“Manspreading” comes to the DC Shorts Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of DC Shorts)
Since 2003, the DC Shorts Film Festival has been one of the District’s most reliable fountains of quality—albeit brief—cinematic content every year.
But for casual filmgoers, it can be a lot to parse. From 1200 submissions, this year’s programmers have selected more than 130 shorts for the festival, which kicks off screenings on Friday, grouped into hour-and-a-half-long showcases. The shorts come from all over, with selections from 30 different nations, so creative voices from all walks of life are represented.
For the enterprising DC Shorts supporter, picking which showcases to watch is as easy as buying an All-Access Festival Pass and hitting every showing like a buffet. But what if you’re new to the festival and have no clue where to start or why you should choose one showcase over another?
That’s where we come in, with a brief rundown of some highlights from this year’s line-up, divided by genre to help you find the right fit. All showcases play at various times at E Street Cinema, ahead of the competition showcases this weekend at the Miracle Theatre. See the schedule for details.
Animated:
Camille (Quand J’Ai Remplace Camille)
Directed by Remy Clarke, Leila Courtillion, and Nathan Otano
(Showcase 12)
In this French psychological drama, a young woman named Laure joins her relay swim team after a fellow teammate dies. With the mounting pressure surrounding qualifiers, Laure’s stress and grief drives her to obsess over the woman she’s replaced, the titular Camille. Shades of Black Swan, no doubt realized with a beautiful animated style.
Oculus Malus
Directed by Felix Benicourt, Maxime Blin, Mathieu Bouzard, Camille Bullet, Valentin Chotel, Adrien Kottelat, Quentin Masingarbe and Dorian Mouty
(Showcase 15, ROFTLMAO Showcase)
“A crazy scientist creates special glasses in order to examine some little creatures that are invisible to human eyes. These creatures may just explain a good proportion of our little daily annoyances.” Sounds like the kind of high-concept sci-fi that functions best in short films.
It’s The Dystopian Future!
Directed by Benjamin Folstein
(Showcase 18)
You know how when you watch the news or walk outside or open your phone and read literally any headline it feels like we’re living in a dystopian future from which there is absolutely no escape? Why not watch an animated short that probably captures that horrifying spirit in jest—and in musical form?
Documentary
Mama
Directed by Nicholas Brennan
(Showcase 1, I Am Woman Showcase)
Set in rural Uganda, this short follows the story of one woman who has devoted her whole life to delivering children in her village. It has the potential to be a truly moving exploration on the nature of motherhood.
Beneath The Ink
Directed by Cy Dodson
(Showcase 17, Ripped From the Headlines Showcase)
In Ohio, tattoo artist Billy Joe White uses his studio to cover up racist symbols. Along the way, his clients discuss a history of racism and hatred along the Appalachian region.
Edward Hopper & Marshall’s House
Directed by Bob Burnett
(The Real Reel Showcase, Showcase 5)
There’s more to artist Edward Hopper than Nighthawks. Here’s a doc examining his 1932 piece Marshall’s House, as well as the five generations of the family who lived in that home before and since the painting’s inception. A snapshot captured in time with its history and future laid out for all to see.
Sidelined
Directed by Galen Summer
(Showcase 3)
Back in 1978, several NFL cheerleaders were fired for posing for Playboy magazine, despite prior approval from team management. This short doc revisits the controversy, a scandal that highlights how little has changed when it comes to double standards and our treatment of women’s sexuality.
Comedy
Manspreading
Directed by Abdelatif Hwidar
(Showcase 1, ROTFLMAO Showcase)
A comedic short about a long train ride and an incident of sexism that sets one woman off.
Hiatus
Directed by Kevin Haefelln
(Showcase 15, ROTFLMAO Showcase)
After discussing religion in one of his classes, a philosophy teacher is confronted by his subject matter in an unconventional way. The intersection of philosophy and religion is ripe for exploration, but doing so with a little magical realism sounds fascinating.
End of the Line
Directed by Jessica Sanders
(Showcase 14, ROTFLMAO Showcase)
A lonely man purchases a tiny man in a cage from a local pet store to be his friend. This premise feels like it could be a sitcom from Michel Gondry.
My First Time
Directed by Jess Jacklin
(Showcase 3, ROTFLMAO Showcase)
Billed as “an unexpected comedy with an unreliable narrator,” this short is a story of mourning one’s first love. The failed romance element sounds great, but it’s the unreliable narrator bit that has us intrigued.
Something Different
Hair Wolf
Directed by Mariama Diallo
(Showcase 4)
Set in a black hair salon in Brooklyn, the locals fend off white women leeching on to black culture. A very real cultural phenomenon mined for maximum cinematic stylization.
The Pharaohs
Directed by David Malouf
(Showcase 1)
This dark comedy follows a woman living in a home for seniors, whose failing health comes between her and her friends. Pharaohs’ screenplay won the 2017 DC Shorts Screenwriting competition.
Deja Vu
Directed by Olivier Labonte LeMoyne
(Thrills and Chills Showcase, Showcase 13)
While in a diner, a young woman experiences a weird case of deja vu that slowly turns into one of her nightmares.
Local Filmmakers
The Pick Up
Directed by Giovanna Chesler
(Showcase 4, Cinema 10% Showcase)
This short follows Melanie, a teen at odds with her divorcing parents who, after a chance encounter with a stranger and a flat tire after swim practice, makes a difficult choice. It sounds like an interesting tale about a difficult time in a youth’s life.
Queens in Training
Directed by Deanna Del Ciello
(Showcase 13)
In preparation for a co-ed chess tournament in D.C., this documentary focuses on two young, black girls as they learn the game and apply that skill set to navigating the intersection of race and gender in their everyday lives.
A Beautiful Villain’s Greed
Directed by Dominique Wilmore
(Showcase 3)
This film is a short burst of stunning imagery set to Wynton Marsalis’ Supercapitalism about a woman obsessed with retail. An animated take on the addictive nature of consumerism? Sign us up.
