Hey All,

It’s been a minute since I did a chat session with everyone, but I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy. September was a pretty busy month, and as a result, I did not get to a monthly wrap-up. So, here it is! I will include September’s monthly wrap-up in October’s post to make up for last month.

September Recap:

In September, we explored (and finished) two separate PBS short film programs: Reel South Shorts and Film School Shorts. Both of which were full of some of the most life-altering films I have ever watched. They were dark films. They were emotional and heavy, but they were also fantastic.

I also had the pleasure of watching the Vancouver Latin Film Festival, and I loved it. The flavor was different from other film festivals I have seen this year. No energy was put into making the films look perfect; all was focused on creating a natural and honest experience. If you did not make it to this year’s festival, I recommend attending next year.

SFW Monthly Film Favorites:

A World For Raul

Still one of my favorite films; I think my excitement stems from how suspenseful it was. It is painless to worry for the boy. You recognize his softness and intelligence, and it makes you both relieved and uncertain about his future. The boy shows you that he is willing to survive in a cruel world, despite not being made for it. The transitions in this character’s development are smooth, and I love the creative direction.

Less Than Human

This is a uniquely quirky film about zombies desiring equality. There are a lot of cheeky and fun moments in this animated film, but there is also a wholesome message about accepting differences. The film demonstrates a fictional world that is representative of our society. We see the breaks in our conventional ideology of human beings. This leaves room for us to question what a life experience is for others different from us; why shouldn’t we let someone/something live out its version of a life experience without ridicule.

Drum Wave

This is a crazy horror film, but I love it. It was thoughtful, and it kept me glued to the screen.

Polaroid

This was a fun horror film. The polaroid camera was a nice element, and it added a unique quality to the horror.

October Recap:

October marked SFW’s First Anniversary. A year ago, when I started this blog, I had no clue what I was going to do with it, but I wanted to build something. I was on YouTube, and I saw some of the most impressive short films. Content that was better than the movies on T.V., with only a few hundred views. These short films changed my whole perspective on visual art and filmmaking. My biggest goal for this site is to give small filmmakers an audience. I have watched many short films that have positively changed my life over the past year, and I hope this site offers something to the people visiting it. Having a place to share my thoughts on fantastic films every day has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I am thankful.

November Schedule:

October, we started this dive into short films about mental health and mental illness. In November, we will be continuing this short film deep-dive.

Also, I have a couple of film festivals I want to attend. So, I will have my reviews up later in the month for you guys.

SFW Monthly Film Favorites:

Last Call

You spend most of the film questioning whom the main character is talking to on the other line. Then, you wonder if the main character is even talking to another person. It is a sad film, but it is also simple to connect to the character’s difficulty letting go.

Amani

It is ok to feel broken but never to stay broken. I love the poetry of this biopic. It is based on a harried moment in Amani’s life where he almost died. The film details Amani’s struggle with the demons of youth and his progression away from street life.