MIFF 2024 Shorts Review - Accelerator Shorts 2
The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) showcased a collection of seven short films in their Accelerator Shorts 2 program, each running for between five and fifteen minutes. These films were an eclectic mix, spanning different genres and themes, offering a little something for everyone. While some stood out more than others, the whole experience was a refreshing change of pace.
The opening film, First Horse, directed by Awanui Simich-Pene, sets the tone with a menacing intensity. This Māori short begins with a young girl running alone, captured in stark black and white, and feels very unsettling. The arrival of a foreign, infectious sickness introduced by colonists is strongly conveyed by the film's eerie quietness and austere style. Short but mighty, First Horse effectively illustrates the profound impact of colonialism on rural Indigenous communities in Aotearoa.
Next, Grace Tan’s A Daydream With Fini transports us to a hot summer day in Mexico, where two elderly women chat in their traditional home. Entirely in Spanish with English subtitles and the shortest film of the bunch, this piece invites us into their world as they dream about escaping the mundanity of their daily lives—fantasising about visiting the pyramids, the jungle, and other distant places they’ll likely never see in person.
Hannah Moore’s Mars Futures also explores the theme of escaping a mundane existence. The story follows Ana, who, while at her boring job, stumbles across an ad offering a chance to move to Mars. Excited, she quits her job, moves out of her home, and prepares to leave Earth—only to find out it was all a phishing scam! Moore does a fantastic job of capturing that deep sense of longing for something more in a tedious, capitalist world.
Dylan Ferenc Nyerges’ Bőr (Skin) was another unsettling entry, but in the best way possible. Alternating between English and Hungarian, the film deals with the harsh realities of post-war migration. It follows Ana, who is devastated to realise that her son has lost their shared Hungarian language, which was a vital link to her homeland. The film’s sinister, paranormal elements make it a brilliantly haunting short.
The Horn, directed by Mark Wills, also dives into gloomy themes, but here in the dark territory of addiction. It had some weird, creepy moments; the film’s subtlety ultimately became its downfall. Despite being so visually strong, I found it difficult to connect with the story, and its awkward execution results in a disengaging end product.
Flide, directed by Hugo Kohler, carried an ever-present sense of foreboding, with something ominous lurking just beneath the surface. The film follows two best friends, Maria and Gus, as they navigate their reckless teenage years in Melbourne, driven by impulsive behaviour. The climax, though shocking, felt somewhat inevitable due to the tension built throughout. However, the unconvincing acting diminished the film's overall impact, making it feel more like a high school project than a fully realised short film.
Finally, Pleasure, directed by Jaser Caverly, also centres on two characters stirring up trouble in Melbourne. This time, however, they are eshays, and the film explores the themes of toxic masculinity and repressed homosexuality. Although visually and emotionally striking, with an underlying tension that holds promise, the film ultimately fell short. Its lack of emotional depth and the disappointing execution of the climax left me feeling unsatisfied and empty.
The MIFF Accelerator Shorts 2 program included a staggering variety of films, all unique in terms of style and theme, but bound by a shared examination of escape, identity, and societal constraints. The diverse selection presented an invaluable insight into the potential of short films to communicate meaningful stories in a matter of minutes. Seeing the unfolding of such an eclectic range of stories was an attest to the short film format's unique impact and versatility.
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The Accelerator Shorts 2 pakage screened as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, running in cinemas and online August 8th-25th.
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