The short film exhibits some very beautiful and creatively executed visual transitions to tell the story of its protagonist, Savio, an assassin. As he prepares to head out for another day of work, planning his next murder, something unexpected awaits him. The visuals are constituted with several symbols and imagery linked to life, death and a search for the meaning of existence. They are plotted against a philosophical exploration of Dalai Lama's The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The book also comes to serve as the inspiration for much of the treatment of the story that plays out before the viewer. However, in a bid to experiment with its unpredictable and unique cinematography, the plot ends up becoming dense and vague. The film would have had more to gain if the narrative was a little less impenetrable.

Savvy? | Short Film of the Day

A woman is very disturbed as she stands by an empty road at night. Soon, her paths cross with a kind taxi driver who insists on helping her after hearing her story of marital discord. The film starts off as drama but soon turns into a thrilling story marked by violence and unexpected developments. The fate of all the characters suddenly hangs in balance, and we learn that the woman has more than one dark secret up her sleeve, even if they don’t sit well with her. The final result presents a notable performance by her. The film's title is echoed in the many ways no character appears to be who they truly are. At the end of it all, before the viewer can square away the outcome of the narratorial progression, the story provides its last offering, before concluding in its entirety.

Charitra Varnan | Short Film Nominee

A young man is haunted by the guilt of killing his friend. He is hounded by nightmares and it’s almost as
though he is living with the ghost of his dead friend. The torment is driving him insane. It almost seems
like he’s on a loop, playing the scenario in his head over and over again, so much so that one can’t tell
between what’s real and what’s not. But this loop is a crafted ploy of the narrative and the twist reveals
itself at the very end.

Guilt | Short Film Nominee

Five strangers react to a message to join a strange video call. These are people who don’t know each
other, but are connected in some uncanny way. The mystery-man, who has organized this video
conference, knows each one’s secret and threatens to unmask it to the world if they didn’t follow his
instructions. Unable to leave, the strangers have to rack their brains to find out the baffling common
chord that binds these personalities together. The film aims to invoke an atmosphere of suspense with an imminent threat of dire consequences if the characters don't do his bidding. Almost the entirety of the story is allowed to unfold using the same space of the screen split into six grids. However, when the narrative has run its course, what will be the fate of its characters?

Oru Naal, Oru Aal | Short Film Nominee

A story of three women, the film portrays a very unlikely and unexpected situation that brings three strangers together and alters the course of their day in a seismic way. The film's world is primarily that of women - those who support, help and empower each other. In the process, the characters find themselves overcoming massive obstacles and achieving their heart's deepest desires. The drama and emotions are also employed in an attempt to invoke humour as the characters move forward to mitigate and control a potential tragedy. Rukmini, an insurance company employee, finds out that someone is in a dire situation after having met with an accident, and she is the only source of help he has available. After managing to secure no aid from the police station or the nearby hospital, she somehow ends up roping in Sreeja, followed by Mahalakshmi, in this endeavour. The film also wants to be a representation of different kinds of lives and lifestyles in the city of Bangalore which is full of people from various cultural and linguistic parts of the country. The narrative seems to over-pronounce their distinct accents and borders on the territory of stereotypes in its portrayal. However, on the whole, it comes across as a well-intentioned product, willing to tell a story of finding strength and community in one another irrespective of your location in society.

Jeevan Ki Nayi Raah | Short Film Nominee

The film is a zealous endeavour to explore the dynamics of friendship, relationships, peer pressure, jealousy and the manner in which all of them get tied together sometimes. The story tries hard, but does not truly come through. The aspects it loses on are primarily the technicalities of sound and editing. The film should be viewed as a first attempt to be built on in the future. It exhibits a use of suspense and tension, that can also be explored further in the subsequent projects by the team.

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