Welcome to February and the latest selection from the Coffee Shorts network, selected and mini-reviewed for Microfilmmaker Magazine! Easing into the new year now we're pleased to be taking you around the world in just 8 minutes with more work from the UK and our worldly opposites in New Zealand. Remember, if you still crave short films after this bunch, take a browse through Microfilmmaker Magazine's own short film archive, or hop back to a previous selection of ours through the archive links near the bottom of the page.
Blindsight
First off we have a wonderful black comedy film from New Zealand following the latest case of a private eye specialising in finding lost things. Heading to the femme fatale's home on a mission to find some lost keys something more sinister appears to be at work... Shot by David Collins and Lollicake within a 48 hour film challenge format Blindsight rises well above what you typically get in these competitions.
The filmmakers were given a list of things like a line, subject and prop to fit into the film and manage not to distract with a completely irrelevant subplot to do so, it all feels like a well planned and scripted short shot as any other is with just some minor over contrast here and there to really criticise. The story is a neat idea, the script witty throughout and the lead performance highly entertaining, watchable and well delivered. Cinematography, editing and other technical elements are all solid, smooth and well thought throughout creating that rarest of things; a genuinely funny short film.
Coffee rating: 8/10 Notes:Funny, smart and silly Blindsight craps all over the average 48 hour film!
03:04
It's 3:04, you've spent all night reading Kerouac and Ginsberg, smoking French cigarettes and wearing your essential black and white beat poetry ensemble. As a lazy shuffling drom beat brushes into your personal soundtrack what else can you do but get on the road? A last look for a while into the wonderful world of regulars Hum-Drum Films and Miles To Go, this time exploring a very 60's experimental style.
It's one of those experimental style films I don't really think is about anything specific, but more about capturing a generalised feel, atmosphere or idea, many of us will have taken an unlikely walk in the weird silence of early morning or followed some impulse to head into an unusual environment at some point, and whether the girl actually walks or simply imagines herself doing it this is a film that captures something of an unexpected moment in time that was simply worth capturing. As ever shot with style and confidence the choice of music, costume and lead actress all the way down to her hair style and looks is classic beat poetry and beautifully observed.
Coffee rating: 8/10 Notes:A random moment of thought and feel captured with love and style.
THE MUSIC VIDEO:Niall Quinn's "Under Same Sky"
Contrary to last month's comments on music and trailers every week we've decided we'll actually alternate to keep things interesting, so this month another music video.
This is another piece from sister company Coffee Films, put together closely in association with and for British acoustic/folk singer songwriter Niall Quinn. The lyrics of the song relate a whole list of brief memories from Niall's childhood and places where he grew up, so taking the idea of a photo slideshow, turning it video and playing endlessly with soft crossfades to fit the music the memories present themselves visually, calmly and simply to fit with the feel of the song.
Coffee Shorts have a unique approach to distributing short films which uses well established social and video networks to exhibit its filmmakers, earning them income through a series of advertising and partnership deals; just watching the films above helps them earn money. So if you have a short film you think is up to the standard and would like to get involved, have a look around coffeeshorts.co.uk and check out the online submission details; we also accept music videos and trailers for indie DVDs or features.
Steve
Piper is the managing director of Coffee Films, a production
company based out of England that focuses on all forms
of zero-budget filmmaking. His
company website is: http://www.coffeefilms.com.
Welcome to February and the latest selection from the 
