Short Block 1: So It Begins with Horror, Documentaries, Sports and More

The first day of this weekend’s Festival started out strong featuring a diverse set of six short films, each of which brought something unique and welcome to what hopes to be an excellent four days of movies and art.

Glowworm is directed and written by Laina Barakat, produced by Laina Barakat and Charles Kinnane IIIthis, and stars Emma Barakat and Pedro Aijon Torres dramatic short documents the intimate and vulnerable exploration of Emma (played by Emma Barakat) as she attempts find some sense and understanding after the death of a Grandfather who she never really knew.

Family Tree is directed by Vic Roxas, produced by Matthew Devlin and Tanya Lulla, written Matthew Devlin and Vic Roxas, and stars Tyler Zaccagnini, Marybeth Paul, and John Lewis. This film is a comedic sci-fi adventure that begins with a lonely and misplaced farm-boy and quickly begins to unravel into a comedic Frankenstein-ian metaphysical fever-dream.

Game is written and directed by Jeannie Donohoe, produced by Joey Horvitz and The Weinstein Company, and stars Rick Fox, Nicole Williams, Tye White, Jamie McShane, Dominique Columbus, Charles Parnell, and Michael Purdie. Game is a rhythmic, well-shot, and all too real journey into the trial of an aspiring athlete. Like all good sports films it quickly becomes obvious that there’s more than a roster spot at risk.  Game does an excellent job of questioning what’s more important, the skill or the skirt.

Disconnect is written, directed, and produced by Samuel Ebner and is a short, sweet, creative, and earnestly crafted Disconnect guides the audience through an isolated, technological fog and back to a simpler and timeless assertion of presence and companionship.

Bisque is directed by Gracy Lumley, produced by Briana Demers, written by Ally Afonso and Nate Magoon, and stars Jenna Rae Macy and Steven Burke. Like a gothic Goosebumps, this funny and imaginative horror short adopts the texture of a softly spoken campfire legend and brings it to life.

Back to Camp is stared and written by, directed, and produced by Ashley Mosher with co-produced by Mark Millhone. Beginning with an intriguing and stylized Facebook intro Back to Camp documents the journey that takes place when the picturesque life of the successful reveals itself to be hollow and the individual, flawed but curious, seeks depth in moments she may have overlooked in the past.

The Melancholy of Leftovers is written, directed, and produced by Nikolai Hamel, and stars Cristen Irene, Jeff Worden. The film features a refrigerator where its contents become emblematic of the distance, absence, and loss that has fractured the relationship of a struggling couple in this dramatic short.

Be sure to catch the additional Short Block showings. If you haven’t gotten your pass yet, get it here or visit The Portsmouth Discover Center tomorrow on your way to a film or event!

By Tom Berry