Having an extremely limited time to manipulate an audience, short films have a unique challenge in competing for attention and impact. However, those that do grab you tend to stay with you long past the length of their airtime. This year I found a few shorts that did just that.
My Fat Arse and I [Yelyzaveta Pysmak]
This is a hilarious take on the stereotypical ‘thin = best’ body-shaming culture. Watch for the surprise twist at the end as the protagonist teams up with a special friend in her fight against the dreaded Evil Eye.
Love is Just a Death Away [Bára Anna Stejskalová]
The title does not really encompass this clever stop animation, which introduces us to the plight of a sentient caterpillar. While the story is light, detailed work in expressions allowed it to shine with a gleeful character.
Le Musicien [Reza Riahi] This short features beautifully animated, albeit digital, shadow puppetry with solid writing and great pace. It will literally tug at your heartstrings from start to finish.
KKUM [KIM Kang-min] A brilliant black and white stop motion animation with amazingly sleek production that portrays a protective and overbearing mother and her grateful, sometimes snarky offspring. Uniquely, its use of styrofoam reveals a few new tricks that are typically inaccessible to clay.