Shorts that shine at the Hamptons Film Festival

October 19, 7:58 PMNY Film ExaminerMarcos Bernal-Salas

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Does anyone remember the double-feature movie theatres? When I was a kid going to the movies was a family affair and there were two feature films for the one ticket price. Sadly these days one cannot get such a treat in New York City unless you attend a film festival. Because that is where one can get to watch up to five films on one screen – of course I’m talking about the short film programs at any given film festival.

The Hamptons International Film Festival thrives with the short films presentation showcasing different programs from comedy to drama. The Golden Star Fish Award: Short Films in Competition assembled five brilliant filmmakers and their shorts to the audience’s delight. ‘Eve’ – perhaps the most anticipated film in the group - directed by Natalie Portman (‘V for Vendetta’, ‘Closer’ and ‘Star Wars’) and having its New York Premiere at the HIFF is simply charming. The short follows a teenager who goes to visit her grandmother (Lauren Bacall) and witnesses the connections and misconnections that people have over the course of one night. The 21-minutes film is superbly acted, Bacall and Ben Gazzara shine in their feisty roles.

Another great short is ‘I Am So Proud of You’ – and surely a winner with the audience – by director Don Hertzfeld. The animated short is a follow-up to his 2007 Sundance-award winning short ‘Everything Will Be Ok’. The film was single-handedly animated and photographed by hand; in the era of computer animation the end result is very impressive. The double exposures, in-camera mattes and experimental techniques add to Bill’s dark storyline and family secrets. That same dark tone and style is also found in ‘Glory at Sea’. Director Benh Zeitlin brings a stirring story of a group of New Orleanians who build a boat and set out to sea and rescue their loved ones. The short carries myth and fairy tale underlines that without a doubt are the director’s influence of being raised by two folklorists from Queens, NY.

Danny Mooney’s ‘Fingers’ is a subtle and mesmerizing short about one’s passion for art; in this case for music. Ben is a talented guitarist who plays at the local bar and decides to travel from Ohio to Nashville to follow his dreams. But the promise of a deceptive record producer is definitely not what it seems. ‘Jerrycan’ – winner of the Jury Award in this year’s Cannes Film Festival short film competition – follows Nathan and his pose in what is another boring day for the group. That is until they decide to blow something up; the end results of such act definitely changes Nathan’s social core. Director Julius Avery definitely presents a story from down under that resonates with the HIFF audience.

On and all these five shorts are already winners on their own. Put together in a group they become a wonderful experience at the movie theatre. And is not that what watching a film should be all about?