Cinema Without Borders Blogs

Behold…The Power of Short Films

Ah, the blockbusters. We commonly flock to multiplex theatres to watch the films of the summer which seem dazzle the senses. In the interim, we sometimes we forget the films which can be equally as evocative, dazzling and able to conjure up a multitude of emotions.

These are the short film subjects which can be anywhere from one minute to thirty minutes or so. These films can move you just as much as the mainstream ones, sometimes even better.

Over the weekend, I came across a moving film about a man who must dig deep within himself to resolve his past childhood issues. He must muster all the inner strength within to overcome some frightening odds.

The best films I feel, are the ones where the antagonist is oneself, the inner demon that must be conquered or controlled before a change can be brought about. External forces or foes keeping the main character from their initial goal are great, but what puts more meat on the story is the inner struggle and how they triumph in the end (hopefully).

The short film I speak about is called, “It’s Me, Matthew”, a film by Michael Ferreira. Based on a true story, the film covers the life (and romantic life) of the lead character, Matthew in present day but eventually spirals back to where problems first were conceived and remained attached. Nicely shot, the film (running time is only 15 min), touches on many aspects of the human psyche and follows through to tie up all loose ends.

Though it may seem it’s a lot to take in in a mere15 min, but it works. That’s the key to short films, show us compelling storytelling in a short period of time. It should move us, it should make us want to care, it should give us what we ask for when we first enter the viewer experience. Performances were moving as well, “It’s Me, Matthew”, is another reason to hail short films as equals in emotional content, along side its sometimes heavyhitting visual effects cousins.

In The Cann Productions: www.itsmematthew.com

If there are any short films which you feel should be checked out, let us know!

 

Tagged as: film shorts, independent films, independent movies, Indies, short film length, short films, shorts