46 SHORTS: A PICTURE OF CONTEMPORARY FILMMAKER CONSCIOUSNESS

By Laura La Rosa

Myself and fellow critics, Tiia Kelly, Chloe Wong, and Natalie Williams had the pleasure of selecting the critic’s short award for this year’s MWFF. Having watched and mulled over all 46 of the screened shorts, it struck me what a privilege it is to observe themes across such an impressive pool of local filmmakers. 

Regardless of your thoughts on #MeToo as a global movement, it’s clear there are numerous recurring subject matters emerging out of the consciousness of female and non-binary screen creators: the implications of reproduction, sexual assault, grief, and trauma, to name a few.

But these works were anything but monotonous, rather an indicative wave of a time where women are positioning their agency at the forefront of narrative more than ever before. Each film compels and commands the respect and celebration of such stories across fiction, animation, memoir, and documentary, through genuinely diverse and multifaceted portrayals.

We awarded the critic’s choice to Kaya, a phenomenal work written, directed and edited by Lara Köse and produced by Stephanie Westwood. Shot in remote Turkey, Köse draws on her Alevi heritage, gracing viewers with the story of a young girl in a village orphanage through a beautifully shot picture (cine: Josh Farmelo) that features one of the oldest cultures in the world. According to Köse, “the entire cast is made of un-trained actors and local villagers”. Certainly, the largely young cast culminate an organic child-like on-screen energy that would be impossible to write in – a remarkable outcome for all crew and cast involved in the creation of this must-see.  

Other standouts included Walk A Mile, Drum Wave, and Old Habits which were highly commended by each of us critics. The screenings also featured a number of documentaries of which special mention should go to, including the likes of Fez along with Sasha Sarago’s Too Pretty to be Aboriginal and InsideOUT, each offering poignant portraits through smart, contemporary narrative.