The short film is a dreamy coming together of memory, time and the past. As a character sits down to pen down a letter, he finds himself going down the memory lane, a path the viewer traverses with him. What begins as potentially a love story of childhood sweethearts is soon afflicted by images of separation, violence and heartache. The film achieves all of this, and more, using a narrative which is devoid of any and all dialogue. The visuals are weaved together in a seamless manner to conjure an intelligent narrative that demands your full attention. From sharing a fruit with a dear friend as a child to biting into its memory many seasons later, the film portrays it all in its bid to capture a sense of nostalgia and a wistfulness for a past that once existed.

Li Ej Hu | Short Film Nominee

The opening music offers a sweet vibe. A friendly looking, young man, confesses his love to the camera.
He is rehearsing a proposal for his childhood best friend. Reading from his
notes, and breaking into smiles for the camera, he is rehearsing his sincerity. The music soon becomes delightful, conveying his
confidence that the girl he’s in love with, his best friend, is going to say ‘yes’! 
But the film is sub-titled 'a tangled tale' for a reason. The screenplay deftly picks up words, image and
memory of one (the boy), and connects them with the other (the girl), like a thread, tying one end with
the other. However, the more the episodes collate, the more knots the thread gets entangled in.
Relationships are complex. Matters of the heart are not easy. 
But the film tries to tread these arduous paths softly, delicately and with hope; just as the path to love is
supposed to be. Take a leap of faith, a sweet surprise awaits you!

Thread | Short Film of the Day

The film has a strong voice and a very clear idea about how it desires to use it. This lucidity works well in its favour, further enhancing the notable use of a single shot to establish the premise, before moving to the drama until the eventual, decisive moment of high tension arrives. The actors share a sweet chemistry and it's welcoming to hear a conversation marked by the authenticity of a local dialect. It is further interesting to note that, what began as a story of a couple preparing to host a dinner for a guest, soon acquires a dark hue marked by jealousy, insecurities, threat of irreversible damage and a heinous act. Though confined by limitations in terms of resources, the film definitely comes across as a zealous storytelling and filmmaking endeavour, and is thus appreciated for the same.

Mr. & Mrs. | Short Film Nominee

Positing itself as crime fiction at the start, the film goes ahead to bring in elements of suspense, mystery and unexpected twists. The plot unfolds parallely alongside the mythological story of Neelakanta and the origin of this particular name of the Hindu god Shiva. With metaphors echoing a reality of gods and demons within the plot of the film itself, the viewer is presented with an engaging narrative about greed, lust, heartache, revenge and above all, money. The film chooses an eponymous bar for the majority of its action. As different characters sit exchanging experiences, as well as arguments, oblivious of each other, the audience is allowed a moment of knowledge about their shared fate that transcends their own awareness. Overall, the film becomes a zealous attempt to put forth its plot, marked by some noteworthy performances, and a sincerity of attempt and execution. While it may have begun as a crime story, it further brings in thrill, and elements of abuse and violence to enhance itself, albeit potentially disconcerting for the sensitive viewer. The final product, however, would have benefited from better control on light and shadows in order to have achieved more fine-tuned visuals.

Neelakanta Bar | Short Film Nominee

It's interesting to see how all the action in the film comes to eventually centre around one inane object - a bowl of dough. A woman places it in the fridge every night before going to bed, only to find it missing the following morning. Even if the viewer finds themselves unimpressed by the other aspects of Kanik, they would still find themselves sitting till the very end, waiting for the unravelling of the mystery. All in all, the film exhibits immense potential of becoming a disturbing thriller, supplemented by a decent performance by the protagonist, yet falls short somewhere. Would it convince you to stick around to find out about the fate of the missing dough and how it has driven a woman to the end of her rope?

Kanik | Short Film Nominee

From one of affection and love, to another of care and concern, from one of violence and overpowering the weak, to another of fighting back, the human touch has several manifestations. The short film lists them down visually, attempting to invoke a different emotion with each one of them. Essentially, it is a weaving together of different situations where touch takes centre stage, presented to the viewer in a cohesive manner. The film is simple and direct and does an endearing job of putting forth its message. It finally concludes with an implicit reminder to let your touch with another person be constructive and one that leads to hope, courage and the drive to never give up.

Touch | Short Film Nominee

The solo project is marked by some lovely poetry. It starts off on a romantic note, but the sentiment on which the plot concludes is far from it. The short narrative thus becomes a journey from the opening to this point for the protagonist. The poetry that forms the major body of Status is well-written and exhibits deep potential. It also uses political satire judiciously to enhance itself. The entirety of the plot also develops and unfolds simply by way of a smartphone screen, using only its limited resources to share its intentions.

Status | Lockdown Film Challenge

The story starts off at a point which is quite opposite of the direction it is eventually headed in. It uses no dialogue to communicate any of it, only some background music. The narrative is about a sweet encounter of two lovers who allow their relationship to flourish on text messages. However, when the day finally comes for them to meet each other, what shocking development awaits them as well as the viewer?

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