The world of ‘Lost and Found’ is one of calm, quiet shots, marked by their complete absence of dialogue, and supplemented instead by soulful songs. The story carries a similar quiet gravity that says more in its silence than any verbal exchanges could have conveyed. 

At its opening, a stranger posts a notice, a plea to help find a missing man. Soon we are introduced to the man in question himself. He comes across as an eccentric character who is fixated on the moles on his body, along with measurements of his height. 

When the narrative reveals the reasoning behind it all, the writing and screenplay of the film present a victorious flourish, tying the various components together into a cohesive whole about what it truly means to belong or, on the contrary, be completely alone by oneself.

Lost and Found | Short Film Nominee

A man is lazing in his room, watching something on a laptop, when he is interrupted by two disgruntled, indifferent cops. They have arrived at his doorstep looking for his missing girlfriend, Akshaya. However, because she has been off the grid for barely a day, both cops are sure she will eventually turn up at one of her friends’ house. With the case at hand taken care of, they decide to allow themselves a moment to unwind which is then spent in complaining about their job, colleagues and seniors. The film has a remarkable approach to storytelling. The manner in which it blurs genres, from dramedy to thriller, is also notable. Additionally, a theatrical quality is applied to its visuals to further bring the story to life, while confining them to the fixed space of a single room. All of these elements together lead to a successful execution of the plot and narrative.

The Dude and the White Rose | Short Film of the Day

‘Daud’ (Run), essentially a story of familial love, loss and the drama that ties it all together, presents an overlap of animation and live action to paint its reality for the viewer. A man, ever since he was a boy, used to run up a mountain every day with his father. However, one morning when the child did not accompany him, the father never returned from the run, thereby starting an endless pursuit for the protagonist to scale the mountain, and conquer not only the peak, much like his father had once dreamed, but also the fears he harbours within. The story is brought to life using a competent voiceover, which is seamlessly coupled with an equally skilled background score. There is never a drop in the energy, especially crucial to a film that preoccupies itself with running, and in the process, the narrative succeeds in keeping the viewer engaged throughout.

Daud | Short Film of the Day

The music video stands out significantly for the effort and sincerity it ropes in to brings its vision to life. The endeavor presents to us a passionate protagonist who is immensely aware of the many flaws and evils of society, and its inherent systems and institutions. 

Through a voice that will not be silenced, he questions them, and ensures that he raises a furore that draws in more and more voices within its fold. As his ideology resounds with supporters, those who are also languishing under the overpowering, overwhelming system, he finds himself getting louder and louder... until, the iron-clasp of the custodians of power tightens again. 

From a solitary, marginalized voice, which is perhaps even dismissed as the ramblings of a mad man, to invincible leadership located at the heart of a community - the music video covers the entire distance. At the same time, the journey remains equipped with music and energized choreographed performances all along.

Secret Acts of the Dark | Short Film Nominee

Adopting the visual approach of found footage, the film exhibits skill and smoothness as it takes the viewer into its world. The story is essentially of a couple, Eby, and his pregnant wife Ann. Despite the care he still displays sometimes, Eby has lost interest in his marriage, resorting to an intensely passionate affair with another woman. 

The weaving of events in the narrative keeps the viewer deeply involved in the fate of the couple, finally offering a story constructed with care and attention, alongside performances that evidence earnestness and devotion. Combined with the dynamics and complexities of intimacy, fidelity, desire, and the deep infestation of technology and smartphones in our lives, the storytelling remains taut throughout.

Hey Ruh | Short Film of the Day

‘Yellow’, though conjures a world of lightness and energy in its title, is far from it in its intentions, and deliberately so. Employing animation and the consequent imagery it presents, clearly exhibiting investment of thought, the film tells a story about a little boy, Hari, and the many ways in which his childhood dreams and desires are shackled. 
Despite paintings and pictures on public walls, denoting an independent India, the reality is far from it. The storytelling, and the visuals it’s coupled with, remain notable strengths of the film which, in turn, emphasise the importance of education, and the devastating effects of cyclical poverty and financial trauma that gets passed down from one generation to another.

Yellow | Short Film Nominee

The issues that the narrative addresses are urgent - those of marginalization and oppression. Cruelty meted out to a person based on their identity, be it caste or gender, or any other imagined or real idea, is condemnable in every way, and the narrative makes its agreement with the proposition loud and clear. It is the unequivocal manner of this articulation that becomes the force to drive the drama of the film. 'Unremembered' is further marked by skilled visuals, and a seamless progression that enhances the final result notably. The songs that constitute its background score remain chirpy, making the terrible events unfolding before you all the more jarring in their darkness. In the process, the film, albeit marked by a few wrinkles that require ironing, becomes an important story of the forgotten ones, the lives that fall between the cracks of society's hegemonic structures.

Unremembered | Short Film Nominee

The poetry in broken things becomes an idea intrinsic to the film. A young man, heartbroken in love, seeks solace and comfort for his bruised heart in poetry. In a misguided bid to prove his sincerity to the former beloved, he finds himself making his way to a poet’s house. 
In the exchange that develops between the two, the narrative presents its core ideas about the release that tears carry and a sense of self-awareness without which perhaps all our relationships are doomed to fail. Alongside this, the protagonist has another exchange, one with a flower seller who introduces him to an emotional reality that is far from what he might have interacted with so far. 
The film is marked by a uniqueness of storytelling that is visible in the screenplay. Notwithstanding a little evidence of youth in its voice, the film shines bright in its individuality, alongside stylistic choices of music and visual palettes to present all of this to the viewer.

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