The Athens International Film Festival was in full throttle as the competition’s showing of several short films progressed.  On Wednesday, April 28, 2010, six short films were exhibited for the competition showing, “Family Sagas.”

Short films may be deficient in robustness, but it is an art that guarantees precision in a short but sweet performance.  These films are a unique type of art.  It is an art that expresses thorough yet personal drama in miniature.  Above all, it embraces simplicity, which its competitor, the feature-length film, lacks.

There are few short films that are able to grab my attention right off the bat; however, “Welcome,” an anomalous story about a deteriorating family directed by Maja Milanovic, did more than just capture my interest.  It left me in wonderment and suspicion and wanting more.  This subtitled film captures the relationship between a sister (Nina Serbedzija) and a brother (Klemen Novak) and the secrets and betrayals that flood their family.

As a college student surrounded by influences both good and bad, I feel that it is safe to say that pregnancy is becoming more o noticeable among students.  The short film “Knock off,” directed by Rosanne Flynn, reveals this exact occurrence.  This film emphasizes an expressive portrait of the relationship between a young pregnant girl, (Naomi J. Lewi) and her young father (Chiké Okonkwo) who questions if going through with the pregnancy was the smart choice.  It takes a life-threatening incident for the father to stand up for his daughter and discard his preconceived opinion about young pregnancy.

“JumpaJumpa,” a three-minute musical film directed by Shannon Silva, is supposed to represent a passionate letter written to a child by their mother who now deals with infertility. This film encompasses an exotic composition called “el is the sound of joy,” which incorporates jazz-like tones and voice recognition. It seemed as if negative film photography was used as well, which emphasized an alien-like theme. The photography consisted of an adult’s hands and a child’s playful feet. I personally had a hard time connecting the fervent message the director was trying to portray and the exoticness of the films features. Nevertheless, this film stood out from the rest because of its uniqueness in representation and composition choice.

Cole Wiley, director of the short film “Quietly,” caught the audience’s attention through intensified emotional expressions and situations. This film, which is set in Brooklyn, shows a young boy’s attempt to salvage the peaceful image of his family that he once had. However, to do so, he must find some way to get rid of his mother’s abusive boyfriend even if it means risking his life. Actor Emil Mequita played the young boy, actress Rachel Leslie played his mother and actor Dante Alexander played the abusive boyfriend.

“Een Kleine Duw” (A Little Push), a subtitled, short film directed by Philippe Verkinderen, highlights a young boy’s struggle to fit in along with a shocking incident that he and his entire family must face.  This film is well rounded for the reason that it includes comedy, sincerity and dramatized acting.

Finally, the last showing of the night was “Runners,” directed by Rob Burke.  This drama is about a boy, played by Mark Butler, who is involved with dealing drugs as a full-time job.  Although involved with illegal activity, his main struggle is maintaining a relationship with his family and girlfriend.  This film is a serious drama depicting a boy’s survival and responsibility of being a role model for his younger sibling.

All six short films accentuate the value of family and the need to always cherish that bond because one never knows when it will be taken away from someone.  Although these films have a similar underlying message, they depict this message in very different ways.  For instance, “JumpaJumpa” displays the message through compositional and photographical characteristics rather than utilizing actors or actresses in the typical film-making process.  It was fascinating to see the same essential message portrayed differently.  It emphasized the unique styles and personality of each director.

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