The short film is a philosophical engagement with notions of existence, self and the endless pursuit of desires in life. It's marked by its layered narrative that falls within the boundary of the abstract, opening itself to different interpretations. The protagonist finds a small chest whose contents are undisclosed to the viewer. He immediately takes it home, hiding it in a dark, quiet corner of his house. It is the search, attainment and finally securing this object that comes to mark his entire existence. Sometimes it makes him jolt upright in the dead of the night, other days it's the reason for him to jump out of bed during the day. It torments and tortures him and he knows no rest until he has found the object in his possession again (to perhaps lose it all over again), even if it means shutting out the rest of the world. The film uses a narrative marked by an approach that withholds as much as it reveals, and yet ensures that its message is conveyed lucidly, thereby enabling it to succeed.

Iruttai Thediya Samayangal | Short Film of the Day

The film is a relevant conversation with conformity and societal pressures, but without making itself overbearing. It introduces us to Aadi who is stuck in an exhausting, soul-sucking job. His partner Vishal who is a photographer has his set of challenges too, especially ever since he came out about his sexuality, and yet, his approach to the life the two of them have built together is very different from Aadi. 
While Vishal has achieved peace and happiness with his decisions, Aadi struggles with them a lot. He takes refuge in meditation but ends up using it like a crutch, or worse, an escape. The film brings all of these emotions and conflicts to life with notable potential in terms of writing, storytelling, and the chemistry of its two actors. Though there is a little inconsistency when it comes to the overall production value, the stylized approach and narratorial vision make it easy to overlook it.

Hidden Battles of a Fragile Mind | Short Film Nominee

The short film is a calm engagement with a sense of self, and the consequent identity that comes to be associated with it. It chooses a sombre background to match the mood and takes the viewer into the life of its protagonist. His attempts to truly understand himself vis-a-vis his relationship with the internet becomes the predominant part of the plot. Struggling to still make sense of relationships, be it with family and friends, he sometimes seeks solitude, sometimes the company of a friend, and sometimes, simply to lose himself as a tiny speck of a bigger picture. The film exhibits potential, and a script and idea that can be interacted with in a deeper manner in the future projects of the team. Pursuit of Escapes serves only as a premise of an idea, demanding a more adept analysis of its thematic concerns.

Pursuit of Escapes | Short Film Nominee

There are several aspects of the self that, irrespective of how irksome, unacceptable or plain annoying they are, somehow refuse to leave us alone. And maybe one day, if they were to actually do that, would we be relieved or rather rush out through the wide, open doors, desperately seeking them, pleading for them to come back? The short film invokes the same question, and perhaps attempts an answer as well. Loosely based on the short story 'There's a Man in the Habit of Hitting me on the Head with an Umbrella' by Argentine writer Fernando Sorrentino, the short film takes us into the life of its protagonist who one day finds himself in the company of a man who would not stop hitting him on the head. As days and years roll by, jobs are switched and life continues to change, one thing remains constant, our protagonist's relentless companion. His annoyance is made palpable by the film to the extent of allowing the viewer to share his misery. Additionally, this strange premise and its exploration also lets the absurdism inherent to the narrative to lend itself an element of dark comedy, enabling it to engage and entertain you in equal measure.

Me & Him | Short Film Nominee

Blue Funk is not a narrative that would serve its truth to the passive viewer on a platter, ready to be consumed. Stretching itself in the abstract space of metaphors and symbolism, the film demands of you to pay close attention to its visuals, its near-complete absence of dialogues and the several internal conflicts the protagonist might be dealing with as she navigates relationships, and perhaps, ideas pertaining to the self. From melancholia, deep anguish, passionate encounters to finally achieving that moment of complete peace, the film meanders through several experiences and stages in the life of the protagonist. However, it is important to bring one's own understanding to the events that unfold on screen in a story that deliberately withholds explicit communication of its intentions. Simply put, it is a film about the self, identity and its many dynamics, it is about sexuality and the consequences of an otherwise positive, intimate experience gone awry, but above all, it is also about the manner in which the viewer chooses to interpret it all.

Blue Funk | Short Film Nominee

In an attempt to be a heartfelt conversation with the self and its various hues and shades, the short film brings together a poetic narrative. A man takes the viewer through several emotions and the manner in which they have come to define the different aspects of his life. The tone is marked by introspection and deep emotion. As the narrator meanders across the various troughs and crests of life's several stages, a sense of romance and intimacy is also invoked. This, in turn, allows the poetry to come across as sincere, lucidly sharing with the viewer all of its concerns, undercurrents and propositions.

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