A Fear of Change

A new short film anthology is set to hit streaming, we roundup recent festival winners, + our latest featured reviews

Author

Jason Sondhi
August 24, 2024

It finally happened, my account got switched to the new Vimeo film page design. 😔

I’ve helped build enough stuff on the web to know that audiences always hate anything new, but then
they get used to it. It’s funny though how knowing a thing doesn’t, in any way, affect your feelings in the moment because I’ve been hovering my cursor over the player all week looking for that heart or watch later button with increasing exasperation.

I can see the logic though — it’s nice to have that big player that spans the screen—that’s something we’ve prioritized on Short of the Week and Shortverse. We also redid the Shortverse film page earlier this year to make opportunities for engagement more prominent, just as Vimeo does here. I’m sure someday this new design will be remembered with nostalgic affection, but for now, I’m just your basic whiny user who hates change! 😂

With gripes out of the way, this edition of Shorts Weekly has for you:

  • Our latest Short of the Week Official Selections, including a formally stylish documentary and a fun queer genre-bender

  • Curated links from the world of film including word about a new short film anthology from the creators of Love Death + Robots.

  • Interesting festival announcements galore!

Let’s begin.

📅 This Week on Short of the Week

Strange Beasts by Darcy Prendergast

During its decade of operation, the Bacchus Marsh Lion Safari was one of Victoria’s most popular tourist attractions. Now it is one of its greatest mysteries.

La Pursé by Gabriel Nóbrega & Lucas René

A taxidermist attempts to profess his love for his neighbor - a nearsighted and forgetful woman who owns a scrawny, half-starved cat.

Xie Xie, Ollie by James Michael Chiang

In his efforts to connect with his Chinese heritage, a biracial man discovers challenges and complexities he may not have expected.

Out To Run: A Tale of Blood Velvet by James Berry

A gay couple finally have a chance for a shared future when everything gets turned on its head.

🔗 10 Things We’re Paying Paying Attention To

  1. Love Death + Robots fans can rejoice! From Blur, the studio behind the acclaimed sci-fi animation anthology comes Secret Level, a new project creating short films based on beloved video games.

  2. Are you ready for a Chick-Fil-A streaming service? While everyone is evincing concern over the Hollywood studios, companies you wouldn’t expect are getting in the content game—like my local hospital chain.

  3. Embarrassing mix-up, or cynical marketing genius? The 1st trailer for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis quoted negative reviews from eminent critics for some of the filmmaker’s legendary films like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. Turns out, the quotes were fake.

  4. Chinese companies are getting into consumer generative AI. TikTok parent, Bytedance, has a new text-to-video product called Jimeng (available only in China for now) and I’ve been seeing buzz online for another text-to-video service called KlingAI.

  5. In further AI news, if you’ve wanted to try Midjourney out but didn’t want to fuss with its Discord-based interface, the text-to-image generator is finally available on the web.

  6. Our friends at Video Consortium have launched Rough Cut Mag, a new digital home for their editorial content. Start with the latest ep of their podcast featuring S/W Alums Scott Faris and Meg Griffiths.

  7. Applications are open for AFI’s prestigious DWW+ program. Formerly called the “Directing Workshop for Women” the esteemed 50-year-old program is a 1yr+ intensive workshop and mentorship program around the creation of a short film. Recent S/W-featured filmmakers to participate include Vanessa Beletic, Kelly Pike, and Em Weinstein.

  8. A manager/producer reaches out and says they love your work, then sends a list of 3 ideas for you to consider. What should you do?

  9. The love-fest for Tubi continues with the NyTimes playing up the underdog angle, calling the Fox-owned AVOD service “The Little Streamer That Could”.

  10. One of those articles that seems written specifically for me, but maybe you’ll enjoy it too? “They Don’t Make Anime Like They Used To (And That’s Ok)”

🎊 Festival Updates

Our intermittent updates on the world of film festivals. This week we relay fresh links and a few lineup and award announcements.

Paul Trillo, Miriam de Rosa, and Richard Misek in conversation at Locarno

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