We’ve had a sneaky peak at some of the films in competition at Glasgow Short Film Festival, taking place 7th to 10th February, and picked a few of the best ones with queer themes.
TRANS is an exploration of mtf experiences with an experimental form. A series of still shots with blurry moving images of character Kali are accompanied by her voiceover describing how she feels about transitioning. Mark Chapman’s film offers thought-provoking nuances as Kali comments with wisdom on gender nonconformism: “The transition is the destination rather than the transition being the way to the destination.”
Surreal drama The Buried is inspired by the homophobic murder of eighteen year old Scotty Joe Weaver in Alabama in 2004. A man is killed off screen – we hear but don’t see – and buried by the perpetrator. The camera mostly keeps a conspicuous distance from the killer, showing him wondering around his home after the deed and coldly cleaning up after his savage act. A flashback reveals a double meaning to the film’s title as sex with his victim sparks a guilt-inflected psychotic response from the murderer.
LUYD are particular fans of depictions of childhood and the shakiness of identities and selfhood involved in growing up. Menino do Cinco is a brilliant short about Ricardo, a young boy in Brazil, who steals a puppy from a street kid and refuses to give it back. Ricardo is emotionally neglected by his father and his new pet is a cure for loneliness, which is movingly shown through close-ups of child and dog playing together. However, reality creeps in and Ricardo’s actions lead to a dark showdown with his new friend’s former owner. In the Scottish Competition, Rabbit Punch depicts two kids in Edinburgh who join a boxing club after being beaten up. They end up having to fight each other in the ring, which is filmed in a refreshingly naturalistic, low-budget way. Apparently, the short took two and a half years to make and it feels like a pretty intense labour of filmmaking love, of which we approve!
TRANS is screening in International Competition 1: Mutations on Thurs 7th Feb at 13:15 and Sat 9th at 17:15. The Buried is in International Competition 2: Bottled Up on Thurs 7th at 15.15 and Sat 9th at 21:15. Menino do Cinco is in International Competition 3: Citizens on Thurs 7th at 17:15 and Sun 10th at 16:00. Rabbit Punch is in Scottish Competition 4: Why We Fight on Sun 10th at 15:00. All screenings are at the CCA, Glasgow.
Check out the full programme for the festival by clicking here.