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 Nominee

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 a carnal 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. Coupled with the dynamics and complexities of relationships, fidelity, and desire, along with the deep infestation of technology and smartphones in our lives, the storytelling too remains taut throughout.

Hey Ruh | Short Film Nominee

‘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

‘Reflection of Waves’ has a significant theatrical quality to it, but one which aids the narrative more than hindering it. The storytelling, in the process, becomes the most remarkable aspect of the film, along with a strong performance of the protagonist. 

The story is fairly straightforward - it is about the deep despair of a man, Alan, and how it has plagued his life for the entire sixty years of his existence. It has isolated him, made him the subject of mockery, ridicule, pity, has adversely affected his relationships, and yet, there seems to be no escape from it even after all these years and bitter experiences. The manner of portraying this is far from simple, and notably so. By using the same physical space of a house, we are introduced to Alan's past as well as the present. 

Even though it would be interesting to see a future project with tighter control on visuals, within the narrative rests an unmissable comment about mental health (perhaps depression, even though it is never explicitly stated) which is communicated through the internal turmoil of the protagonist. At the end of it all, however, would it be a sense of hope and companionship at last that would welcome Alan with open arms or would it be a brutal, gory end to his life?

Reflection of Waves | Short Film of the Day

The short narrative presents a sweet tale that borrows from surrealism and fantasy, all along tying it together with music and romance. A narrator plays on a ukulele and introduces the viewer to the matter at hand - red crystals of unknown origin, but those which find themselves located at the heart of eternal love. Next, an element of tragedy enters the plot. If on the one hand, a woman looks for a red crystal she hurled at the beach only a single day ago, a groom abandoned at his wedding altar by the woman who was going to marry him is also present at the site, on the other. As the paths of the three collide - the strange, eccentric narrator with a flair for storytelling, the rejected groom, and the hapless woman - the story comes into its own. Additionally, at the conclusion awaits a dark development that serves as a dedicated endeavor to enhance the plot further.

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