Category: Film Review

Awards Season, BAFTA, Documentary Short, Film Festivals, Film Review, Filmmaker Spotlight, Films, HollyShorts Film Festival, Oscars, Short Film

OSCAR SPOTLIGHT REVIEW: With SUNFLOWER Balcerek crafts a moving narrative about the strength of the human spirit during one of history’s most tragic periods

Mateusz Balcerek’s Sunflower is a poignant and powerful World War II drama that captures the resilience of the human spirit under unimaginable circumstances. Set in war-torn Poland, the film tells the heart-wrenching story of a young Jewish girl hiding in a barn while Nazi soldiers search the surrounding area. Inspired by real events experienced by Balcerek’s grandmother, Sunflower is a gripping depiction of survival, fear, … Continue reading OSCAR SPOTLIGHT REVIEW: With SUNFLOWER Balcerek crafts a moving narrative about the strength of the human spirit during one of history’s most tragic periods

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Awards Season, BAFTA, Film Review, Films, Live action short

BAFTA SPOTLIGHT: Barnaby Blackburn’s BAFTA-qualified PYLON is a masterclass in how to use storytelling to deliver a powerful, unforgettable message

Barnaby Blackburn’s BAFTA-qualified short film Pylon is a gripping exploration of the reckless nature of young masculinity and the devastating impact it can have. Set in a haunting, isolated landscape dominated by a towering pylon, the film opens with a group of boys testing the limits of their bravado, but quickly spirals into a tale of guilt, trauma, and the horrific consequences of their carelessness. … Continue reading BAFTA SPOTLIGHT: Barnaby Blackburn’s BAFTA-qualified PYLON is a masterclass in how to use storytelling to deliver a powerful, unforgettable message

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Academy Awards, Feature, Film Festivals, Film Review, Films, Live action short

OSCAR Spotlight: IN THE GARDEN OF TULIPS, Julia Elihu and Ava Lalezarzadeh’s suspense-filled short is magnificent

Julia Elihu and Ava Lalezarzadeh’s In the Garden of Tulips has qualified to be considered for the 2025 Oscars. Sixteen-year-old Caroline (Ava Lalezarzadeh) cuts a forlorn figure next to her father (Iman Nazemzadeh) as they travel across the Iranian countryside of Birjand. There’s mystery surrounding the purpose of the journey, but there’s palpable tension in the air, and as they get closer to their destination, … Continue reading OSCAR Spotlight: IN THE GARDEN OF TULIPS, Julia Elihu and Ava Lalezarzadeh’s suspense-filled short is magnificent

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Academy Awards, Awards Season, Film Festivals, Film Review, Films, Oscars, Short Film, Uncategorized

OSCAR Spotlight: FIRELINE directed by Robin Takao D’Oench’s shares an untold but essential story

Fireline has qualified to be considered for the 2025 Oscars. The role prison labour has in combating forest fires is rarely highlighted in the media, but with Robin Takao D’Oench’s gripping short FIRELINE, they are put firmly in the spotlight. The drama follows incarcerated firefighter Otto Reyes (Bobby Soto) as he desperately tries to call his daughter against the backdrop of an uncontrollable wildfire. This action … Continue reading OSCAR Spotlight: FIRELINE directed by Robin Takao D’Oench’s shares an untold but essential story

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Academy Awards, Awards Season, Film Festivals, Film Review, Films, Live action short, Short Film

OSCAR Spotlight: MOTHERLAND, Jasmin Mozaffari’s ambitious short is a triumph

Motherland has qualified to be considered for the 2025 Oscars, it is directed by Jasmin Mozaffari. At the height of the Iranian Hostage Crisis, Iranian Americans were faced with a new level of prejudice that they had never encountered before, which put their futures in the US in doubt. This tension is the subject of Jasmin Mozaffari’s phenomenal short drama MOTHERLAND, which was inspired by the … Continue reading OSCAR Spotlight: MOTHERLAND, Jasmin Mozaffari’s ambitious short is a triumph

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