AFI Fest (back in person) wrapped up last Sunday with Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised. The movie tackles a disgraced MMA fighter returning to the ring and Berry was quoted as saying the flick is the biggest challenge of her career. The fest also featured new films from well-known directors like Pedro Almodóvar (Parallel Mothers) and Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog). Overall, it felt like the fest embraced the theme of perseverance — very apropos as the world still tries to overcome a pandemic.

In lieu of waiting in long lines to try to score big premiere entrances, this writer was very excited to check out the short film programming. AFI Fest is known for choosing films from all over the world and takes pride in often showing shorts you won’t see everywhere else. Niche movies that tell intimate stories and come from unexpected regions, like Cypress.

Without further ado, here are your five screenwriting takeaways from the AFI Fest’s Shorts Program One (and filmmakers and shorts to watch!). 

1. Embracing apocalyptic times.  This block was undeniably dark, which again, makes sense as programmers were likely watching these shorts in lockdown times and at the cusp of vaccine approval. Themes embraced included: Unwittingly missing a lost person (Zonder Meer), embracing your own depression (Misery Loves Company), and even how to survive mythical creatures who come to punish you if you’ve been bad (Nalujuk Night). Film exists to help us process and understand what’s going on around us and this block undeniably embraces the dark times we are hopefully emerging from. It felt good to be in a dark theater doing just that with others — an always acceptable place to let your tears flow. 

2. Documentary plays well at big fests.  Documentary dominated the shorts block more than narrative. Perhaps that is because the times we are living in feel stranger than fiction. Each documentary provided equal escapist qualities to the best narratives out there. Nalujuk Night provided nightmare fuel for the most die-hard of horror fans. The Death Cleaner was a beautiful and heart-wrenching portrait that transports one to a completely different place. Love, Dad was not afraid to confront a difficult relationship, and Babybangz literally takes the audience to the swamp of New Orleans. 

3. Visual metaphors.  While the films featured in Block One felt a bit more traditional than full-on experimental, they were all rich with visual metaphors. The swamp of New Orleans feels like a rebirth for the subjects of Babybangz who take back their power through self-expression with their hair. Love, Dad’s intricate collage and use of stop motion feels like a visual representation of a fractured relationship, while the use of color, crutches and food design in A Summer Place represent transition and division all at once (more on that in a moment). 

4. The power of place.  What all shorts in the block had was a powerful sense of place. Where we live and what we do and the culture that surrounds us undeniably influences us, but so does the opportunity to be transported to places we may never go, like the island of Cyprus, a small lake campground somewhere in Europe, or a remote Inuit community in Nain, Canada. That is the magic of movies big or small. If one can feel genuinely transported, one can likely experience empathy for those living a life so different one cannot even conjure it up until, perhaps, experiencing it in a short or feature film. 

5. A star filmmaker is born.  The most astounding film in the block belongs to Cyprus-born filmmaker Alexandra Matheou of A Summer Place. The film takes a look at relations and divisions between those native to the island and the immigrant crisis that has been surging since conflict escalated in Syria. But it’s also a dreamy and surreal look at a languid lifestyle in a vacation destination that feels far from everyday reality. Beyond that, it’s a touching love story between two very improbable kindred spirits. Matheou has a clear and distinct voice and vision and feels like she has all the promise for breakout success. A Summer Place is a must-see for all film fans when it moves from its festival run to an online debut. 

Final Takeaway: What always feels special about a festival experience is discovering films the greater public has yet to witness — and in the case of shorts, sadly may never experience unless sought out). This group of shorts was one such worthy experience. Read more about this group of shorts at AFI Fest.

Image: Misery Loves Company