This article is part of NUFEC's ongoing coverage of the Independent Film Festival Boston 2015.


Before I dive into these films, I just want to say: damn were they good. I only attended one short film session, which was Shorts B = Bravo, a narratives collection, but I wish I could've attended more short film series. These were truly fantastic films, and getting back into the practice of watching short films is quite easy. They're pithy, because they need to be, and they're often quite funny, which is impressive given the small amount of time we have to connect with the characters or the situation. Bravo, indeed, to these six films: Prom Night, Hasta La Vista, Help Point, Ticky Tacky, Desk Job, and Actor Seeks Role.

*image sadly not available*

A young, slightly awkward man living in New York City attends a party thrown by a friend. What could go wrong? This quirky, hilarious short with a quick-witted premise could easily be too sad or too overdone, but manages to walk a comedic line throughout. You’ll learn about relationships, the impact of subway singers, what true awkward behavior looks like, and maybe even a few fun facts about hippos.

Grade: A

Two strangers looking for their cars in an airport parking lot cross paths and lament over their common woes. The bus stand hosts a “Help Point” where they can speak to someone to help locate their cars, but in the meantime there’s plenty of time for a story or two. This short felt a little overdone at times but was largely enjoyable. Thank goodness I don’t have a car to lose in an airport parking lot.

Grade: B

Initially, this short caught my attention with Wes Anderson-esque symmetry and angles, as well as the inclusion of an all-knowing lawyer who appeared to be about eight years old. But the star of the show, Oscar Isaac, stole the moment with a tale of love, betrayal, and loss. I’m all for a film set exclusively in an office-library featuring a precocious child who shares a murderous streak with his enigmatic boss, so it was pretty exciting all around.

Grade: B+

In Desk Job, we accompany a man through his frustrating day as an insurance claim adjuster working from home. Largely, we only see the one man and the sound editing of the voices he speaks with on the phone is quite impressive. Having working for a large corporation, albeit without the clients breathing down my neck, I completely identify with the feelings of worthless time and meaningless emails. The film managed to feel familiar without feeling overindulgent for the most part. It felt like the person who made this maybe had to convince their parents that they should be able to work in film rather than have a stable job at a large corporation; I don’t know about their parents, but that person convinced me.

Grade: B+

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Narrative Short Films at IFFBoston this year.

An aspiring actor (Alex Karpovsky of GIRLS) in New York City pays his rent with a part-time medical acting gig, which involves performing the symptoms of various illnesses to help train student doctors. Although his acting coach doesn’t think he has what it takes, he truly subscribes to the Meisner technique through which the focus is for the actor to "get out of his head," such that he or she is behaving instinctively. His medical instructor (Dylan Baker) loves his flair for the theatrical and is especially excited to see him perform a series of complicated illnesses for the students’ final exam.

Alex Karpovsky’s portrayal of a man going off the rails for his craft feels natural, albeit disturbing. Dylan Baker may have stolen the show, though, as his medical instructor excitement flew off the screen. Both actors worked for the minimum amount they’re required to make accordingly to guild rules, yet their performances indicate they were paid much more. Hats off to the special effects or makeup crew for the film as well – I thought I was looking at real rashes.

Grade: B+

This documentary short film caught my attention immediately, just as the original story captivated millions last year: Christopher Knight, dubbed the "North Pond Hermit", lived in the woods of Maine and had no human contact for over 27 years before he was caught by police. He stole all he possessed from nearby summerhouses, so those in the area were familiar, though uneasy and frustrated, with the strange burglaries that involved peanut butter going missing while jewels were left untouched. His eventual arrest and identity disclosure created a media frenzy, during which I read GQ's article titled "The Strange & Curious Tale of the Last True Hermit" - a title I dismiss, given the subjective definition of a "true hermit" and knowing Christopher Knight is likely not the "last" of those living somewhere in isolation.

Unfortunately, The Hermit felt too disorganized to pack much of a punch. For such a ripe and unique story, the exploration felt conventional and surface-level. Thoughtful discussion of the reasons why someone would choose to live a life of isolation felt too rare. Several times, the film seemed to be building up to a thoughtful assessment of even one part of the story, but time and time again it failed to produce a conclusion. Some interviews with townspeople focused on the way Christopher Knight looked in his mug shot, which was never shown. I respect the filmmaker's choice not to show the photo if the choice centered on Christopher Knight's request for some level of visual anonymity, but the focus on his appearance in a mug shot should accordingly be of less focus. It wasn't.

The only really intriguing parts of the film were the interviews with the townspeople; thankfully, those were a large focus, but unfortunately they were delivered in a piecemeal fashion that diminished their impact. The film often felt torn between conveying every single thought the townspeople had about the man and constructing a thoughtful discussion around his choices and their impact; sadly, the film leaned much more towards the latter than the former. It felt like it built up a few different thoughts to about 60%, leaving everything just under par.

I walked away knowing more about the divisive opinions within the community, but I knew those likely existed prior to seeing the film. Director Lena Friendrich definitely picked a fantastic story to cover, but I'm not sure this version is the best one. Maybe wait for a second cut.

Grade: C

I've traveled to various places in Europe seven times, yet I've never purchased a Kinder Surprise egg before. I wasn't even aware that such a treat existed: a small, chocolate egg that is hollow and reveals a yellow case inside (the "yolk") housing a small toy. For many growing up in Europe, these were apparently nostalgic items reflecting childhood; indeed, the subject of this film finds the eggs to remind him of his childhood in Bulgeria, where he couldn't access the eggs easily both due to a short supply and a lack of disposable income. The evident parallel restricting his access to the eggs now is that they're illegal in the United States; they're considered a choking hazard (only American children would choke on these; the rest of the world is apparently fine). The subject of the film regularly transported the eggs into the United States, but he was more recently stopped at the Canadian border with the illegal eggs and risks losing his work permit in the United States if he is caught transporting them again. Accordingly, we never see his face.

Crooked Candy is simple, elegant, and surprisingly tender. We watch the man interact with his collection of hundreds of Kinder toys as he speaks in a very measured, unassuming, almost calming tone about what the eggs mean to him. When the 6-minute film ended, I was left with so many questions; chiefly, why did it have to end so quickly? It feels rare that a voiceover short film shot largely in the same room and with limited visual engagement of the single subject could so quickly and delightfully engage, but engage it did. I will undoubtedly seek out those Kinder eggs the next time I leave the States, and I look forward to the next unique surprise from director Andrew Rodgers.

Grade: A-