SXSW Review: Short Films

This week, I’ve been traipsing around the SXSW Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas with some of my esteemed colleagues here at Film Inquiry (editor-in-chief and founder Manon de Reeper, Shawn Glinis, and Hazem Fahmy). One of the things I made sure to catch at least some of were the short film blocs, knowing that in all likelihood they would be largely self-funded endeavours from what are sure to be some of the up and coming filmmakers of the next decade.

So today I marched myself around downtown Austin to see what SXSW had to offer in terms of short content. The films ranged from bizarre to hilarious and from oddly sexual to strangely beautiful. A diverse slate of young filmmakers, many of whom were in attendance, graced the screens for packed audiences – these were my favourites from what I viewed today.

Haven

A powerfully impactful three minute short from Kelly Fyffe-Marshall out of Canada, Haven touches on a series of issues in its short runtime, moving swiftly from an intimate look at a black mother bonding with her young daughter to creating a spotlight on the difficult issue of child molestation.

In Fyffe-Marshall’s brief Q & A, she stated that she wanted to highlight issues in the black community that are rarely openly discussed, and hopes that her film can start some of those conversations. To that end, she offers the film to universities for educational purposes.

Are We Good Parents? 

Are We Good Parents? offers a turn on LGBT cinema. When a mom and dad discover they might be wrong about their daughter’s sexuality, they panic and question their ability as parents. Director Bola Ogun based this film on her own sister’s coming out story, this film wonderfully highlights the more selfish side of “wokeness”, using humor to deftly poke fun at (some) modern parents.

Look out for strong performances from Once Upon a Time’s Sean Maguire and Tarantino veteran Tracie Thomas as well as the young Gabrielle Skye Goodman as their daughter.

Kimchi

Offering a blend of cultures, Kimchi is a touching and sometimes humorous take on aging and the issues involved in the process for both the individual and their family. The film revolves around a young American couple of Korean and Japanese descent, respectively, who are visiting the young woman’s grandparents in Korea towards the end of the grandfather’s life.

Filmed in three languages (Japanese, English, and Korean), director Jackson Kiyoshi Segars creates a delicate and balanced film which expresses a sense of both heritage and hope for the future.

Milk

Easily the most terrifying film I’ve seen in a while, Milk draws much of its strength from its simplicity. Everything kicks off when a boy goes to his kitchen in the middle of the night for some milk, only to find his mother already downstairs – or does he?

Director Santiago Menghini expertly allows his audience to dangle with the weight of anticipation creating an almost unbearable amount of suspense. Menghini said at the Q & A that he doesn’t have anything lined up for the future at the moment, but I fully expect that to change.

Hair Wolf

Hair Wolf from director Mariama Diallo offers a humorous look at the issues surrounding black women, the politicisation of natural hair, and gentrification using classic horror motifs. Fantastic lighting and set design matched with some truly fantastic hair design help elevate the film, while Diallo’s clear and sophisticated understanding of the genre she plays off lends the film both credibility and humor.

I’m going to be imagining a preppy white girl going “BRAAAAAIDS” for a while and then giggling to myself, much to the amusement and confusion of those around me I’m sure. Diallo mentioned during the Q & A that she’s currently developing a feature film, and I, for one, can not wait.

Wrapping up

There were, of course, many films that I loved but these are the standouts from the blocs I attended. If you’re looking for “the ones to watch”, keep your eye on these directors and their work because I’m sure you will be seeing much, much more from them. Many thanks to SXSW Conference and Festivals for programming such a great slate of films, and a special shout out to the absolutely phenomenal volunteers who’ve been dealing with my overwhelmed nonsense all week.