It was Short Ends first time at Fantasia Film festival and we couldn’t have been more happy to attend Montreal’s largest genre film festival! Below is a selection from Juan Ospina and Elya Myers from the 2024 festival series.
African American Express Dir. Sydnie Baynes (Canada)
Using Soviet-style propaganda animation techniques, African American Express reflects on the materialistic habits within the Black community. It critiques the generation and flow of capital by buying Black and the stakes of putting your money where your mouth is.
Fuck Les Whites – Dir. Jeremy Peter Allen (Quebec, Canada)
Fuck Les Whites is an engaging short film that shows the grimy underground entrenched histories of Quebec’s insidious nationalist movements and vigiliant counter-anti-fascist movements in the 90’s. Jeremy Peter Allen’s Fuck Les Whites follows former skinhead Max on a mission to find a refreshing outlook on white supremacy, which leads him to the (Le Sentinelles du Nord) Northern Sentinels, who surveille the streets and feed only a select demographic of the homeless around the city.
Someone’s Trying To Get In Dir. Colin Nixon (Quebec, Canada)
A damning drama unmasking the reality of Canada’s asylum seekers and immigration laws that unpacks the inherent violence foundationally embedded within its’ colonial systems and its’ people, legitimizing and validating the suffering of racialized others. Someone’s Trying To Get In showcases this dual hypocrisy of protecting the idea of whiteness through the exploitation and extraction of the other, considering the ties between Haiti and Quebec.
Joe Likes His Space Dir. Jonathan Gularte Ramirez (Quebec, Canada)
Like sitting with a friend or a therapist untangling the key plot moments, main characters, and conflicts of his life, Joe Likes His Space teleports at whiplash speed between comedy and horror. When Joe realizes that what we were told we should want from our lives is not truly what we desire, the short takes a steep, dark turn into madness when Joe re-awakens to the horrifying consequences of his actions.
Lghtskn – Dir. Dougy Hérard (Quebec, Canada)
Too relatable in its contents, Hérard‘s comedic short film Lghtskn documents the oftentimes surreal experience of being light-skinned in everyday mundane encounters with strangers, friends, and loved ones. Forced to examine the limitations surrounding his identity that others project onto him, Hérard‘s character must acknowledge and re-evaluate how other perceive him in order to live happily.
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo – Dir. Alexandre de La Patellière, Matthieu Delaporte (France)
It is hard to compete against the monolithic Hollywood action blockbusters that oversaturate theatre worldwide. Between established formulas and comforting pacing, it seemed that the adventure subgenre had hit a plateau, stagnated by its lack of boldness. Bashing into the screens with an audacious simplicity, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo shows that it is not impossible to freshen up a tired story. Boasting impressive velocity and sharpness, the French film shines through its self-awareness and daredevil antics. Awarded the Cheval Noir for Best Film and the Silver Prix de Public, Le Comte de Monte-Cristo is what many movies try to be, a worthy fun ride.
Night Fishing – Dir. Moon Byung-gon (South Korea)
Inventiveness can sometimes lead to jarring results, alienating the audience from the filmmaker’s goal. However, Moon Byung-gon succeeded in creating a tense cartoonish short film featuring some of the most creative camerawork and montage techniques I have seen in years. Following an alien hunter with shots only coming from the car’s traffic camera, we are drawn into a Hannah-Barbera monster fight that is as enthralling as it is comical.
Lease me Alone! – Dir. Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers (Canada)
Taking a very real problem and giving an unexpected twist, Lease Me Alone! depicts the challenges of two friends and roommates to keep their apartment under the same rent agreement against a vile Montreal landlord. Mixing surreal elements and the physicality worthy of a Jackie Chan film, Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers achieves an entertaining short film that does not fail to put a huge smile on your face.
Special mention to the comedy, horror musical, Oh…Canada directed by Short Ends Collectives’ own Vincenzo Nappi (Quebec, Canada). Oh…Canada is a satirical look at Canadian identity, values, and life (whatever that actually means) using various live-action and puppet animation techniques.
Short Ends 