NCN Student Short Film Showcase

Photo: Millie Byrne

Ivoryserfs: Is It Worth It? Dir. Nick Williamson
An intimate, nicely shot band documentary following burgeoning Nottingham four-piece Ivoryserfs.  Tactfully combining shot footage, still images and live footage, Ivoryserfs: Is It Worth It? is a compelling and engaging examination of the trials of artistic endeavor, and the risk and rewards of devoting your life to music. 

Serendipity Dir. Lucy Coates
A quaint, charming romantic drama featuring the wonderful Ajay Stevenson. Shot almost without dialogue, director Lucy Coates chose instead to heavily rely on a fitting soundtrack for this short, which was partially filmed in Wired café. A sweet, well-executed love story of the relationship between a customer and barista.

Ufology Dir. Sigita Silina
A balanced, engaging look at the bizarre world of Ufology (the study of reports, visual records, physical evidence and other phenomena related to unidentified flying objects.)  Such a left-field subject would be easy to sensationalise, but director Sigita Silina and presenter Scott Atkinson do well to present a fair and comprehensive overview of several respected figures in the field. For a short documentary, Ufology covers an impressive amount of subject matter whilst maintaining an entertaining pace. An interesting exploration of doubt, evidence and public perception.

Blood is Thicker Dir. Lewis Belle
A gritty short film about desperation and redemption featuring actor Thomas Sellars. Great use of sound and cinematography create an unsettling, claustrophobic aesthetic. Reminiscent of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Pusher trilogy.

Independent Fashion Dir. Lucy Coates
Lucy Coates’ second film of the showcase, this elegantly shot short documentary about independent fashion was charming and informative. Covering a range of subjects, including fashion bloggers and the Wild Clothing store in Hockley, it was an interesting look at the fashion industry on a very local level.

Secrets and Lies Dir. Michael Meyerstein
Secrets and Lies opens on a couple celebrating their five-year anniversary. Their meal is interrupted by a mysterious phone call that serves as the catalyst to an outpouring of confessions from both sides. A black comedy that drew one of the best crowd reactions of the event.

The John Taylor Bell Factory Dir. Hannah Lucy Blake
An engaging and wistful documentary about the archaic trade of bell-making. Set in the local John Taylor Bell Factory, and featuring interviews with subject Antony Stone, this short documentary is a quaint, upbeat and genuinely interesting look at a little-known subject matter. Stone is charismatic, enthusiastic and deeply knowledgeable about his subject matter, which is further strengthened by some great footage of the process of bell-making itself.

Stick Dir. Sigita Silina
A young girl finds herself in a state of seclusion following her move to the city, finding solace in her imagination in this beautifully shot short film about isolation, youth and innocence. There’s fantastic use of minimalist dialogue and wonderful voiceover, with some phenomenally natural cinematography reminiscent of Malick’s Days of Heaven. One of the most aesthetically accomplished short films in the showcase, Sigita Silina has done a superb job in creating a sense of melancholy and solitude in both her framing and character development.

Scouting Dir. Lewis Belle
With the ambition of dispelling the public’s preconception of the Scouts as “lame knot-tying taught by questionable characters”, director Lewis Belle has created a well-structured and candid short documentary that shows the Scouts in a refreshingly modern setting. Both the leaders and the Scouts themselves are shown to be deeply enthusiastic as they argue for the positive nature of the organization in some great talking-head style interviews. Behind the scenes footage of camp excursions helps provide a sense of balance and change of scenery.

The Nottingham Tram Extension Dir. Matthew Cross
The Nottingham Tram Extension nicely captures all sides of the ongoing argument of the city’s public transport system. Featuring some brilliant archive footage of Nottingham’s original tram system from the BFI, director Matthew Cross harvests a range of varying opinions in an engagingly pragmatic, vox-pop style. One interviewee comments, “the tram is a toy for certain councillors who might not have had train sets when they were younger” with barely concealed anger. Another heralds the new tram as the best way to improve local public transport and keep Nottingham green. A great little documentary made with balance and style. 

No Way To Go Dir. James George Oshoba
A visually stunning sci-fi short that combines an eclectic range of different animation techniques.  Oshoba’s hallucinogenic, vibrant use of colour is brilliant, and his use of music is perfect. The most technically accomplished and aesthetically innovative short of the showcase. 

Youth Voice Dir. Michael Meyerstein
An uplifting and well-intentioned short documentary about Youth Voice, an organization established to create opportunities for young people in creative fields. Featuring talking-head interviews with both the young people involved and the course operators, it’s a nicely shot exploration of an extremely worthy cause.  

Secrets and Lies Dir. Hannah Lucy Blake
A dramatic short film that explores the themes of reality and mental health. A couple argues in a living room; a mysterious woman is also present, but only acknowledged by one of them. Secrets and Lies is an intriguing short that leaves the audience guessing at the true reality until the very end. 

Shed Dir. George Lamb
Directed by George Lamb and featuring his brother, Jack Lamb, Shed is a mysterious and eerie short drama. The protagonist is disturbed by a series of unsettling phone calls in which only an unknown noise, thought to be heavy breathing, can be heard. The source is traced to the titular shed in his back garden, where, whilst awaiting for the police to arrive, he decides to investigate himself. Well-shot and acted, Shed is a nicely executed exercise in creating tension and mystery around a simple but effective concept. 

Showtime Dir. George Lamb
A simplistically effective short documentary that features four theatre actors discussing their thoughts on performing on stage. With varying levels of experience, the actors – Sarah Wynne Kordas, Adam Guest, Kayrakise Evans and Adrian Skubis – make for perfect interview subjects. It’s an honest, candid and light-hearted look at a fascinating subject matter.

Wired Dir. Nick Williamson
Wired is a well-paced, gritty short film showing the lives of four young men on a night out in Nottingham.  It’s realistic, brave filmmaking in that it doesn’t shy away from the difficult subject matter of alcohol and drug use, neither condemning or glamourizing the theme. 

Memories Report Dir. James George Oshoba
Not only my favourite piece of the showcase, but one of the finest short films I’ve ever seen for the age range. A superb use of archive footage and stunning cinematography filmed over two days in Great Yarmouth, it addresses the themes of memory and identity with great maturity and elegance. Justifiably given Official Selection at the Roma Cinema Doc Festival, James George Oshobo is definitely a filmmaking talent to look out for in the future. 

QMC Oncology Dir. Lucy Coates and Lewis Belle
The event was wrapped up with an uplifting, heartfelt music video shot in the Oncology ward at QMC.  Beautiful footage of both patients and nurses is accompanied by Pharrel’s Happy, illustrating the strength of the human spirit in some of worst personal circumstances imaginable.  
The NCN Student Showcase took place at Rough Trade on Wednesday 24 June 2015

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