Kia Ora and welcome to the December edition of the Show Me Shorts Screening Room. Here we’ll take a look at some short films you can find online that we find interesting and try to give some perspective, background, or at least some (hopefully) relevant anecdotes about the films we discuss each month.
I’m Kanna, a volunteer at Show Me Shorts. With 2012 drawing to a close and Christmas being just round the corner, this edition of the Screening Room will be dedicated to the most polarizing film genre of all: the Christmas film.
If truth be told, when I think of the phrase ‘Christmas film’, I am instantly put off. I think of bad Christmas music, the prevalence of ugly Christmas sweaters, and lacklustre attempts at creating overly sentimental storylines that capture the ‘spirit of Christmas’. I am somewhat of a Grinch.
Thankfully, this edition of the Screening Room will not feature any of these aspects. This post will look at three short films from previous Show Me Shorts Festivals that capture Christmas in a way that you will have not seen before. Edgy, dark, and somewhat cynical, these short films will appeal to even the Grinch-iest of Grinches.
Preferably Blue
The first film that I would like to share with you is Preferably Blue directed by Alan Dickson. This is a short animated film that was selected for our programme in 2011. Preferably Blue features a drunken, bitter Easter Bunny and a lonely, tattoo-donning Santa who become embroiled in a battle of ego. The amount of detail in the animation is astounding, and when combined with rhyming dialogue and an ultimately heart-warming tale, this animated short offers a hilarious spin on Christmas films as we know them.
Click to watch on Stuff.co.nz
The North Pole Deception
The next film that I would like to share with you is The North Pole Deception directed by Joe Hitchcock, and selected for our programme in 2010. The North Pole Deception is a documentary that uncovers the truth about where our Christmas presents come from and who has suffered in order for us to receive them. Through interviews with oppressed elves that are struggling to make ends meet in the North Pole, this short film is innovative in the way it incorporates a variety of filmic styles and techniques. The claymation in particular is a real treat to watch, providing a whimsical take on an otherwise grim tale.
The North Pole Deception from Joe Hitchcock on Vimeo.
Ebony Society
The final film that I would like to share with you is Ebony Society, written and directed by Tammy Davis, which won our 2011 Script to Screen Best Screenplay award. Ebony Society follows two teenagers who are confronted with a moral dilemma when their plan to burgle a home on Christmas Eve is disrupted. With a fantastic cast and clever script, this film is subtle in its storytelling, creating a truly thought-provoking and endearing film. I found the conviction of the characters in particular really engaging, with the final shot in the film leaving a lingering impression in my mind.
Ebony Society from NZ Shorts on Vimeo.
I hope you have enjoyed discovering some new shorts in the Screening Room this year! Have a safe and happy Christmas, and we look forward to seeing you again for more editions of the Screening Room in 2013.
