Short of the Week

USA

Thriller about Corruption in 3D Animation
Rodrigo Blaas / 5 min / USA / 2009

A curious kid is tempted into a toy store where things are not quite as they seem.

Musical about Hope in Live-Action
Kurt Kuenne / 16 min / USA / 2009

A parking attendent serves up free compliments to a world in need of a little gratitude and understanding

Horror about Desperation in Live-Action
Damian McCarthy / 4 min / USA / 2009

Does telling a story’s ending deflate its tension? In this case, definitely not.

Fantasy about Inspiration in Special FX
Doug Purver / 3 min / USA / 2009

A young boy dreams or rather wakes and then rides his way into the clouds.

Drama about Childhood in Live-Action
Phillip Van / 9 min / USA / 2009

An overweight kid struggles to connect with a girl in a world where he’s pegged as an outcast.

Musical about Redemption in Live-Action
Brandon McCormick / 15 min / USA / 2009

A dispassionate master of the stage is brought to see the magic around us every day.

Documentary about Hope in Animation
James Blagden / 5 min / USA / 2009

It’s the 70′s, and pitcher Dock Ellis is high as a kite and pitching the game of his life.

Documentary about Life & Society in Live-Action
Jesse Epstein / 7 min / USA / 2009

An examination of beauty as seen through the eyes of mannequin manufacturers.

Experimental about Reality in Special FX
Tim Bollinger / 5 min / USA / 2009

A stylistic look at the bizarre moments between moments.

Music Video about Inspiration in Motion Graphics
Andy Martin / 2 min / USA / 2009

Energetic music video for the 1970s punk band Johnny 7 Combo animated entirely in newspaper and paint.

Thriller about Desperation in Live-Action
Takashi Doscher, Alex Shofner / 6 min / USA / 2009

A quick pit stop turns deadly for a rookie cop.

Dark Comedy about Desperation in Live-Action
Richard Gale / 10 min / USA / 2009

The slowest murder on film takes place between a helpless man and persistent agent of death armed with only a spoon.

Action about Growth in Special FX
Jarrett Lee Conway / 20 min / USA / 2009

A futuristic fighting flick superior to anything in theaters—narratively and visually.

Experimental about Reality in Special FX
/ 1 min / USA / 2009

A visual magic trick that bends the mind.

Fantasy about Human Nature in Live-Action
Spike Jonze / 10 min / USA / 2009

Spike Jonze spins a blend of realism and fantasy in this bizarre look into the twisted world of Kanye West.

Drama about Hope in Live-Action
Joshua Weigel / 22 min / USA / 2009

Amid the Great Depression, a limbless man joins a circus and searches to become more than just a sideshow act in this Doorpost winning film.

Music Video about Family in Collage Animation
Giles Timms / 2 min / USA / 2009

A young boy gets lost on an outing with his family and comes back to find decades have past.

Music Video about Love in Special FX
Chris Milk / 3 min / USA / 2009

A harsh breakup served up with a side of brutal honesty and a walking, singing heart that will have you saying, “That’s so true.”

Action about Crime in Live-Action
Andrew Young / 15 min / USA / 2009

Our hero faces danger and dames in this classic crime-fighter archetype.

9
Adventure about Other Worlds in 3D Animation
Shane Acker / 10 min / USA / 2009

The most acclaimed student work of the decade is this post-apocalyptic CG action short out of UCLA, which won the director the right to adapt it to the big screen.

Drama about Nothing in Live-Action
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen / 3 min / USA / 2009

Brief look at the curious interactions between a lone cowboy and a theater ticketer by the Coen brothers.

Exploitation about Revenge in Live-Action
Jason Eisner / 16 min / USA / 2009

Maniacal Lumberjacks!!! Shady Tree Dealers!! Corny Dads and Sex-crazed Teens!! It’s Christmas and there are some trees that can’t take anymore…warning—hilariously graphic violence ahead.

Documentary about Family in Flash Animation
Chris Ware / 4 min / USA / 2009

The second collaboration between NPR institution “This American Life” and comic book icon Chris Ware, examines the slipperiness of memory to humorous effect.

Experimental about Nothing in Stop-Motion
Pes / 2 min / USA / 2009

Pes brings magic to the ordinary task of making spaghetti.

Essay about Nature in 3D Animation
Jacques Khouri / 2 min / USA / 2009

An animated look at the balancing act between man and nature.