freshman can’t grasp, but these five year olds seem to catch on pretty quick. Especially when it comes to stealing toys they want. It’s simple, sure, but it’s also a damned delight. What will it cost? Around 3 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

  Short Starts typically presents a weekly short film from the start of a filmmaker or actor’s career. This week we present short films from the start of  Irish cinema. While St. Patrick’s Day is technically specifically a holiday to honor St. Patrick, because he’s the patron saint of Ireland the occasion has become a time for celebrating all things Irish. For many of us, that means wearing green, drinking Guinness and/or Jameson (and/or Harp, Kilkinney, Bulmer’s, Smithwick’s, Bailey’s, Old Bushmills … alcohol in general) and blasting Dropkick Murphys while drunkenly attempting to/mocking stepdance. For a few of us, it’s also a moment to recognize Irish cinema, and by that I don’t just mean Darby O’Gill and a bunch of IRA/”Troubles” dramas (though many of these are great). Maybe it means something by one of the McDonagh brothers (like Martin’s foreign-set In Bruges or John Michael’s domestically placed The Guard) or any one of the Roddy Doyle Barrytown Trilogy adaptations (if you’ve only seen The Commitments, get to Stephen Frears’ The Snapper and The Van too). You’re also encouraged to watch some shorts, particularly since Ireland is a great producer of shorts, many of which go on to Oscar consideration like Martin McDonagh’s Six Shooter, which won in 2006, and recent nominees Pentecost, The Crush, The Door, New Boy, Give Up Yer Aul Sins and Fifty Percent Grey. And we can go all the way back to 1900 for the beginning of short films shot and/or produced in the country. Check

Why Watch? Two years ago, Chan-wook Park announced that he was making a short film with his brother Chan-kyong shot entirely on an iPhone. At the time, he lauded the device for being portable, easy to use and populist in its appeal. It was exciting — a seasoned filmmaker was toying with something new. Anything could happen. In the film, a man goes fishing (after a rock band jams for a while…) before encountering a mysterious woman and engaging with the spirit world. It’s horror done through Park’s tilted lens with a hint of South Korean melodrama and religiosity thrown in for good measure. Sadly (but not surprisingly), the clarity and camera work is absolutely an issue. Although there are a few impressive panning shots that use several well-placed focal points to create the illusion of expansion and contraction, over all the iPhone element is a gimmick that hangs like an albatross. Fortunately, the story is imbued with some colorful, joyous strangeness and an enticing exploration of sacrifice and loss. There are moments that channel Kurosawa and others that go off on their own path through the wilderness. The black and white segment is especially ghostly in its shaded wonderments. It just would have been great to see it shot with something you can’t play Angry Birds on. What will it cost? Around 30 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? A pitch-perfect spoof of 80s action films (that only falters slightly when it says the phrase “80s action movies”), this excellent short is a great example of how taking something that’s silly seriously can result in a lot of laughs. Facing their toughest challenge yet, a group of warriors has to infiltrate a terrorist cell that has one of their own’s brother held hostage. It’s going to be dangerous, but not that dangerous, because they’re all on a paintball course. The camera work and the too-gruff acting are both excellent, but the ridiculous score is the real standout, punctuating most scenes with a towering faux-poignancy. Plus, I have no idea what kind of accent the bad guy is going for, and that’s a good thing. All in all, a very fun little action flick. What will it cost? Around 6 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.  

Why Watch? Let’s pretend for a second like the title and concept didn’t snag you already. With funk trumpets blaring in the background, Patrick Boivin‘s short fight scene is a pinpoint example of execution meeting the spark of a concept. Not simply content to deliver quirky fun, Boivin has crafted something technically impressive that plasters smiles on faces like it’s its job. Plus, there’s even a hint of a story (who knew that was really Iron Man’s secret identity?). This is a hell of an entertaining film, and it’s no surprise that it comes from the guy who made these. What will it cost? Around 1 minute. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Short Starts typically presents a weekly short film from the start of a filmmaker or actor’s career. This week we present a short film from the start of a film property. Say what you will about Oz the Great and Powerful (I’m not a fan, but the $80 million gross implies some of you are), but you can’t dismiss it simply out of loyalty and preference for MGM’s The Wizard of Oz. That film may be a classic, but it’s far from being an original product that can be ruined by any remake, sequel or prequel. Sure, the new Oz strangely attempts to get away with as much visual linkage to the 1939 film as Disney could get away with, but it’s also just another in a very long list of adaptations of L. Frank Baum‘s children’s stories, which includes animated versions, Muppet versions and all-African-American versions, as well as silent incarnations going back more than a century, many of which involved Baum directly. The first cinematic treatment of Oz was in 1908, as part of a compilation of stories adapted from Baum’s books (including non-Oz works) titled The Fairylogue and Radio Plays. I don’t technically qualify the project as the first Oz movie because it only partly involved colorized film material in addition to slides and live performance, all wrapped up in a traveling stage show. Naturally, this means it doesn’t survive — also it was not financially successful, resulting in Baum’s bankruptcy in 1911, so that may be

Why Watch? It’s Michel Gondry drunk on movies while exploring an awesome video store. If you don’t want to watch Tiffany Limos‘ latest short, I don’t even know why you’re on our site right now. What will it cost? Around 5 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? The kind of camera work and effects shots that are found in Miguel Santana’s Still Falls the Rain are revelatory. We’re introduced to the story on top of the roofs of 1940s London, but we quickly swoop down to the stoop to find a homeless boy who’s about to steal some food from a bombed-out house. A police chase ensues, and the experience becomes a defining moment that sticks with him into old age. There are a few disengaging factors based on the limitations at play, but if this is what student films look like now, school just got harder for everyone else. On the technical side, some great work is being done here. The movie itself comes with an easy kind of drama, and there’s a lack of oxygen in what could have been a bigger fire, but it also shows an intense amount of promise for a young filmmaker who will hopefully be able to learn to deepen the story while crafting such excellent visual momentum. What will it cost? Around 6 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? To its credit, Craigslist has plenty of warnings. Watch out for scams, people who demand that you wire money and terrifying things living inside the free chair you just snagged from a kind stranger. Drew Daywalt and his nightmarish visions are no stranger to this column. Neither is A.J. Bowen, who co-stars in this quick story of a young woman (Kaylee Score) just off the boat in Los Angeles trying to outfit her apartment with some gratis furniture. The result is a keen display of horror construction and special make-up effects. There’s a slightly indulgent jump scare just before the conclusion, but otherwise, it’s about as clean and effective as a scare can get. Plus, there’s a twisted creativity behind the horrifying truth of the chair. This short might do for sitting in your living room what Jaws did for hanging around with Roy Scheider. Hat tip to reader Andrew F. for suggesting it. What will it cost? Around 20 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? If it weren’t obvious before watching Yale (James Kirkland) look over at his iPhone while getting ridden to climax by a beautiful friend with benefits (Margaret Savinar), our hero is addicted to his cell phone. Fortunately (and terrifyingly) for him, its about to merge with his body. Employing some clear Cronenbergian story technique (and a direct visual hat tip to The Fly), everything about this short is wonderfully bizarre and should hit way too close to the pockets of pretty much everyone with a cell. Especially those of you that are reading this through our mobile app. Yes, you. We can see you. Production value is sky high here, but special bonus points go to camera design that’s dizzying, production design that makes every setting feel like a cartoon nightmare and smarmy perfection from a very sarcastic Kirkland. It’s a black comic wonder, navigated without hesitation by director Todd Strauss-Schulson. Plus, the real star of the show is an inanimate object brought to diabolic life through obsession and some stellar special make-up effects. Watch it, and then go outside to fly a kite or something. What will it cost? Around 20 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.  

Short Starts presents a weekly short film from the start of a filmmaker or actor’s career. The new film Stoker represents a departure for South Korean director Park Chan-wook. It’s not only his first English-language feature but also his first time directing a screenplay written by someone else (Wentworth Miller, in this case). Whether this is a new phase in his career or just a one-off remains to be seen, but it’s certainly something new. Holding that in mind, let’s look back on another moment of transition in Park’s career. His first feature, The Moon Is… the Sun’s Dream, premiered in 1992 but break-out success didn’t come until 2000’s Joint Security Area. In between he directed 1997’s Saminjo (totally unavailable outside of South Korea) and one darkly comic short film that is probably his best-regarded early work.

Why Watch? Finally, finally, finally someone has made a movie set within the film industry that’s ridiculous enough to be entertaining. Not that there haven’t been some great Hollywood-featuring films in the past, but it’s been a while since one has spent long enough crafting a concept beyond inside baseball to really be worthwhile. And it turns out it’s not rocket surgery either. This short from Kirk Sullivan features a young production assistant getting treated like a young production assistant when a big shot executive visits. When a masked thief takes off with a big bag of cash meant for the crew, the PA gets a chance to prove himself a hero and get his script into the right hands as a result. So, yes, it’s high concept, and it’s a lot of fun. It spends just enough time introducing us to our PA (Patrick J. Adams) before dropkicking the heist into easy action. From there, they cut to a crazy chase, but with studio effects available everywhere, the whole thing becomes believably unbelievable (explosions and all). Fortunately, this tale is more than just a foot race because it has a few tricks up its sleeve. Sure there are some inside jokes, but even they get used to add to the playful nature of a well-shot, well-written short film set on a set. What will it cost? Around 10 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? This short film from Mato Atom is disturbing not simply because of the future it depicts, but because of the unsettling imagery used to paint it. Toss in a sexually predatory version of “Little Red Riding Hood” (let’s just pretend the original isn’t sexually predatory) and you’re off to the creepy robot races. Narrated in missives from a drone, our flying eye in the sky proves to be stalking a young girl, watching her grow into a young woman and then confronting her on the beach. There are elements that are a little too abstract to work (even if the red balloon reference is a smart one), but overall, it’s an affectingly bizarre spin on a classic story that feels a lot like HAL trying to fuck our baby sister. A solid metaphor for the dangerous side of drones? Probably. Thanks to FSR friend Hector Pahault for sending this one in. Go look at his work too. What will it cost? Around 3 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? Part urban legend, part practical joke, part violent action, this short from Dan Sully takes us into a kebab shop in South London where one friend is enjoying a hamburger and the other is telling a story he heard about a guy who got stabbed in their neighborhood. It’s an excellent example where film can serve traditional campfire storytelling. It’s engaging with a crazy amount of energy, a foreboding drone of a score, and some Crocodile Dundee shit. By the time the British version of a Mexican standoff rolls around, it successfully reaches a tense, sweaty peak and then sucker punches with a smile. What will it cost? Around 5 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Why Watch? There are few things as irritating as a group of college student characters sitting around a table waxing philosophical about things they learned 15 minutes ago. It’s so grating that it would make a great writing challenge for just about any screenwriter, but writer/director Joshua Caldwell and writer Travis Oberlander have already taken up the cause to make the cliche engaging and meaningful. In Dig, said stereotype is huddled around a restaurant table wearing the usual trappings of faux-intelligence while discussing ethics and Nietzsche and buzz words, but one of them is wrestling with something real. He’s a Holocaust survivor, and two decades after fleeing from Europe, he finds one of the Nazis responsible for his loved ones’ deaths. Now he has a beating heart blindfolded in his backseat instead of books and theories. They drive to the middle of nowhere, and one tells the other to start digging six feet down. The camera work is all strong — featuring tight close-ups early on, then letting the scenery of the desert fill in the silence between the two men. It’s also edited cleanly, technically proficient all the way around, but it’s the writing and interaction between the two enemies (the Nazi being played by Breaking Bad‘s bell-dinging Mark Margolis) that really sells an impossible tension between revenge and satisfaction. What will it cost? Around 24 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.

Short Starts presents a weekly short film from the start of a filmmaker or actor’s career.  Twenty years ago, a young Ewan McGregor began his acting career with a short film made for Channel 4 called Family Style. The 11-minute, black and white effort was also the directorial debut of Justin Chadwick, whose latest, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, was just acquired for distribution by The Weinstein Co. Back in 1993, McGregor still had long hair, a look you’ll find familiar if you’ve seen Shallow Grave, and was far from being a great actor. His crying scene in Family Style is pretty awful. But look at what two decades does for a guy, going from a breakthrough role in Trainspotting to portraying a young Obi-Wan Kenobi and working with Woody Allen, Baz Luhrman, Peter Greenaway, Todd Haynes, Tim Burton, Ridley Scott, Ron Howard, Steven Soderbergh and Roman Polanski, earning two Golden Globe nominations… And now co-starring in a big budget, live-action adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk (Jack the Giant Slayer). 

Why Watch? This week we’ve highlighted a few Oscar winning short films, but now it’s time to turn our eyes to a music video that channels a Best Picture nominee. With Wake Up and Scream, Geoffrey Arend (who you’ll know from Super Troopers and (500) Days of Summer) lends an alien hand, doing his best Peter Sellers impression in front of a war council before glamming out with the sort of bizarre energy that Danny Elfman and his Forbidden Zone crew would be psyched about. It’s style over narrative to be sure, but they have the geeky cinephile sense to include a pie fight, and the whole thing is a crazy amount of fun. What will it cost? Around 3 minutes. Skip Work. Watch More Short Films.