The Picks: Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival 2015
The Lift-Off Film Festival is a global network that sprouts screening events in the cities of Vancouver, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, London, Liverpool, Amsterdam, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, and I got the chance to watch some of the shorts in competition ahead of their LA screenings this week.
The Way of the Tea (Les Frémissements Du Thé) by Marc Fouchard
There’s no bigger peace-offering than a cup of tea, or so it seems when a skinhead enters the shop of a Muslim shop-owner in the middle of the night. This great short by Fouchard boasts cinematography and ambiance to spare, with a message of acceptance.
Jaya by Puja Maewal
For those who had championed commercial Peruvian cinema in the late 80s, Maewal’s short will totally bring back memories of our very own tomboy girl in Juliana. In here, a street kid who’s been living her life as a boy to survive confronts the man she suspects is her father.
Him Upstairs by Sonya Quayle & Neil Mooney
A woman with a verbose personality seems to be living in an in-between place. This English production also boasts some great production design, and uses a full frame quite beautifully.
Stealth by Bennett Lasseter
This lovely short features transgender girl Kristina Hernandez [1] as Sammy, a transitioning girl who’s changed schools and is faced with the fear of her peers’ rejection when she decides to confide her secret. It’s usually light and fluffy with girls being girls, until these friendships deepen.
I’m Going To Marry This Boy by Radha Mehta
Nothing tops a larger than life story- In a country where marriages are usually arranged, and women don’t necessarily have the freedom to choose, at a time when most certainly didn’t; Hansa Mehta’s marriage has lasted 45 blissful years. Technically, it’s less realized, but the story sells itself.
Mrs. Mehta has certainly had an eventful life.
Maybe you’ll find the short at A Dose of Soul.
2 Responses
[…] sin hogar que tratan de lidiar con la ausencia de sus padres [recientemente pude ver la india Jaya]? El equipo Cinencuentro me invitó a cubrir algunos títulos para el Festival de Venecia, y esta […]
[…] up watching two stories about homeless girls who try to make up for the absence of their parents [1] in less than one month? I was invited by Cinencuentro to cover some of the films, and this […]