what we are reading – EightandHalf
Its been a while since we have posted a new film in our Sunday Shorts segment. But this week, we got a new short by Sumit Aroraa. Watch it.
Synopsis – There is trouble in Aveek and Vani’s paradise. Their relationship is falling apart and all that holds them together is one white shirt.
Written and Directed By: Sumit Aroraa
Actors : Kritika Kamra and Kunal Kapoor
Director of Photography: Surjodeep Ghosh (Sulemani Keeda)
Music and Background Score: Advait Nemlekar
David Sandberg’s horror feature, Lights Out, has released in theatres this week. And if you are not aware, it was actually a short film by Sandberg and his wife, Lotta Losten, that led to this feature.
The short is online. We are embedding it here. Do watch it.
Click here to read an article about the journey from this short to the feature film, how a complete stranger from other part of the world landed up in Hollywood to make his feature debut.
And do click here to read his interview.
Its been a while since we have posted a new film in our Sunday Shorts segment. But this week, we got a new short by writer and filmmaker Devashish Makhija. This film has Manoj Bajpayee in the lead, and he is in terrific form here, even if it is just a glance here, and a reaction there. Music is by Nucleya. Watch it.
And if you didn’t get the film, the description on the youtube page dissects it all. Here you go..
Head constable Tambe isn’t having the best of days.
His wife slams doors in his face.
His little daughter won’t speak to him.
His only friends, havaldaars Sawant and Shilwant, feel cheated by him.
And to make matters worse, he’s been given nightlong Ganpati visarjan bandobast duty.
The lights are blinding.
The drums are deafening.
Explosions.
Clanging.
Flashing.
Thrashing.
His senses are being attacked from every which way.
Every screaming face seems to be mocking him tonight.
His blood…
slowly…
rises…
to a…
boil…
Until he snaps, plunges into the crowd, pulls his gun out, and as jaws drop around him…
he unleashes a TAANDAV!
We are back to our ‘Sunday Shorts’ feature after a long time. Hopefully we will be able to do it more regularly. This sunday, we are featuring a new short titled Nayanatara’s Necklace, directed by Jaydeep Sarkar. It stars Konkona Sen Sharma and Tilottama Shome, two of the finest actors we have. And it’s great fun to see how the two of them together can add magic to even mundane conversation.
The is produced by Royal Stag, as part of their ‘Large Short Films’ initiative, which earlier produced Sujoy Ghosh’s short Ahalya. One suggestion – why no subtitles? That is so strange, especially in an era of internet and when that’s your platform.
Little Terrorist, a short film directed by Ashvin Kumar was nominated for Academy Award for Live Action Short Film in 2005. And if you haven’t seen the film yet, here’s the good news – the filmmaker has put the film online.
Here’s his note with the film –
The Gurdaspur Attack, the arrest of Mohameed Naved and escalation of hostilities on the LOC raise troubling questions about freedom and independence. Real people live real lives on either side of these fences. Barbed wire cuts the landscape of humanity, culture, civilisation; dividing children from their history. They stymie that very human touch that could resolve such a conflict. I don’t know which film-maker would say this, but I am almost dismayed that this film has aged so well. Its message of hope, my wide-eyed idealism for an even handed resolution feel a bit naive, given the hawkish, illiberal, imperialist impulses that have come to characterise public life today. Sigh. Anyway, suspend disbelief for fifteen minutes on the fifteenth of August and feel good.
In our Sunday Shorts, today we are featuring Whiplash. The short film which was the pitch for the feature by the same title. This is also directed by Damien Chazelle.
Based on his own experiences, Damien wrote the script and it made to Black List of 2012. He then turned his script for feature length film into a short film script. The short was screened at Sundance Film Festival, got rave reviews, won the Short Film Jury Award, and the feature got funding as well.
Made in less than $5millon budget, and shot in just 19 days, the film went on to bag three Oscar Awards this years.
Click here to read a feature on Damien’s journey to the Oscars with Whiplash, his second feature film.
Tip – ShortFilmWindow
If you are a regular follower of this blog, you must have noticed that the frequency of posts have gone down here. Apologies for that. The reason is most of us have got bit busy with our scripts and films. Anyway, we are starting a new section – Sunday Shorts. The idea is to feature some of the acclaimed shorts. They serve as great cv for feature filmmakers. And it’s a great way to look back at the early work done by directors who are now established.
We are starting with Gareth Edwards‘ Factory Farmed. It was an entry at Sci-Fi-London’s 48 Hr Film Challenge, and it went on to win the top award. The film had to be written, shot and edited in 48 hours, had to use a given prop (bottle with red/green liquid) and a line – I am required to carry out this task until completion: your orders do not override anything. 48Hr Film Challenge gives you these 3 conditions.
Edwards went to direct the indie hit Monster, and is now known as the director of new Godzilla.
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b 