Short Stack is back, Jack.
Following a brief hiatus whilst he worked on his new short film Socks and Robbers, David Lilley’s Short Stack short film night returned to Broadway Cinema with an eclectic selection of documentaries, music videos, trailers and shorts from Nottingham and further afield.
The evening kicked off with Luther Bhogal-Jones’ trailer for Knock Knock Knock Knock, ahead of Mark Garrity’s poetic short film Revolutionary Road. Next up was Some Lines, an 11-minute short from Rob Sharp, which depicted an evening of pizza and drinking between two friends, culminating in the revelation of a dark secret between the two that heralded deadly consequences.
The first music video of the evening came from Notts director Luke Radford, with J Little’s Truth. Shot by cinematographer Will Price, it adroitly conveyed the song’s message of societal division, presenting a concise, beautifully shot and directed narrative within its limited timeframe. This was followed by Mel Gourlay’s visceral FLO, an impressive, assertive allegorical short film about menstruation.
Liam Banks’ After Party, which starred Emmeline Kellie and Adei Riley Bundy, was one of the standout short films of the showcase. Presenting a shadowy hotel room, in which several women are unsure of their whereabouts and seemingly at the behest of some nefarious external force, it successfully built a sense of tension and mystery before its final revelation, which was like something straight from the pages of Tales from the Unexpected.
Nick Archer’s Shoulder to the Plough, starring Becki Lloyd, was next up, and featured some notable after-effects, particularly given the time frame in which it was made. A double-bill of projects from director Chris Bevan followed, beginning with a music video for Whisky Stain’s Time Waits For No Man, a Vikings inspired song and video combination that made excellent use of actor AJ Stevenson. This was followed with Bevan’s short film Make Do or Mend, an atmospheric short that was made for the Sci-Fi London 48 Hour Film Challenge.
Following Peter Hatter’s The Basketmaker, an interesting, if slightly dry documentary about the craft of weaving baskets, was Kel Webster’s excellent Time and Again. Having written about the film previously, it was great to see the heartfelt, beautifully-executed short film on the big screen again.
The evening was rounded off with Marc Hardman’s great short We Are What We Drink. Set within a fictional coffee shop, the comedy portrayed the fractious relationship between a barrister and her customers, whom she passive-aggressively likens to the increasingly confusing menu choices. The brilliant script was executed with aplomb by a perfectly chosen cast, and complimented by some simple but extremely effective directorial choices.
For more information about Short Stack, including future events, follow their Facebook page.
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