Short Film Festival
Various
Rated NR
Now Showing at: Cincinnati World Cinema, October 21 & October 22 at 7 pm
Review by: Larry Thomas

What do Jenny Agutter, Cincinnati-based Mirepoix Pictures, and a jellied cat have in common? They’re all part of Cincinnati World Cinema’s Shorts Fest. CWC does various collections of short films each year. Some are programs of Oscar winners and nominees. Others are traveling programs curated by other entities. Cincinnati World Cinema has culled this program from a huge array of award-winning, festival-winning, and downright entertaining films. In fact, instead of calling it by the generic CWC Shorts Fest moniker, it could easily be tagged An Embarrassment of Riches. All the films, despite country or origin, subject matter or filmmaking style, can easily rank with some of the best films you’ll see all year.

Jenny Agutter is an accomplished British actress, noted for her work in Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout, John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London, and Monte Hellman’s underappreciated western China 9, Liberty 37. She stars in a ten-minute gem that begins the first program called At Dawning. A woman is trying to quietly move on from a one-night-stand, and put the whole miserable episode behind her. A man falling into a tree outside the bedroom window delays her departure. Who is he? How did he get there? And why is he in the tree? You’ll enjoy finding out.

Cincinnati’s Mirepoix Pictures made Held in Sway, one of the entries in the annual 48 Hour Film Project. Made in 2007, Held in Sway was selected as one of the ten national Best of Series in that year. You’ll want to see why for yourself.

A jellied cat? It has to do with the funniest one-and-a-half minute animated film you’ll ever see.

In a nod to the Halloween season there’s a creepy horror tale about a young teenage girl babysitting her younger brother when the lights go out. The Ten Steps is classier and more chilling in ten minutes than all of the mass-produced horror mash-ups being churned out on a weekly basis by the alleged “professionals.” It’s from Ireland and is the best film of the series.

There are also films from Iran, Sweden, Canada, and the UK, as well as plenty of representation by US filmmakers.

CWC Shorts Fest is showing Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 pm, in the Cincinnati Art Museum’s theatre, and each evening is a different program of films. To avoid making a tough choice, just plan on going both nights. You will be cinematically rewarded for your efforts.

As is Cincinnati World Cinema’s practice, there will be discussions after each evening’s films. The four filmmakers from Mirepoix Pictures will be there…two each evening…to talk about their filmmaking experiences and discuss the other films.