by Tony Ruggio
Short films are the runt of the film community: small, sometimes slight, often ignored. They’re everything in film school and seemingly nothing on Oscar night, relegated so much to the fringes of discourse that some have suggested nixing them from the broadcast completely. But short films hold a special place in Hollywood’s machine, be it a training ground for future blockbuster directors or fresh voices in the constantly evolving indie scene.
The HollyShorts festival has several compilations. Ben covered the "Action" efforts so I hit "The Wonder Years," covering films set in high school or otherwise coming-of-age stories. Here are three that I think are worth a watch, whether due to their surprisingly famous cast or sheer quality...
At Last (dir. Lorena Gorden)
A simplistic coming-out story and romantic drama, but no matter -- the plot is positively overshadowed by the natural, warm screen presences of George Lopez and Zach Gottsagan, star of The Peanut Butter Falcon. It's pleasantly surprising to see the latter again so soon after last year's indie hit. Additionally, a pivotal scene between the lead heroine and her father (Lopez) is disarming and quite touching. She expects her traditional father to disapprove of her sexuality and instead he beams with absolutely pride that she felt comfortable coming out to him. B+
Cranberry Nights (dir. Sara Robin)
This one starts out like an after-school anti-alcohol special, complete with several moments where 16 year-old Juana is made uncomfortable by her peers’ attempts to pressure her into drinking. Once her best friend has a dangerous, drunken slip of the tongue, we realize this is not that story. This short is instead about the perils of living in the USA in 2020 as an undocumented immigrant, under the threat of immediate deportation. More specifically, it's about the inability for a teenage girl to partake in typical rites of passage because getting into ANY kind of legal trouble, any run-in with police could result in her family being deported. That twist quickly elevates the narrative above any notions of after-school special filmmaking. B
Under the Lights (dir. Miles Levin)
One of the best short films I've ever seen. Under the Lights is completely lacking in the kind of student film sheen that prevents so many shorts from feeling like a movie-movie. The short features great performances from its two leads, Pearce Joza and Alyssa Jirrels. It's quite unique in its depiction of an illness (epilepsy) that afflicts millions of people but is rarely ever discussed or seen in the media at all. Oddly enough, Under the Lights reminded me of the original Saw, at least superficially. Two sweaty, crying strangers find themselves enduring pain and emotional agony while "trapped" in a small, dank, starkly lit room. In this case, it’s a high school bathroom during a Prom gone horribly wrong. But it's not a horror film but a little gem of a high school drama. A