Film festival - day 2

10% Shorts
Festival synopsis:
1.The Belgium Caper

Muriel is nearly 40 and still childless. Despite the misgivings of her girlfriend, Emmanuelle, she decides to take an emergenc y trip to the Belgians (neighbors of French people in Europe) where in vitro fertilization is legal. Thus begins a tragicomic journey.

My review: 
This short was mildly comical in need of better editing.  3 out of 5 stars.
Watch the trailer here.

2. Foremost in my Mind

Gail Marquis, an Olympic medalist (Montreal, 1976), met feisty Audrey Smaltz when the Olympian was 43 and Smaltz, a former model, was 61. They had both had earlier relationships, Marquis with women and Smaltz with men, but none lasted until they met each other and everything clicked. Their story will resonate with the late bloomers among us as it tracks the course of these women’s incredible lives.

My review:
This short showed 2 very successful women who meet and begin a relationship 'later in life'.  Interesting and enjoyable.  4 out of 5 stars. 
Watch the short here.

3. More Than Ever

Follow a 54-year love story between William Campbell and John Hilton, starting with their meeting in an NYC bathhouse in 1957, up to the present day, when an illness presents them with new struggles and an appreciation of their very special bond. 

My review:
This sweet and touching love story should win everyone over.  Its hard to imagine being with someone for 54 years!  4 out of 5 stars. 
Watch the short here.

4. The Kiss

After an alcohol-induced night out, Emilia, 20, wakes up in a strange apartment and that’s just the start of the strange events that follow.

My review:

I found this short to be a bit tedious and sophomoric.  2 out of 5 stars. 
Watch the trailer here.

5. P.D.A.

An urban gay couple disputes their very different views on holding hands in public, which leads to a much bigger exploration of their relationship.

My review:

This short was current and funny with an unexpected ending.  5 out of 5 stars. 
No trailer found.

6.  Wini & George

An unlikely friendship will change one young boy’s life forever. When George, a shy

8-year-old outcast, first meets Wini, his 75-year-old reclusive neighbor, she immediately frightens him. But soon enough, these two realize that they have more in common with each other than they do with the rest of the world.

My review:

Neighbor Wini understands that sometimes little boys like to play with pink stuffed ponies. Sweet and well done.  4 out of 5 stars.
No trailer found.

7. Spooners

After convincing his husband to retire their lumpy, old futon, Nelson is forced to come out in a spectacular way while shopping for a new bed at a mattress store. This charming comedy was directed by former Philadelphian Bryan Horch.

My review: 

This well-paced and smartly funny short had me laughing out loud at some points.  5 out of 5 stars.
Watch the trailer here.

In Hiding
Festival synopsis:

Janina is a young Polish woman living a lonely life with the father that raised her following her mother’s suicide. Towards the end of WWII, she is quite concerned upon discovering that her father agreed to hide the daughter of his Jewish friend. She quickly

becomes fascinated with the fun-loving Ester, a beautiful ballerina, who dreams of resuming a happy life when the war ends. When Janina’s father gets arrested, she is left to continue hiding Ester, and they live in nearly total isolation. Loneliness and fear bring

them closer together with increasing intimacy. When the war ends, Janina keeps news of the liberation from Ester, as her erotic fascination gives way to an obsessive desire to keep Ester to herself at all cost. In Hiding is a universal story with a unique, surprising twist. It is a story of human desperation with raw emotion that can make us renounce all moral inhibitions and the potential horrors that result. The two actresses give riveting performances that will linger with you long after the film ends. 

My review:

This film felt like it was 4 hours long, probably because too much time was spent setting the stage.  The film  took on a very dark and disturbing twist as Janina's obssession with Ester leads to murdering a nosey neighbor and Ester's fiance.  When the film was over I tried to decipher what point the filmmaker was trying to get across.  Human desperation?  The effect of war on people?  I did not find this film to be enjoyable or entertaining, although the actresses were believable in their roles.  2 out of 5 stars. 
Watch the trailer here.