CTRL Z: gentle romantic time-travel comedy with a sting in its tail
James Kennedy, “CTRL Z” (2017) Cats may have nine lives but the characters in this very funny sci-fi romantic comedy end up having nearly 4,800 lives…
nausika
Vikaari: how war and instability might breed a new species of predatory, psychopathic human
Sandun Seneviratne, Charlie Bray, “Vikaari” (2020) Cunningly disguised as a TV current affairs article / mini-documentary, complete with different styles of filming including videotaping, this short…
Tunnelen: an underdeveloped film of future dystopia as experienced by a generic family
André Øvredal, “Tunnelen” (2016) Even something as seemingly innocuous and commonplace as driving to the seaside – and then getting stuck in peak-hour traffic on the…
How is This the World: finding authenticity in virtual reality versus real world addiction and escapism
Sadie Rogers, “How is This the World” (2019) Starting out almost as a gritty film noir crime thriller, this short film transforms into a music video…
Australian and New Zealand Films, North American Films
Red Rover: a sparing character study of human behaviour in extreme situations
Brooke Goldfinch, “Red Rover” (2015) In less than 15 minutes, “Red Rover” explores very minimally in a character-driven study the reactions of individuals and a community…
Pinki: a modern fairy-tale of self-discovery through memories of old technology
Hyunsuk Kim, “Pinki” (2018) Initially looking like a Korean mash-up of Neil Blomkamp’s “District 9” and “Chappie” with The Transformers film series and Joonho Bong’s “The…
Final Offer: implausible plot made enjoyable by great acting and fast minimal dialogue
Mark Slutsky, “Final Offer” (2018) The premise is the height of implausibility but great acting from Aaron Abrams and Anna Hopkins as protagonist and antagonist lawyers…
Australian and New Zealand Films
Reforming Australia’s financial industry in “Japan Post Bank: The great postal banking success”
“Japan Post Bank: The great postal banking success – Interview with Daisuke Kotegawa” (Citizens Insight / Australian Citizens Party, 15 February 2021) In this informative interview conducted…
Metal from the Dirt: a short surface survey of Navajo extreme metal
Clarke Tolton, “Metal from the Dirt” (2018) Unfortunately like other documentaries I have seen on underground heavy metal, Clarke Tolton’s documentary on the underground heavy metal…
Numb: a powerful short film on the effects of lockdown isolation on young people
Liv McNeil, “Numb” (2020) Originally an art school project to occupy her for the rest of the school year, Liv McNeil’s three-minute film “Numb” has reached…