The Phone Call
A large number of short film fans strolled into Broadway Cinema at 10am on Saturday morning to experience the second New Wave Short Film Festival. Organised by New Wave Films, filmmakers in their own right, the selection was as strong as the coffee had to be to make sure we were ready to go as an audience.
The funny and subtle Bus Stop, directed by Jamie Sims, kicked the morning off. Starring Sam Underwood (Dexter, Homeland) and Valorie Curry (The Following, House of Lies), playing a recently fired man and a recently separated woman, who meet at a bus stop and start to get on rather well. Ahmed and Mildred, directed by the Horton Brothers and written by Konnie Huq (yes, the Blue Peter one), was about a cute friendship between a young boy and girl, and their action figures. The filmmaker’s aims to make it like a live action Pixar film could be seen.
365 was a wonderfully bizarre animation, which could have come from the mind of illustrator Rob White, but actually came from The Brothers McLeod’s. The film’s subtitle was One Year, One Film, One Second a Day. Whosever year this was looked fun, hilarious, and completely bonkers. Brilliant. Abdullah, from director Evrim Ersoy, told the story of a day and night in the life of a silent Muslim taxi driver, which had a slow, mysterious build up with an eerie atmosphere throughout.
Stew and Punch
Simon Ellis’ Stew and Punch is a short that I had seen before but it was definitely worth a re-watch. Told in three long continuous takes, it is a clever – and hilarious - look into masculinity in modern life. A good showcase for Notts music (such as Ronika and Swimming) and acting talent, too. A Million Miles Away, directed by Jennifer Reeder, I really didn’t get on with. It showed the insecurities of a few girls in a choir and also their female teacher’s. It felt a bit forced and there was just a weird vibe to the way it was executed.
The headliner film was The Phone Call, directed by Mat Kirkby, which won the Best Short Film Oscar this year. Starring Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent, the phone call in question is from Jim to Sally, the latter of which works at a crisis centre. A strong, well written story that was elevated further by the particularly great performances.
New Wave Short Film Festival took place at Broadway Cinema on Saturday 9 May 2015. All profits went to the Alzheimer's Society.
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