It was nice to see the El Dorado Film Festival bring back one of its best short film categories. As its name reveals, the “Southern Made” selections shine the spotlight on a wonderful variety of short films that come seasoned with a uniquely Southern flavor. This year brings another entertaining collection that once again promotes a diverse range of visions.
Here are a few impressions out of the films included in this year’s block...
Written and directed by Cathlin McCullough, “The Oldest” tells a bittersweet story of a young girl forced into adulthood well before her time. Young Kate (played with heartwarming sincerity by Meara Wallace) is the oldest of her tight-knit siblings living in a rural home with their alcoholic father (Kristian Day). As the oldest, Kate steps in to take care of the house and her sisters. But deep down she dreams of a normal kid’s life. McCullough vividly defines Kate’s reality yet for a brief period she’s allowed to escape through a beautifully captured montage that hits like a ton of bricks. Honest, evocative, and deeply impactful.
VERDICT – 4.5/5
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Rob Senska brings his skills as a cinematographer to the director’s chair with his visually driven and quietly power “Ashes”. Senska slyly blends genre elements with his own wildly original ideas, all in an effort to tell an affecting yet uplifting story about overcoming childhood trauma. The story is not one you summarize. Instead you experience it – allowing the images to transport you as you pick up carefully placed clues along the way. A mysterious cat, a ravenous werewolf, and one determined young boy (Maximilian Good) all play key parts in this impressive visual fantasy that’s firmly grounded in real-life experience.
VERDICT – 4/5
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“Emma’s Social Battery” is a love letter of its own wacky kind to introverts who just need some alone time to recharge from social fatigue. That’s certainly the case for Emma (Olivia Peck) who has a new job and is afraid her social exhaustion may push away her newly made friends and colleagues. Co-written and co-directed by Jannet Lopez and Carlos Jimenez, the film takes a turn after Emma invites her new friends over for a dinner party. And as Emma’s social battery drains, the interactions only get zanier. Peck clearly has a blast while Lopez and Jimenez surround a resonating message with some proudly silly humor.
VERDICT – 3.5/5
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The sister duo of Marquel Skinner and Blair Skinner team up to make “Bot”, one the funnier and most maddeningly relatable films I saw at this year’s El Dorado Film Festival. Blair directs while Marquel writes and stars in this swift yet pointed short about a woman who begins to question her humanity after getting stuck in an endless parade of CAPTCHA tests while trying to order concert tickets online. Blair’s crisp and fluid direction propels the story while Marquel’s hysterical script is only matched by her quick-witted performance. Keep your eye out for this one.
Keith & the Movies 