BFF Short Film Competition at QFT
Samridhi Saini
The Belfast Film Festival (BFF) celebrates short films and screenings that have been brought to Northern Ireland from all around the world. From November 3 to November 12 the BFF brought spectacular events to Belfast, with a pack of film screenings for students at Queen’s Film Theatre. Whether you’re a film expert or a rookie, the BFF will present you with the perfect film experience.
It emphasises the support of the short film, and the yearly competition features both experienced and early-to-mid-career filmmakers from the island of Ireland. The short film competition jury is comprised of talented faces such as Laura Conlon, an artist and filmmaker based at Flax Art Studios in Belfast, and Damian McCann, an award-winning director with 15 years of documentary experience working alongside BBC, TG4 and RTE. The jury panel also included the famous writer and film critic Tara Brady. The festival selection team had the difficult task of choosing from a high number of submissions that grows in both number and quality every year.
The event was divided into three programs with different timings. The first one was conducted on November 5, comprising screenings of four short films, Still Up There, Napoleon’s Nose, Laura O’Shea, and Derek Ugochukwu. Program two included four movies; Empty Little People, Foxglove, The Radio, and Shea And Hannah. The third programme was comprised of the short films Safe As Houses, Sour Milk, Flotsam & Jetsam, Saudade and Both of Us.
The short movies offered several genres such as coming-of-age and dark fairy tales, and many dealt with difficult topics such as racism, disability, difficult relationships and many more. For stop-motion animation lovers, the best part was the screening of Flotsam & Jetsam by well-known filmmaker Felix Surplus. Strictly hand-crafted, and rich in detail and atmosphere, the movie charts an odyssey of loneliness and wonder. The screening was also a treat for Joe Loftus fans, who had the chance to attend the screening of his amazing work Still Up There. Reflecting bold animated visuals and unsettling sound design, the film stunningly brings the protagonist's internal monologue to life.
The short film competition provided opportunities to both the groups of upcoming-generation filmmakers and the ones who love to watch movies to learn more about filmmaking. That includes filmmaking styles, cinematography, and new stories with a blend of several genres.
One student from Queen’s University Belfast who attended the event stated “I watch short films a lot. But watching those short movies actually changed my whole perception of short movies. Like, it is amazing to see how one can portray the whole message in a fraction of a minute. The movie I liked the most was Sour Milk, it kind of touched me, especially the unsettling climax in the end”.
A good number of students came for the event and enjoyed the experience. One of the students from Queen’s stated, “I am writing for the next year, so I can give my name for the entry. Yes, I have a theme already in my mind. That event inspired me”.
Samridhi Saini is an MA student in Arts Management at Queen’s University Belfast and a Culture reporter at The Scoop