Oh hello there! It's Umnia, and I saw a lot of short films at this year's Raindance, but none meant more to me than the ones made by my friends. They did also happen to be some of my favourites at the festival overall. So, with no more fanfare - here are my favourites.

Scratch

Whomst amongst us has not yearned for everybody to do things at a normal, regular, human volume? Scratch, beyond being relatable in this sense, has a fantastic sense of humour, and some brilliant performances from some comically annoying coffee shop patrons. Director Byron Collins stars in a bunch more films at the festival, but it's this film that I feel was his strongest outing in the programme by far.

Total Brain Feast

Speaking of a sense of humour...
This unapologetically rough around the edges screwball comedy from Jett Christie (why does that name sound familiar?) brings together Pulp cult aesthetics with an earnest cringe as sweet as Sour Patch Kids. I had a blast, and can't wait to see what he's doing next. (Watch this space).

Sonder

Malak Zainelabdin's tender watercolour takes time to expose the grief at its core, but it's the visual style and conversational tone that felt refreshing to me. Despite being a fiction short, it had the sensibility of a Documentary, lulling the audience into a short-lived sense of security. Fantastic, nuanced performances throughout.

Postcards from Revival

We're living in non-stop grind-core times, and in this short, concise portrait, Millie Munro-Stevenson uncovers the destructive core of workaholism - an oft-overlooked topic in the creative fields, especially - without any glamor or fanfare.

Frizz

If you could see your younger self - or - if you could see your older self – would it change anything? This experimental short from Natalia Karavokyris grapples with aging, past and future, without saying, but instead by feeling.

God is a Computer...(and I forgot the password)

In their signature style, Nor García Grau once again wrestles with isolation and reality in this thoughtful and erratic short. Therapy can only help a man so much, and our protagonist has now turned to digital "confession" to try to parse out the intricacies of his existence. I loved the attention to detail in the edit, the use of "mixed media" (insofar as Zoom Call is a new medium!), and the thoughtful script. Gee. I wonder what they're going to be doing next? (Watch this space.)

In the Mirror

A brutally honest ingress into the complications of a Narcissistic mother in decline, Valeria Schumann's incisive, subtle, particular and stunningly beautiful short pulls no punches. The film doesn't seek to understand, or humanise - instead, we find ourselves on the inside of our protagonist, the daughter, who says nearly nothing across the entire film, and yet speaks volumes. Stunning performances throughout, and yet another high-powered example of what happens when talented women are given the chance to tell stories their own way.

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