Expressions Films In Competition

 Check out the nine international short films that competed in the Official Selection in the Expressions category (under 5 minutes):

Feral Painter - WINNER!

4 min - France - 2012 | dir. Frank Vroegop | UK PREMIERE

"A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed." Paris-based Dutch artist Frank Vroegop both stars in and directed this beautiful experimental film about the deconstructionist aspect of art, which also features a powerful Radiohead soundtrack.

Vroegop also directs music videos and high-end commercials, working with the likes of Beyoncé, Claudia Schiffer, Lexus and Cadillac - and he even has his own app. He also supports Reporters Without Borders, for whom he has made several films. 

Poetica

3 min - USA - 2012 | dir. Anthony Furlong | INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

This vibrant documentary uses a blend of man-on-the-street-style interviews, performance footage, and confessionals to express an artistic soul through the words of artists across New York City: dancers, opera singers, boxers, skateboarders, chess players and fashion designers.

Director Furlong says, "I had set out to make a film about human connection. What I discovered along the way is that, without being fully aware of it, our passions put us in touch with the experience of being alive. As artists, this passion connects us, and it could possibly be why I feel so connected in my new home of Brooklyn."

Seek

4 min - Cyprus - 2013 | dir. Eleutherios Kakathimis | UK PREMIERE

Life is a journey, a strange train ride to the future - what is it you seek? So asks the eerie, robotic narration that guides you through this dreamy landscape of urban train tracks and oceans seen from thousands of feet above. An experimental call to action to follow your dreams and be free.

Cypriot director Kakathimis filmed the beautiful aerial shots from this film during five plane flights over Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, and shot the city scenes near London's iconic Battersea Power Station.

House

4 min - Germany / Jordan - 2012 | dir. Ahmad Saleh

For generations, a family has lived in a beautiful house. Guests are always welcome to enjoy a pleasant stay - until one guest arrived with a different plan in mind. Bit by bit, the house is taken over and the original owners are pushed out - referencing the occupation of Palestine on a symbolic and aesthetic level.

A beautifully animated drama by Cologne-based Palestinian filmmaker Ahmad Saleh. WINNER of the Dragon Award for New Talent at Gothenburg International Film Festival and part of the official selection at Edinburgh International Film Festival.

I Fear The Shears

3 min - USA - 2012 | dir. Greg McDonald | WORLD PREMIERE

A bad hair day can last a lifetime… "My dad's haircuts left life long emotional scars that I'm just now starting to come to terms with. His horrific bowl cuts were legendary. This is my story of a bowl cut survivor." 

So says L.A.-based director McDonald of his comedic documentary, about the years of terrible haircuts he suffered at the hands of his father. All the footage in this personal tale comes from 8mm and Super 8mm home movies shot mostly by McDonald's father, and also his mother and brother.

Circle Square

1 min - Canada - 2012 | Dylan Glynn | EUROPEAN PREMIERE

A circular character named O, who is representative of humankind, becomes suffocated by cubes (representative of all forms, thoughts, etc) of his own invention - until he explodes (his ego dies), and he returns to being a circle (is enlightened).

This uniquely philosophical animation from 22-year-old Toronto student Dylan Glynn tells of how existence becomes heavy and all-consuming for the O character, until it feels the need to be free from the exponentially increasing pain and anxiety. Glynn says of his film: "Finally, there is a moment of still peace... O eases into the centre of the frame, completely at peace with what is."

Flux

1 min - USA - 2012 | dir. Jamie Oliveira | WORLD PREMIERE

Flux (noun): the flow; change; the natural state of things. This short experimental film provides a poetic glimpse into the will of the human psyche over the state of one's own perception. 

Shot solely using 16mm, giving the content a sense of timelessness and aiding the film's surreal ambiance, this film from San Francisco State University student Jamie Oliveira shows how a shift in perception can change how you experience reality. 

Rolling On The Floor

4 min - USA - 2012 | dir. Ted Fisher | INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

They say you should dance like no one is watching ... but what happens when you do? When the idea of free, unrestrained self expression crashes into the vanity and pride of youth, which wins out? When Killebrew Mason went to the college dance, she knew it would be a moment she'd never forget. She just didn't know why.

This uplifting documentary came about through New York based director Ted Fisher searching for an interview subject on Twitter - and he was lucky enough to find Killebrew Mason and her story. 

Four Minute Poo Poo

4 min - Hong Kong - 2012 | dir. Liza Wong | WORLD PREMIERE 

Shot in one long continuous take, this quirky yet poignant film from celebrated Hong Kong filmmaker Liza Wong shows us the barriers to being truly free that are felt by both the very old and the very young.

Wong says: "The elderly man that plays the grandfather is my friend. His health has deteriorated quickly over the past two years. I thought he might die soon and be free, and that this film will be a memory of him. However, he is still trapped in his handicapped body and it looks like there is no sign of 'freedom' for him in the near future."