The film opens with a moment of distress, a reality marked by ugliness, a morning that has everything going wrong with it, and yet, amidst it all, there is the possibility of an instance of ease that is achieved with a stranger. It is this thought which forms the premise of Sync. The narrative introduces us to a woman grieving her father's loss, and in some ways, also holding herself responsible for his death. Alongside this is the story of a man who is battling a major setback in love. As both characters deal with their own respective heartache, the plot seems to be moving towards an overlap of their stories - are they linked in anyway to each other? Are they adding to each other's turmoil? The viewer finds themselves looking for the answers with these questions, about to be met with them in due time, as the film comes into its own organically. It is further marked by lovely camerawork, strengthened by seamless transitions. The edit complements them wonderfully, the vocals and music are thoughtful and consistent with the mood of the story. All of them together help in conjuring a beautiful tonality and feel of the film, providing adequate closure to all your questions at its conclusion.

Synced | Short Film of the Day

The film is an endearing romance, marked by all the highs and lows of a love story, between two characters, Varun and Anjali. It opens with heartache, as well as Varun’s struggle to deliver on an important work deadline. He’s a musician whose career depends on a very big break which has, unfortunately, coincided with his breakup. As we are taken deeper into Varun’s many troubles, the narrative comes into existence, invoking humor, dilemmas, compulsions and some more. The chemistry of the couple is definitely notable, as is the manner in which the story is structured and presented as a whole. Additionally, song and music make an appearance because, after all, it is the story of a musician’s life. This eventually also becomes the sturdy thread that finally ties the film's many components together in a complete manner.

Love, Anjali | Short Film Nominee

Based on a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky called ‘White Nights’, the film presents a narrative located in a corner of conservative, traditional India where there is very little room for nonconformity. Amidst it all is the romance of Kalp and Adi, two men who are tied in a relationship that cannot be shared with the world. 

The film is equipped with a softness, heartache, and the ensuing emotional range that depicts the struggles of its characters. It also exhibits a devotion to performances to bring the same to life. Its title translates to winged termite which conjures the metaphor at the heart of the plot, the existence of someone who is pushed to the margins, reducing their very identity to secrecy and rejection by society. As desire and love navigate social barriers, the story takes form, presenting its ideas and message to the viewer with lucidity and earnestness.

Iyaan Paatta | Short Film Nominee

‘Hatheli’ is a film with a deep longing at its heart. It’s a story of unrequited love, and the yearning and heartache that is left behind in its wake. Four years ago, when Keshav could not bring himself to confess his love for his beloved, Sandhya, she was married off into a life of domesticity where Keshav could no longer reach her. 
The narrative utilizes wonderful poetry and metaphors to bring this reality to life. The end result is defined by the same lyricism, especially in terms of writing, along with performances and plot progression that exhibit potential and skill. Despite a few raw edges in terms of visuals, these various elements allow the end result of the film to succeed as a composite whole.

Hatheli | Short Film Nominee

The film opens on a note of high drama, a break-up is in the process of unfolding where the jilted lover is deeply disturbed at the treatment meted out to him by his beloved. However, this tone of despair is soon undercut by humour at the expense of the protagonist who endeavours to get an audition video right, one wasted attempt after another. He is unwavering even in the face of all failure. The narrative adopts a fun, lighthearted tone to introduce us to the protagonist's inability to strike the right emotional chord in the video, and the several eccentric and adventurous solutions he applies to overcome the same. The completed product is of an entertaining film which maps various emotions during the course of the day in his life, justifying its title, while also surprising the viewer with its unexpected ending, after having led them astray deliberately in order to eventually catch them unaware.

Emotion | Short Film Nominee

‘Armchair’ is a very sincere exploration of a single moment suspended within a circumstance of heightened tension, conflict, and eventually, heartbreak. It’s a regular day as Nisha and Anny sit with each other, doing chores and discussing issues at work, giving us a glimpse into everything that constitutes their daily life. However, soon Nisha realizes that the conversation is only one-sided with Anny absorbed in a state of agitation and anxieties of her own. 
The film presents a judicious use of the same space and a lean cast and crew to brings its intentions to life. In such an endeavor, rough edges and wrinkles are inevitable, but the writing helps to draw one’s attention away from them. This, in turn, allows the exploration of the said moment a balanced completion.

Armchair | Short Film Nominee

The film is marked by an old world charm. It's physical embodiment is achieved in perhaps the big house inhabited by the protagonist. The visuals of the property itself are capable of invoking in the viewer a wistfulness for the past, maybe constituted by childhood reminisces of small-town houses. The house, however, serves another purpose - one of pronouncing the emotional isolation of the protagonist, more than the physical one. Living alone with only a domestic help as his sole companion, he finds himself preoccupied with memories of an unrequited romance. It is in this manner that the film becomes about love, loss, longing and heartache, but in so many ways also about the overarching patterns of life beyond a romantic relationship, for who can separate these emotions from the universal nature they come to acquire with regards to all of the other travails of life. The film adopts a quiet approach to share its story with the viewer, while being further marked by effortlessly comedic moments which remain beautifully honest in their authenticity, allowing the narrative to convey its intentions in a notably skilled manner.

Aprajita | Short Film of the Day

The film plunges us headlong into a moment of extreme tension between Shaurya and Ishita. They have been together for four years, gradually building a life for themselves, only to now have come dangerously close to its end. During the night of this heated argument, Ishita storms out of the house in a fit of rage. The narrative, thus, comes to be the exploration of a specific moment and its many consequences. Life has brought our two characters at a crossroads where the choice is between passion and an unknown path, and premeditated plans and pragmatism. The film employs a long single-take to introduce us to its world, as well as exhibits potential in terms of storytelling which, though young, should definitely be developed in a similar vein in future projects.

Support | Short Film Nominee

The film is an endearing, innocent romance between Rudra and Priyal. It is notably supported by the chemistry of its actors and the ease they bring to their performances. Rudra has an anger problem which is coupled with physical distance between them as Priyal moves to a different city. The film opens with a glimpse into this situation as an otherwise ordinary phone call between the two devolves into a heated disagreement. 

The lovers deal with the many ups and downs of their relationship, endeavoring to forever keep moving forward. However, an unexpected development awaits Rudra on an otherwise happy day. As he arrives at the bus stop to receive Priyal, he finds himself faced with a rude shock. 

The narrative develops as an attempt to portray several emotions - from heartache and hurt to disappointment and absolute despair. The film makes some unexpected choices for its music and ropes in dramatic progressions to share the story. On the whole, the result remains earnest, marked by lucidity and dedication.

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