The film weaves a lovely story about storytelling itself, while also offering a subtle comment on society. All the while foregrounding itself against the innocence of childhood, and the honest, sincere questions that it can raise, the plot comes into its own. It takes us to a village where a teacher is deeply fond of sharing stories with his pupils. Consequently, enraptured in his stories, they often neglect the clock even when it is time to go home. However, one day, a few questions catch our protagonist off-guard, leaving him at a loss of not only an answer that would satisfy the eager faces before him, but also struggling to tell any more stories. Finding his way to a library in a nearby town, he instead stumbles across the most unexpected series of events, roping in an attempted theft and the most unlikely person who is responsible for it. In the process, it is not the library, but life itself which leads our endearing, well-meaning protagonist to the perfect story to share with his students. The film is a devoted attempt to present its intentions to the viewer, but it could have gained from some fine-tuning in its sound and dubbing department. On the whole, it remains an entertaining, well-intentioned final product, ensuring that the viewer is involved with the protagonist and his experiences till the very end.

Motorcycle Thief | Short Film Nominee

A film is like giving birth, suggests ‘Cinemaa’. The process of uniting a writer’s thoughts with the director’s vision, the execution of an idea that leads to the end result of a film, is positioned in parallel with bringing a life into this world, and the film in question commits to this metaphor with full devotion. The idea is pronounced in the title itself with a play on the word maa (mother). The plot is located in a different time and reality altogether to delineate the premise. 

The experimental approach is entertaining, and allows the film an edge of uniqueness. Consequently, the end result is bizarre in the most involving and fun ways. The narrative’s dedication to creating its world is also notable, at the end of it all, leaving the viewer with a composite and comprehensive whole.

Cinemaa | Short Film Nominee

The short film is an attempt in engaging with several ideas, but primarily those pertaining to existence, social dynamics, and above all, creative pursuits of storytelling. The approach and tonality to explore them remain experimental. Our introduction and interaction with the world of the film is primarily by way of two characters, a man and a woman, whose names keep changing. As they indulge each other’s questions and rumination, the narrative comes into being with its many layers. The pursuit is definitely marked by its earnestness and sincerity, even if a little young in its voice and treatment of the subject matter. It sets a solid foundation for more, similar storytelling that should definitely be endeavored in the future.

Chamber of Reflection | Short Film Nominee

The story is a slice of life drama, roping in the past, shifting perspectives and the manner in which they are all tied together by the passage of time. Using a first person voice, the film takes us into the plot gradually. Gilbert is a little boy in a village who longs to one day be able to sit in a car. However, when the opportunity finally arrives, he misses it by a very narrow window. From that very first missed opportunity to tasting Maggi for the first time to forever seeking that previously unencountered taste, the narrative covers several of these stages. The storytelling is marked by calmness and notable camerawork, the latter being one of the strengths of the film. There is further the attempt to employ small details and memory to eventually present to the viewer an endearing, engrossing story.

Cafe Storyteller | Short Film Nominee

A loving couple is introduced to us right at the film’s onset. While the wife beckons her husband to bed, he has a battle to overcome before he follows her call - readying a script for work the following day. In the struggle, another similar story is conjured of another couple where the man, once again, grapples with turning in a long-due script. 

The story-within-a-story approach of the film continues to portray elements of thrill, as well as violence. When the narrative concludes, one that the protagonist had been weaving, we are presented with a moment of intimacy, but only a fleeting one as it is soon subverted most shockingly. All of these components aim to enhance the storytelling, the most notable aspect of the film. 

The driving force of the film eventually becomes the echoing of the idea of how overlaps exist within the bubble of our existence. The faces we see in our day-to-day lives might have a bigger role to play than we realize at first glance as they bleed into our fantasies and the things we concoct inside our heads. Though there is a little inconsistency in the visual and sound departments, the end result remains lucid in the communication of all this, while also presenting a set of zealous performances.

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