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by Adam Barnick
Before an afternoon filled with informative panels and exciting short films, I was lucky enough to
secure an interview with FIRECRACKER director Steve Balderson, in which we spoke about his motivations for making the film, his views on art and perception, and
some of the inner secrets of his award-winning second film...
Afterwards, a panel was scheduled for filmmakers and film fans alike, entitled MAKING MOVIES ANYWHERE. Moderated by Michael Hein, co-founder of the New
York City Horror Film Festival and a director/producer of several indie films such as BIOHAZARDOUS, DEAD SERIOUS, and the upcoming drama THE WORD.
Special filmmaker guests included VisionFest filmmakers Steve Balderson, Christopher P. Garetano, filmmakers Roy Frumkes and Larry Brand.
SHORTS BLOCK 2
We then segued into one of VisionFest's blocks of noted short films, where the amount of ingenuity and production value was unmatched. (where
DO these guys get their funding?)
SHE SANK ON SHALLOW BANK
Director: Clifton Childree and Nikki Rollason
12 minutes
 This beautiful experimental film is billed as 'a washed up girl and her postmortem adventure.'
Involving said washed up girl, and how she seems to influence and be influenced by the ocean objects surrounding her.
With a haunting, moody score and imagery reminiscent of Eraserhead and the animation of the Brothers Quay, SHE SANK was absolutely visually mesmerising.
I can only imagine how long it took them to animate their lead actress(!) frame by frame.
SMART CARD
Director: James Oxford
16 minutes
 Smart Card is a slick, ironic cautionary tale that could be coming true
by the time you read this review- the title refers to the all-purpose access card by which all banking, purchases,
data gathering/retrieval, access to electronics, even your car's operation, etc. is done in this not-so-distant future.
But what if you lose it, or it's stolen? What if you've been so dependant on it that you don't even know your home address since the card
knows it for you? Director Oxford is a top conceptual designer in Hollywood, and his short is packed with exacting detail and design reminiscent of Ridley Scott..
while not overshadowing the story, it manages to bring its slightly-removed-from-now world to life. Performances are decent though one
actor, Brad Greenquist as "Ned", is exceptional. The enigmatic Smart Card rep manages to be charming, eerie, and absorbing in his
few minutes of screen time. Worth checking out.
EARTH
Director: Jihyun Song
1.5 minutes (yes you read that right!)
A quiet, dialogue-free conceptual piece, elaborately hand-animated, manages to make you want more and yet be complete in its brief
butterfly lifespan. Natural materials are transformed into diverse kinds of living beings on Earth, the plot is described as. Works well.
SONS OF THUNDER
Director: Steven Morrow
9.5 minutes
A brief WWII drama primarily captured in a trench, concerning the possible last moments of two members of the 51st
Airborne. While plot elements are cliched(NEVER show someone a picture of your sweetie while at war, it guarantees death!), it's technically
assured and the sound is VERY impressive(film would win an award for its aural achievements the very next day).
WINNING THE PEACE
Director: Eli Kaufman
18 minutes
PEACE concerns the travails an Iraqi-American soldier goes through in our current war, from dealing with natives' and comrades' perception
of his nationality and place in the world, to the senseless death such wars and seemingly innocent actions can bring about.
While there's a bit of a rallying 'stay the course' vibe laced throughout, (some audience members groaned during the President's brief
cameo in a news clip) it's not a propaganda piece; the film's about one man's conflict, not two nations. Performances, cinematography, etc. are tops
across the board. While I believe director Kaufman produced this short through his MFA program at UCLA, it looks like he's been
directing all his life. Looking forward to more films of his.
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RESSURECTION
Director: Mitchell Lichtenstein
10 minutes
A young man abandons his suburban squalor when his alcoholic, sedentary mother
seems to have passed away. Hiding in the woods, he regretfully returns the next morning
to find things were not as expected. While I will admit I was slightly lost with this short, (was he mistaken? Wishful thinking?)
the director does a good job with conveying the mood and a melancholy tone without a bit of dialogue.
PEE SHY
Director: Deb Hagan
15 minutes
A very funny, light and sweet short film, Pee Shy is the condition many of us knew as kids, when things just wouldn't work
as expected when everyone else was around.. in this case it's due to an anxious young Boy Scout being frightened(and wetting himself)
during one of his psychotic scout leader's macabre campfire tales. Revenge is sweet however, and though the story is an extended joke,
it's a great one. Definitely look for this if you see it in a festival lineup.
Our next segment covers some of the final films shown at VisionFest '05, and the winners of each category! Click here to jump to part three of E-Insiders' coverage of VisionFest 2005!
Adam Barnick
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American Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to the hardest hit areas of Katrina’s destruction, supplying hundreds of
thousands victims left homeless with critical necessities. By making a financial gift to Hurricane 2005 Relief, the Red
Cross can provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.
