Based on a short story by Ruskin Bond, The Black Cat by Bhargav Saikia portrays an interesting turn of events starting from a day in Bond's life. Played by Tom Alter, Bond comes in possession of a broomstick which is soon accompanied by a black cat turning up at his doorstep. His misadventures with the kitty keep the audience involved, while also invoking a sense of sympathy for the harried writer. Soon after a Ms. Bellows follows, claiming the cat to be hers, and our protagonist is more than grateful to hand over the kitty to his unusual guest. The narrative offers interesting characters in the form of both Alter as Bond and Shernaz Patel as Ms. Bellows. The beautiful camera angles lend an otherworldly quality to the film, equally supported by an eerie soundtrack. Along with Anglican influences in the form of costumes, language and the general lifestyle, The Black Cat also possesses an element of the supernatural, characteristic of much of Bond's writing. This is achieved by elegant special effects which, when coupled with a seamless edit and sophisticated visuals, make the film a thrilling watch.

The Black Cat | Tom Alter | Short Film of the Day

The short film is a wonderful exploration of the last day of a broken up couple, moving out to go their separate ways. However, amidst all the fight and conflict who will have their claim to the little, white cat Coco? While the two are busy revisiting old fights, still unable to reach a resolution, Coco has plans of her own. The question is would the viewer be able to decide sooner than Coco what her fate should be? The film by MenXP is well-written with sophisticated camerawork, however, a slightly shorter length would have ensured a tautness that would have worked in its favour.

Coco Ki Custody | Short Film of the Day

Deliberately disturbing, and having a lot of fun while at it, ‘Laila’ is an interesting, involving endeavor in storytelling. Further marked by brevity and crispness, it is of just the right length, bringing to life a moment of crisis, followed by a sudden change in the personality of the protagonist, Anav. As Akshay, his friend, investigates the reasons behind this shift in his demeanor, the story comes into being, the story of a missing cat, Laila. Though a limitation of resources lingers within the overall production, the end result is marked by a fresh tonality and approach. Perhaps future, longer projects can also be experimented with, employing the same voice and vision.

Laila | Short Film Nominee

The short film is a daughter's lament in the memory of her father. The story is about a young girl who wants to write a letter to her father, an Indian Army captain. She misses his presence as he goes about discharging his duties towards the country. Though there is an innocent questioning of why she does not get to be with him, there is also a calm realisation of the importance of his role as an army officer. Sandesh attempts an intelligent camerawork to talk about the notions of separation and longing, but would have definitely benefitted from a little more maturity in the execution of the same.

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