The narrative of Black employs no dialogues, instead supplements itself with a smooth sound design to bring to life a gory reality. Along with gore, elements of splatter, cannibalism and even jump scares find their way into this horror story. The setting is of a strange forest where the atrocious deed of burying human intestines is being executed. The plot develops in a manner that holds the viewer's attention tightly in its grasp. The skilled visuals too have a role to play here. The forest acquires a fantastical hue of its own. The murderer's delirium becomes evident in his eyes. All these elements together serve to complement and hold the story as a whole. The film is not for those with a weak stomach, consider yourself warned. It promises you a horrifying narrative, and a horrifying narrative is what it delivers.

Black | Short Film of the Day

‘The Outbreak’ is defined by an unmissable sleekness, and an equally complementary background score to go with it all. It is located in a world that has battled a lockdown for a year, up to a point where people have run out of food. They have now resorted to cannibalism and hunting each other down. 

As the announcer on the radio acquaints us with this world, the protagonist’s pursuit of securing his survival continues. The film is further embellished with a competent edit that keeps the action rolling in a high-paced manner. Whether escape is available for the humans trapped in the world of ‘The Outbreak’ is anyone’s guess, but as for the film, it surely remains an entertaining, consistent watch throughout.

The Outbreak | Short Film of the Day

While it is easy to paint an entire community with a single stroke of the brush, Muslims in this particular case, and further enable the narrative around Islamophobia, the nuances and the several intricacies that truly constitute the truth are far from being as simple as this. Introducing the viewer to the same thought is Fatimaah which opens with the anguish of a woman desperately seeking someone during a hot summer day. Her arrival at the pursued destination reveals that her son is being held captive by a fringe outfit. She has come to talk with them about her son's release after his failed attempt to execute one of their attacks. It is in this development of events that lies a comment on the origins of radical elements and also the suffering it causes to everyone irrespective of their religious identity. To the viewer's surprise, despite the anger and aggression of the scene and of other members of the group, their leader welcomes her with kindness and hospitality. However, a sense of unease put in place by the narrative so far, never truly leaves the scene. Events gradually unfold at an organic pace to reveal a reality far disturbing than what the mother or the audience could have foreseen.

Fatimaah | Short Film of the Day

The scene is of a regular day when a housewife sits at home, watching a cooking show. After she learns the recipe, she decides to put her culinary skills to test, and cooks a seemingly palatable dish for herself. The narrative of Devour continues to develop in the most unexpected manner, catching the unsuspecting viewer completely by surprise with what it has in store for them. The narrative is paced and structured intelligently with equally competent camerawork to supplement and enhance it further. The execution of the story thus becomes a complete success, engaging, shocking and horrifying the viewer in equal measure. However, the film loses brownie points in the department of performances where it could have gained much more from better chemistry and character portrayal.

Devour | Short Film of the Day

The story locates itself in a nondescript, unknown location in the middle of nowhere - an island along a surreptitious coastline, one which makes it impossible for you to leave once the fateful course of events have led you to it. The narrative also wants to invoke questions about the inevitability of fate, humans' complete lack of control in the face of their bestial nature and the extent of violence the instinctive desire to survive can lead one to. The film is further enhanced by remarkable visuals of nature at its intimidating best, special effects that exhibit potential, sophisticated camerawork and angles, and a sincere desire to invoke philosophical engagements with the ideas of existence. However, the accent of the actors comes across as distracting and the film could have benefited from a native accent instead for the dialogues. In terms of the story, as matters come to a head for a man who has found himself stranded on the island with another strange man, the same place where perhaps his friend also went missing, what unexpected, gory events are in store for him? Will he eventually manage to conquer the several threats, both internal and external, that lie ahead on this treacherous path he has unwittingly found himself on?

The Phantom Reef | Short Film Nominee

A group of men, presumably rogues from the city, are out to have fun in the wild. The problem is that
they try to impose the rules of man on to the wilderness, ignorant that the forest has its own rules. In
that sense, the film is also a comment on man’s imperial tendencies. 
The film is a thriller that wishes to take it to a top-notch, and bring in themes of cannibalism. The action
and the effects are committed towards producing thrills, keeping the viewer at the edge of their seats as its action and drama unfold.

Special Mutton Curry | Short Film Nominee

First and foremost, if a viewer is preparing to go into the film, they should be warned of its extremely graphic content that can turn your stomach upside down. It is employed with the intention to invoke horror and should be noted for the same. A man returns to his house where the parents are out of town and his sister is preparing dinner in the kitchen. However, because he does not take his eyes off the phone screen throughout, he fails to notice what the audience already has - the ominous atmosphere that emanates from the sister and surrounds the whole house. The narrative also wants to bemuse the viewer by blurring the lines between what is real and what isn't. As for the two inhabitants of this house, now that the premise has already been established, what will be their eventual fate?

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