I spent my final Sunday evening before the start of the Fall semester in the City of Brotherly Love at the Trocadero Theatre checking out "A Night of Short Films" presented by Average Super Star Films. It was a fun-filled affair featuring many young (and old) talented actors, actresses, and directors. Here's just a quick review of last night's festivities.
Unfortunately, I arrived fashionably late and missed a few of the early showings. Luckily though, I arrived in time to catch Good Fortune. As a Lion's Head Production, Good Fortune follows a coffee shop employee who finds himself in a bit of bad luck after his girlfriend dumps him and asks him to move out. The breakup also leads to an altercation that ends up costing the heartbroken man his job. Lonely and desolate the protagonist stumbles across a lamp, hoping it will be the key to a lifetime of good fortune. Incorporating a strong dose of comedy and an interesting premise, Good Fortune left a stellar first impression on the evening.
Two other noteworthy shorts that premiered last night were Love and Business and Welcome Home. Love and Business, written and directed by Loren W. Lepre, tackles the mob genre as the film's protagonist is forced to decide between the woman he's fallen in love with and the dirty work that he's spent his entire life doing. Also, Welcome Home proved to be one of the most intense films of the evening. This clever take on "found footage films" centers around a teenager's video documentation of his brothers arrival home from the war in Iraq. Director Danny Donnelly brings together a nightmarish world that none of us would hope to encounter. Captivating and emotionally draining, Welcome Home was a shockingly realistic adventure into the mental struggles that our young men and woman face while fighting on the front lines overseas.
The headlining film yesterday was an epic sci-fi adventure called Infinite (trailer above). Written and directed by Daniel Speers, Infinite centers around Earth's last hope, Major Adam Fossy. On a mission to find extraterrestrial life, Fossy is awaken from a long slumber by his robot companion and forced to come terms with a failed mission. However, the team's next plan of attack will be an internal struggle between fact and faith. With remarkable special effects and a mind-blowing premise, Infinite far exceeds the traditional student film and ventures into the realm of epic fantasies.
In addition to Infinite, another top 3 film for me was That Voodoo You Do by Andrew Bennett. The riotous talkie centers around a man trying to resurrect his deceased brother. But in order to do so, he searches out the help of a witch doctor who uses voodoo to bring the brother back to life. Constant hilarity, praiseworthy writing and top notch acting help propel That Voodoo You Do to the forefront of the evening.
Finally, my favorite film last night was another Daniel Speers directed short called Guests of a Nation (trailer above). Based on a short story, Guests of a Nation takes place during the Irish War for Independence in the 1920s. Two Irish soldiers hold two British POW's secure at a remote home and ironically become good friends. But when news breaks of Brits massacring the Irish in a nearby town, someone must pay for the bloodshed. Proving that no one wins in war, Guests of a Nation is a gut-wrenching and thought provoking journey into 1920s Ireland. Containing brilliant acting by the entire cast and phenomenal direction by Speers, Guests of a Nation stands out as a true masterpiece.
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