Your Favourite Shorts

Last month at Show Me Shorts, we ran a friendly competition and invited you to share your favourite short films with us. This month, we’ve picked three of our favourites as the features of our July Screening Room. We had some amazingly diverse entries as evidenced by our picks- from a bleak animated short of a world where everyone has a “use”, a film capturing the poignant insights of a six year old, and an inspiring documentary about a budding young entrepreneur. Check them out below:

El Empleo

Director: Santiago ‘Bou’ Grasso
submitted by Liam Maguren

What’s my favourite short film? It’s an extraordinarily tricky question to answer, as it’s something I’m not capable of quantifying. But one that I keep telling people to watch is El Empleo (The Employment). I love it when a unique world can define itself so completely within a slice-of-life narrative. In less than 7 minutes, El Empleo shows so much creativity and inventiveness within its single concept about mundane employment: average people are tables, tall people are sliding doors and hefty people are counterweights. It’s a piece of art that could only exist in the short film medium, and it nails its grim message with a resounding thud at the very end. With an exhausted sigh being the only thing uttered in the entire short, this movie makes you ask, “How is my life any different?”

The Scared is Scared

Director: Bianca Giaever
submitted by Karin Yamasaki

My favourite short film is The Scared is Scared, a cleverly crafted film based around a story told by a six year old boy. I really love Bianca Giaever’s Wes-Anderson-style of filmmaking and the way she incorporates title sequences, animated aspects, and even an original score into the film. There’s something really sweet and earnest about The Scared is Scared, and it’s a good reminder that the best short films are really just simple stories that are told well. Plus, it’s almost impossible to walk away from this film without having learnt a life lesson or two!

the Scared is scared from Bianca Giaever on Vimeo.

Caine’s Arcade

Director: Nirvan Mullick
submitted by Anna Jackson

Caine’s Arcade is my favourite short film. Why? I challenge anyone to watch this film and not feel just a little bit better about the world. And just to prove that cardboard boxes are inspirational fun for kids of all ages, I also recommend watching Rufus Tower. Now go raid the recycling bin…

Caine’s Arcade from Nirvan Mullick on Vimeo.

A big thank you to all those who entered – we really enjoyed the films you shared and hearing about why you chose them. Congratulations to the winning entries- we’ll be sending each of them a copy of the Best of Show Me Shorts Volume 1 DVD. Join us again next month for more short films to help you get through the winter!