Carine Buncsi
Loading...Internationally acclaimed short films screened under the stars
Last week in Bali, the very best of cinema was right under the stars, rolled out on tropical surrounds at the globally renowned Potato Head Beach Club in Seminyak.
Regarded as being one of Bali’s best bars by the beach, the famed Potato Head has been busy entertaining and hosting events from premiere music festivals to embracing the magic of cinema for film connoisseurs, vacationers and locals alike.
Flickerfest, Australia’s Academy Accredited and BAFTA affiliated International Short Film Festival, graced the shores of Bali for the third year in a row. The specially curated programme and free event showcased a selection of international and Australian award winners, alongside prized festival favourites from 2013 and 2014.
Setting up for Flickerfest Short Film Festival. Photo via Potato Head Beach Club
Since its inception, the Flickerfest brand has grown exponentially, becoming more than just an industry event over the last 23 years. From humble beginnings in Sydney Australia, the film festival has sailed from the beaches of Bondi to the beaches of Bali.
Flickerfest organizers chose the ‘island of the Gods’ as the ideal destination for the event’s global debut
Flickerfest organizers chose the island of the Gods as the ideal destination for the event’s global debut, and Potato Head Beach Club as the perfect host venue for film fans, industry insiders, holidaymakers and locals to enjoy. Living up to its tagline, “spectacular short film with soul”, the festival featured the highlights of the most creative, inspirational and highly innovative short films produced around the world today.
Clockwise (left to right) Short Films featured, ‘Mr Hublot’, ‘Friend Request Pending’, ‘The Centrifuge Brain Project’, ‘The iMom’, & ‘Rhino Full Throttle’.
Ten international Flickerfest favourites screened…
The scintillating selection, hand-picked from award winners and audience members, comprised of ten international short films:
On top of the list was Oscar’s 2014 Winner For Best Animation, Mr. Hublot, a warm, whimsical and quirky favourite by a joint Franco-Luxembourger production. The retro-futuristic film was directed by Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares.
Also featured were three Australian comedy-drama shorts; Tango Underpants, a film about rediscovering your mojo and the right underwear; We Keep On Dancing, a sweet tale of love, loss and car trouble; and The iMom, a drama short directed by Ariel Martin, featuring robotic intelligence designed to “raise your children for you.”
The German film selection included The Centrifuge Brain Project, a fictional documentary and brilliantly fun take on impossible amusement rides, alongside Rhino Full Throttle, a comedy with elements of romance centering around the streets of Berlin and seeking the soul of the city.
The UK’s honorary list included Crush 472 , a very short rom-com about a man’s crush, as well as the social media comedy, Friend Request Pending, starring the legendary actress, Judi Dench.
The frantic Finnish short, Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?, which also screened, was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the Academy Awards. The comedy showcases a family’s chaotic morning and a mother trying to take care of everything herself.
French-Chinese film, Butter Lamp, displays a conceptual experiment as a photographer weaves unique links among the nomadic families.
Flickerfest Bali was an uplifting, entertaining and truly magical evening capturing the world’s best cinema right under the stars.
Check out the trailers to some of the amazing short films featured at Flickerfest this year:
Mr. Hublot
Luxembourg / France co-production (comedy-fantasy)
Directors: Laurent Witz and Alexandre Espigares
Mr. Hublot is an eccentric, isolated and withdrawn character with OCD. In fear of change, he happens to find his carefully ordered surroundings disrupted by the arrival of a Robot Pet. The ‘steampunk’ trend was a source of inspiration behind the animation production. The film won “Best Animated Short Film” at the 86th Academy Awards.
The iMom
Australia (comedy-drama)
Director: Ariel Martin
iMom is set a few short years into the future. A robotic mother, the iMom is a substitute that raises the kids, in order for parents not to give up their social life. Shot in Los Angeles and Sydney, the film depicts a day in the life of the family with their new parental robotic purchase, assessing how technology exceeds humanity.
The Centrifuge Brain Project
German (fictional documentary-comedy)
Director: Till Nowak
A whimsical mockumentary about eccentric scientist, Dr. Laslowicz, who designs and experiments insane and impossible amusement park rides. He claims, “these machines provide total freedom, cutting all connection from the world you live in.” As the film exhibits increasingly terrifying rides, Laslowicz explains to viewers that “communication, responsibility, weight; everything is on hold while you’re being centrifuged.”
Do I have to Take Care of Everything?
Finland (comedy)
Director: Selma Vilhunen
An endearing and human film played out like a sketch comedy, about one morning in a family household and a mother trying to solve everyone’s problems in a rush. It centres around family chaos and a committed mother totally run of her feet, who settles on one ridiculous comprise after another, in an attempt to get her whole family off to a wedding. The film was nominated for “Best Live Action Short Film” at the 86th Academy Awards.
Flickerfest Short Film Festival poster via Potato Head Beach Club
If you missed the event, fear not. Entries are already open for the 2015 edition, and if the success of this year’s Potato Head event is anything to go by, Flickrfest will hit Bali’s shores once again.