WINNER, SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR

OFFICIAL SELECTION

SEMI-FINALIST

The biggest strength of 'Tower' lies in the approach and tonality it adopts to share the narrative. The narrative itself, it should be noted, offers an impactful conversation around a serious environmental concern, using a very unlikely circumstance - the love story of a cow herder in a corner of rural India. 


While we may have established the protagonist's location to be a 'rural corner', thanks to the rampant spread of technological advances, even this small village is seeing its fair share of change in the form of cellular services and their accompanying towers.  


Parshuram, or as he is better known in his village, Phalya,  spends the majority of his time either in the fields with his young friend, Jaygya (a naughty, Tinkerbell-esque presence), or navigating and admiring the beauty of birds in his vicinity. Every morning, as Phalya strolls through the expanse, a red bus stops to reveal to the audience his childhood crush, Manju, sitting by the window. Alongside Phalya and Manju's love story, another narrative is developing, one about the disappearance of birds from the former's village.  



After conversing for hours on phone calls, the two eventually decide to meet. Following the rendezvous and a conversation about Manju's academic matters, a startling and concerning revelation is made. As the protagonist chooses to to eradicate the root cause of the dwindling bird population, the constant push and pull between nature and technology is conjured for the viewer. In the process, the film raises a resounding question - have centuries of co-existence been disrupted beyond repair by the advent of modern technology and human activities? At the end of it all, the many elements of the plot are eventually tied together with a strangely heartwarming and uplifting message that ensures that the story concludes with a critical comment about the responsibility of each of us towards the world we live in, a statement that will stay with you long after you're done watching the film.

Tower | Short Film of the Year

The narrative, carried forth powerfully by Girish Kulkarni, is about a conversation between a father and his daughter. The walk back from her school is captured most effortlessly in mostly a single take (barring the few cuts towards the end). The chemistry between Kulkarni and Gauri Sudarshan Deshpande is an endearing one as the father attempts to engage his daughter in a conversation. With other concerns on her mind she, on the other hand, is edgy and distanced. The film talks about an important social issue, and does it in a nuanced manner, without spelling anything out. What transpires between the girl and her father regarding the problem is confined to whispers the viewer is not privy to. Further, the film is a beautiful comment on parenting and single fathers who are bringing up their daughters in a world that attempts to restrict the latter at every stage of their life.

Arre Baba | Short Film of the Day

The film is a beautiful and insightful conversation that a woman has with her baby. The story opens on a day when Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are in full swing with fireworks and merrymaking in tow. The tone of the narrative leaves the viewer significantly unprepared for what is to come. Solely an interaction of the mother and her baby as she comforts the infant disturbed by the noise of crackers and the celebration downstairs, Vikat continues to increase the intimacy in its approach to the events unfolding on screen. What had begun as a regular celebration of a festival, is about to culminate into a violent act that makes the viewer truly sit up and pay heed. Now that the film has managed to capture your attention, while also demonstrating expert camerawork in the process, it will finally share its true intentions - one about the environment and how it has been degraded and exploited by us in the name of celebration, making its message all the more powerful and hard-hitting.

Vikat | Short Film of the Day

‘Valu’ is a film about the human condition that is marked by the constant struggle to survive, more so if you are responsible for another life, as in the case of the protagonist. A farmer grapples with water shortages while trying to somehow make ends meet for his young daughter. Employing this circumstance, and the many tribulations that constitute it, the film offers a sharp look into his life. 

 The dearth of water affecting his crops is man-made, brought about as a result of theft and illegal trade of sand. When he attempts to get his situation addressed by those who are in positions of power, and thus capable of checking it, a truly unexpected development arrives. 

The film portrays all of this for us minus any frills and fanfare and sustains a frugality of dialogue throughout. Consequently, at its conclusion, a comment is offered not by the things that are said, but instead by the thoughts that are left unsaid in their silence.

Valu | Short Film of the Month

‘Urvarit’ (Remaining) takes you into its world slowly, but definitively. At the film's opening, we are presented with a moment that is already fully-formed. It is the aftermath of a death, locating the characters as well as the viewer in the heart of all that follows thereafter. 
Sharada, an aging woman, has lost her partner of many years. While she braces herself for the life of loneliness that will ensue, a life which still carries the very specific markers of what it was when she shared it with her husband, from an empty bed to a forgotten pair of slippers, her family of two sons and daughter-in-laws has already started making preparations for the rituals, formalities and other worldly duties that need to be taken care of. 

As much as the narrative is marked by the constant conversation of the said family members, it is also marked by Sharada’s silence and lack of participation in it all. In the process, the film offers a nuanced comment on loss, grief, but above all, on the shape existence acquires for those who get left behind in the wake of death.

Urvarit | Short Film Nominee

The first glimpse into the film’s world establishes a tone of effervescence and lightness. However, one element remains completely out of synchronization with the mood - our protagonist Vinay, played by the inimitable Mohan Agashe. It is his inability to laugh that is the reason behind the very intentional inconsistency. <img src="https://i.imgur.com/w6cLOmXl.jpg"/> 

Fond of hot beverages, be it tea or haldi doodh, Vinay is unable to find laughter within him or in the world around. Parallel to his story, another set of developments are unfolding in the same house. 

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/GqtLZMXl.jpg"/> 
Akash, the younger generation of the household, seems to have secured his own penchant for something, but instead of tea, it’s weed.It is eventually in the overlap of the two preferences that the film presents its final flourish. 
<img src="https://i.imgur.com/NqStgPSl.jpg"/> 

The tonality and approach of the narrative remains unique and refreshing throughout, with the lightness of the ambience, conjured at the start, in tow. Further, a tight control on the dialogue as well as performances enable it to succeed at conveying all its intentions in a seamless manner.

The First Laugh | Short Film of the Month

In the village of Kamleshwar, the Good Morning Squad has taken it upon themselves to ensure anyone who participates in open defecation is subjected to a fine. One morning, when Vitthalrao finds himself in the path of the Squad, he makes a run for it, to eventually be met with a very tragic end. This accident puts numerous elements into action, involving media, news anchors and their boisterous television shows, along with politicians. 

Soon, Vitthalrao's surviving family, his son Balya and his wife, are roped into an overnight makeover of their house by the sarpanch Rambhau in preparation for the daura or visit of an important state minister. The plot comes into its own adroitly employing satire and dramedy to share a story of personal motives, the sham of sympathy, the indifference to a family's misery and struggles, and the various aspects tied with a sense of frivolity that only serves to echo 'Daura''s intentions loud and clear. The film does a seamless job of playing on the absurdity and ridiculousness of it all, marked by engaging storytelling and tonality throughout. The final result succeeds in delivering its message in an emphatic manner, allowing the narrative to be a composite, balanced whole.

Daura | Short Film of the Month

The film premises itself on a gripping point. It traces backwards to the story which goes on to
become news headlines, especially in our contemporary reality. The way it shows the transformation of the private, the personal, the domestic and the interior, to the public, the social and the exterior, is telling of the filmmaker’s desire to deal with complex conceptual issues with clarity and confidence. 

The entirety of the drama unfolds within a single argument between two people. Without saying anything beyond the heated conversation, the film successfully manages to capture the fractures of a domestic space and its effects on the rest of the family members. 

The manner the noise and the silences are contrasted in the narrative is the most outstanding part of the film. Additionally, though the social message that it wishes to give is urgent, the sense of desperation doesn’t clog up its progression. A seemingly single-shot endeavour, marked by the deliberate intimacy brought in with hand-held visuals, Batmi is a seamlessly
achieved final result, made complete by its powerful, convincing performances.

Batmi | Short Film of the Day

Mohan is dealing with financial tribulations. Starting his new business of sugarcane juice is the only hope in turning things around, even in the face of several obstacles that include a faulty second hand juice machine, as well as his own temper. In many ways, the narrative pivots on the protagonist’s anger and how destructive it can be when allowed to reign free. 

The storytelling is embellished with a progression that remains organically steadfast throughout. Once the initial hiccups are overcome, Mohan’s business begins to give the results he had sought, until one fine day an unexpected presence appears across the road from him - a competitor. In the unraveling that soon ensues, the film presents a story that is balanced by a well-defined beginning, middle and end. The final result remains skilled and notable, enhanced by its competent writing and performances.

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