YouTube

Perhaps the first option that everyone will think of. YouTube, as a platform, attracts a great number of short filmmakers because of its global reach and popularity. Although the YouTube algorithm is more geared towards headline-grabbing content, meaning short films are unlikely to be initially recommended to users, the platform’s ubiquity means audiences are most likely to discover short films by using YouTube. 

Vimeo

Despite in some ways being quite similar to YouTube, Vimeo has done a lot to differentiate itself, particularly by appealing to filmmakers. One point against Vimeo is that to get the most out of the platform (including access to its best tools and more video upload space), filmmakers must pay for subscription plans. However, Vimeo also offers higher-quality video output, along with more customisation and privacy options for filmmakers to utilise branding and protect their work. The site is also more specifically focused on courting a viewer base interested in short films. For example, the platform has partnered with the European Film Academy. In doing so, it created a curated collection of high-quality shorts for viewers to watch. It’s a platform that is more centred on filmmaking than general video content.

Klipist

Essentially, Klipist is the Netflix of short films. The site has a good library of modern shorts that viewers can watch for free without adverts. Klipist also allows filmmakers to submit their projects to the service. In addition, links on each film’s page allow viewers to learn more about the film’s production and crew. The asking price for submissions of shorts is fairly steep. But, as a platform intended to foreground the prestige that short films are capable of and encourage viewers to learn more about the people making them, it is quite a good resource for short filmmakers.

Filmd

This platform is probably the most unique of all the resources listed here. Acting as a platform for film workers to interact with each other and seek out job opportunities, Filmd also allows film workers to upload their work. Through its Screening Room feature, other workers are encouraged to watch and provide feedback on a library of primarily short films. Again, subscription fees prevent the full utilisation of the platform for smaller creators. That said, it has the potential to be a great tool for encouraging artistic development, especially for those making shorts.

Streaming Platforms

Beyond platforms that are useful for both uploading and watching short films, they have become a much more accepted presence on streaming services in recent years. Among the major streaming platforms, MUBI and BBC iPlayer are likely the most underappreciated. Both provide a great space for short films to be considered alongside features. With a great variety and quantity of films available on their platforms.

These are merely a few resources that demonstrate the greatness of short films and encourage short filmmakers to showcase their work. If you take anything away from this article, let it be this: the world of short films is as vast and rich as longer-form movies. It deserves to be appreciated and nurtured just as much.

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This year attendees saw another beautiful horror gallery (from Vice Press), an array of merchandise stalls from Arrow Video, Fab Press, Last Shirt on The Left, Killer Kultpins, FunkeeJunkeeMunkee and more, and themed food from Showroom Cinema. We also had filmmaker masterclasses, live Turbo Kid commentary from filmmakers François Simard and Yoann-Karl Whissell, plus a special 35mm grindhouse experience. 

So how did the films stack up? Here are my ratings and reviews of every film at the festival in 25 words or less. Accompanied by some recommendations for short films I saw.

Reviews

Where The Devil Roams: Beautiful imagery and good performances, though it would have benefited from being a short film (2.5 / 5).

The Origin: A slow, clunky Stone Age survival adventure made passable by a tense third act. Although the explanation behind the stalking force is anticlimactic (2.5 / 5).

The Chapel: The film’s central relationships and exploration of how children process death are interesting however it spins its wheels a lot before the climax (2.5 / 5). 

Pandemonium: This anthology has a fantastic introduction and a standout segment involving a mother and bullied daughter. It’s failed by an excessive ending and confused theming (2.5 / 5).

Freaked: Freaked has glorious effects work but goes for quantity over quality regarding jokes and its plot feels too throwaway (3 / 5).

What You Wish For: Suspenseful cannibal cooking, global south exploitation allegory voted the festival’s best film. Foiled by some bad “lying” performances and convenient plotting (3 / 5). 

It’s A Wonderful Knife: Mostly a predictable slasher riff on It’s A Wonderful Life enlivened by Justin Long’s, Jane Widdop’s, Jess McLeod’s, and Katherine Isabelle’s great performances (3 / 5).

Lady Terminator: Our grindhouse screening and the festival’s best theatrical experience. Bloody, fast-paced, unintentionally funny and so playfully poor taste it’s hard to get angry (3 / 5). 

#Manhole: A gripping simple premise quickly becomes so overcomplicated it detracts from the drama. Thankfully Yûto Nakajima’s performance and the over-the-top ending make #Manhole watchable (3 / 5). 

All You Need Is Blood: A fun amalgamation of other ideas explored during the festival. Unfortunately, it suffers from an uneven tone and trying to do too much (3 / 5).

Hellbound: Hellraiser II: Introduces great new characters and features excellent effects work but it lacks the original’s impact due to the peeling away of the villains’ mystery (3 / 5).

Turbo Kid: This slight coming-of-age story has a lovely central relationship, charming effects, and Michael Ironside is gloriously villainous. The live commentary was wonderful (3 / 5).

T Blockers: Packed with an envigorating liberatory message and affectionate characterisation (Sophie is among 2023’s best characters). The horror elements just needed better incorporation (3 / 5).

Falling Stars: The characters make this work. Everyone feels so genuine you get completely swept up in their journey and the tension is built masterfully (3.5 / 5). 

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The schlocky genre affection radiates off the screen. Consistently funny with outstanding effects (3.5 / 5).

We Are Zombies: A zombie genre reinvigoration that loses its way by the end but has enough guffaws (insensitive moments aside) and guts to satisfy genre fans (3.5 / 5).

Loop Track: Thomas Sainsbury’s anxious performance and a masterful balance of serious and comedic tones make Loop Track an effective paranoid ride (3.5 / 5).

Stopmotion: A well-made nightmare about the creative process that features tremendous animation and a fierce performance from Aisling Franciosi (4 / 5). 

Shorts

Now here are the best short films.

Women’s Stories: Only Yourself to Blame and Incubus provide haunting looks at the consequences of sexual violence, meanwhile Vibrator Girl hilariously looks at how patriarchy frames women’s pleasure.

 Scary: Butterscotch and Stop Dead had some of the festival’s scariest monsters and moments.

Award Winner: You’re Not Home is a disturbingly real look at racism and the asylum system’s inadequacy. The 1st place jury prize winner. 

Conclusion

Celluloid Screams 2023 continued the high standards expected by attendees. The new additions were definitely welcome and the programming was as amazing as ever. Showing that come rain or shine Celluloid Screams will always give genre fans what they need.

Also Read: Horror Films To Enjoy During The Long Dark Winter Months

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In this article, we will look at how social media could nurture a new generation of filmmakers. We will also analyse the possible ways that social media videos could change short films. First though, here is a brief overview of the evolution of social media videos.

Social Media Video: In Brief

Videos were part of or incorporated into many early social media platforms like Myspace, Friendster and Facebook in the noughties. However, when Vine was released in 2013 it caused short-form videos to become a huge part of the cultural conversation. Even as Vine declined other social media sites began incorporating Vine-esque short videos into their platform. Like with Instagram and Snapchat’s stories feature.

Then TikTok began taking over the market by allowing users to upload videos up to 15 seconds. Its appeal inspired the likes of YouTube Shorts, Facebook and Instagram Reels. As TikTok continued growing it began allowing the production of longer videos. Now it allows users to upload videos up to 10 minutes in length. Additionally, Instagram now allows the release of reels that can last up to 15 minutes.

TikTok Filmmakers

With videos now a key focus of social media filmmakers have begun being factored into conversations. For example, TikTok has sponsored the Cannes Film Festival for the past two years. Establishing TikTok as a brand interested in the film world in users’ minds. They even had an award show at the festival for shorts made on their platform to get filmmakers to engage with them.

Beyond the branding many of these apps also have their own editing features and even allow for the creation of basic effects like green screening. Allowing newcomers a way to learn basic filmmaking skills without needing expensive editing and effects software. Their networking capabilities also provide ways for film workers to interact and plan future collaborations. And with many platforms offering their own video features it allows several avenues for prospective filmmakers to showcase their work.

Reels of Change?

So if the social media landscape attracts filmmakers how could this affect short films? With content length on each platform varying, there is great potential for variety. Although short-form content is what platforms like TikTok are known for, it’s likely we will see a major focus on extremely short films. This would act as a great way to showcase the value of economic storytelling, with filmmakers needing to really consider what they need to do to make such a short story work. Also as many of these platforms’ algorithms guide users toward similar content it makes for great opportunities for audience interaction. Which could help open filmmakers to other viewpoints that could help produce a more inclusive and open industry.

There are also potential downsides. Many social media/video platforms have been known to filter out content from marginalised creators. As well as give content that is already popular a huge push. It therefore can still really limit how many creators interact with the community. Additionally, if proper balances are not implemented it does offer a potentially bigger platform for hateful content. And with such a huge number of users looking to get eyes on their work, it does run the risk of funnelling artists towards creating sensationalised content. Rather than encouraging creative experimentation.

It essentially runs the risk of reproducing many industry problems (in social and creative media). Whether it yields anything positive we will have to see.

Also Read: Five Stunning Short Films You Wouldn’t Believe Were Shot On An iPhone 11

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This year we saw film worker Q&As and introductions, and stalls from Arrow Video, Last Shirt on the Left, HotFoodSheffield, and more. Surprisingly we also got to enjoy an event menu in the Showroom Cafe Bar, as well as a Celluloid Screams branded beer, Jim’ll Paint It’s excellent artwork was displayed throughout the cinema and the festival even hosted a live event experience. Giving this year’s festival some nice variety.

But now it’s time to review and rank every movie I saw at Celluloid Screams 2022, from worst to best in 25 words or less. Additionally, like last year, I will give you some short film recommendations at the end.

Reviews

Wolf Manor: Some minor laughs from ridiculing on-set power dynamics don’t prevent the bland performances and poor staging from tearing this werewolf movie apart. (2 / 5)

Matriarchy: This year’s audience award winner is destined to become a so-bad-it’s-good classic. With its hammy acting, gloriously ridiculous writing, and surprisingly great effects. (2 / 5)

Megalomaniac: Realistic handling of abusive power dynamics and Eline Schumacher’s resonant performance, unfortunately, give way to something more conventional that provides little beyond shock value.  (2.5 / 5)

Evil Eye: Ofelia Medina is the reason to see this movie. Her passion and energy are amazing. Shamefully nothing else in the movie matches her.  (2.5 / 5)

The Elderly: Zorion Eguileor and Paula Gallego’s performances, the suspense, and high-scale finale are laudable. Unfortunately, that goodwill fades thanks to baffling decisions making many characters unlikeable. (2.5 / 5)

V/H/S/99: Parts of this movie are boring, leery, and poorly structured. But three-fifths is inventive, ambitious, and well-done storytelling. Just skip stories 1 and 4. (3 / 5)

The Leech: Sometimes The Leech cheaply paints homeless characters as “parasitic”. Overall though it’s a great satire of how destructive extremist Christian views are. Perfect Christmas viewing. (3 / 5)

The Passenger: Paula Gallego’s second great performance this year. Definitely a future star. Despite an unlikable lead and overly familiar setup, it’s a fun b-movie throwback. (3 / 5)

Barbarian: Constantly shifting focus and stakes make Barbarian an exciting ride. Even if by the end it feels rather lacking in impact. (3 / 5)

Holy Sh*t: This portaloo thriller initially feels stagey and narratively frustrating. But an over-the-top second half and Gedeon Burkhard’s deliciously evil performance help salvage it. (3 / 5)

Something in the Dirt: Although Benson and Moorhead’s films (Synchronic aside) never fully satisfy me, it’s good seeing filmmakers exploring complex ideas and creating rich characters over spectacle. (3 / 5)

Bubba Ho-Tep: Some of Bubba Ho-Tep’s writing and editing are juvenile 2000s relics. Conversely, Ossie Davis’ charm and Bruce Campbell’s comedic timing carry it over those hurdles. (3 / 5)

Ghostwatch (Live Experience): It’ll never recapture its broadcast’s shock factor. That said the live experience added lots of atmosphere and Ghostwatch remains a well-photographed, piece of TV history. (3 / 5)

Watcher: Maika Monroe can do no wrong. The forced final coda and the movie’s slow pace don’t keep it from being an effective gaslighting thriller. (3.5 / 5)

The Harbinger: A dark lament for those we lost (and now seemingly have forgotten) during the Pandemic. With one of the year’s most frightening villains. (3.5 / 5)

Huesera: The excellent cast and effective direction anchor this creepy story about societal expectations’ impact on motherhood. My favourite new release from the festival. (3.5 / 5)

Evil Dead 2: 35 years later almost nothing tops Evil Dead 2’s sheer energy, enthusiasm, and imagination.  (4.5 / 5)

Shorts

And what were Celluloid Scream’s short highlights?

Comedy: The pooch slasher Good Boy, werewolf howler The Wilds and the sweet personal favourite Unicorn all provided some much-needed laughs.

Drama: The bitterly depressing Everybody Goes to the Hospital and the gothic Memento Mori animation effectively made us empathise with our fellow human beings.

Historical: Facies (El Semblante) was a horrific look at the torture inflicted during witch trials.

Conclusion

2022 was another great year for Sheffield’s perennial horror festival. Even if the features didn’t hit the highs of last year the new experiences, great shorts, atmosphere and standout moments left me hungry for more. 2023 can’t come soon enough.

Also Read: Screaming Again: Celluloid Screams 2021

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Also Read: The Rob Knox Story

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

The post London Independent Film Festival 2021 Short Film Panel (Part 1) appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Writer / Director: Dan Horrigan

Starring: Augustina Seymour, Tim Daish, Mari Garfunkel

Big Picture Film Club’s Short Snacks series is a collection of interesting, thought-provoking and creative short films from emerging UK-based filmmakers.

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Writer / Director: Stuart Gatt

Starring: Yasen Atour, Fayez Bakhsh, Peter Bankole

Big Picture Film Club’s Short Snacks series is a collection of interesting, thought-provoking and creative short films from emerging UK-based filmmakers.

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The post The Dead Sea (Directed by Stuart Gatt) | Short Snacks #3 appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Writer / Director: Molly Boughen

Starring: Koliel Johnson, Lucas Jones, Taye Junaid-Evans.

Big Picture Film Club’s Short Snacks series is a collection of interesting, thought-provoking and creative short films from emerging UK-based filmmakers.

https://www.facebook.com/BigPictureFilmClub/videos/1645737938855915/

The post Brothers (Directed by Molly Boughen) | Short Snacks #1 appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Friends of BPFC, director Tim Porter and actor Kadeem Boyce give us the lowdown on holding down jobs whilst manoeuvring through the film industry, Haven – Tim’s film screened at one of our earlier screenings, and the issue of mental health within the entertainment industry.

Listen on our Soundcloud channel and don’t forget to like, follow and share!

Episode 004 ft Tim Porter & Kadeem Boyce

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In Episode 2 of The Big Picture Film Club Podcast, host Presh Williams speaks with Johnny Sachon & Katie Goldfinch. Discussions issues such as sexism, the creative filmmaking process, networking, and the future of short films.

Listen on our Soundcloud channel and don’t forget to like, follow and share!

Episode 003 ft Johnny Sachon & Katie Goldfinch

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