The Nickel Independent Film Festival is officially underway, and while the feature length offerings tend to receive the most spotlight, the myriad of short films on display here should not go unnoticed.
The annual festival serves as an outlet for many independent creators, both local and abroad, to showcase their works to a thriving local arts community.
History’s Headlines (Director: Jeff Lewis)
As storyteller Arthur Bank displays himself as a war hero, with the goal of achieving political fame, he must avoid the dead premier’s daughter’s attempts to expose him and his reinvention of himself.
Right off the bat, the editing work on display here is truly remarkable. The cuts are perfectly placed and timed, the photographs and text on screen do such an amazing job at keeping the film engaging to look at. Combined with the sound design and music, it’s just as much of a treat to listen to.
The editing and sound design lay the foundation, and the performances do the rest of the work, with Mallory Brumm as Vivian and Justin Nurse as Richard being the standouts.
While some of the slow motion shots can be a bit jarring, it’s infrequent enough, and the rest of the film is well built enough, that it’s easy to overlook it. It all comes together to create a compelling narrative on how, when the wrong people are put in positions of power, media can be twisted and altered to spit out any narrative that furthers personal agendas.
This short film screened on opening night of the festival.
Jazz Infernal (Director: Will Niava)
Koffi Boni Jr., son of legendary jazz musician Koffi Boni, moves from his home in Côte d’Ivoire to Montreal looking for work, and finds himself struggling to live up to the name his father made so famous.
Jazz Infernal comes to Nickel after making waves at Sundance, being nominated for Best Short Film, and winning International Fiction. After watching it, it more than lives up to its reputation.
It’s an expertly crafted story of finding your place and carving your own path from those before you, and Ange Eric N’Guessan plays this role perfectly. The fast pacing contributes to the film being able to say and show so much in only a 16-minute runtime.
The direction and cinematography is what brings it all together. Niava knows exactly when to work in quick cuts, long takes, and even an intricate mirror shot to keep the film visually engaging the whole way through.
At the same time, he knows exactly when to cut the quick movements, keep the camera at rest, and let the actors and lighting do the rest of the work.
Overall, this short film is a standout, and I honestly just wanted more of it. Should Niava ever get the chance to turn this into a feature film, he absolutely should, and I’d be there day one.
It will be screened Wednesday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m in the “A Little Tenderness” short film block.
My Plastic Mother (Director: Amar Haikal)
Following the death of his mother, a young boy named Eki searches a dangerous landfill for something he can use to cling onto what connection he has left to her.
One of the international offerings this year, this one coming from Indonesia, My Plastic Mother expertly displays how a child deals with a feeling as complex as grief. Eki lashes out, struggles to form full sentences, and sometimes just stands completely still and quiet, staring off into the distance.
The cinematography really sells the idea of him missing something. These big, wide shots are constantly used, making Eki feel small in a sea of otherwise blank space, showing the void he feels stuck in.
The clips of other children showing objects important to their mothers just further reinforces how he feels alone, and that he’s missing something compared to everyone else, a feeling that Haikal drew from his own personal experiences.
Overall, it’s a powerful case study on grief and loneliness, and is more than worthy of the Grand Jury Prize it won at Flickerfest. I wish Haikal and everyone involved the best of luck in their 2027 Oscars race.
It screens in the ‘Love, Almost’ short film block on Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m.
If they’re not dead, they’re still alive (Director: Maïka Hearson)
A documentary about Mark Cormier, a francophone storyteller on the Port au Port Peninsula, who tells stories of his heritage to keep his culture and history alive.
It’s a powerful look into how words, even in the most isolated of communities, can hold so much power, both good and bad, and how it’s important to know not just who we are, but where we’re from.
It dives into the anglicization of Newfoundland’s west coast, stemming from the construction of Stephenville’s military base in World War I, and how francophones have had to adapt and create new ways to keep their culture alive in an increasingly English community.
The documentary shows how through teaching the youth about the history and culture they come from, and telling stories that embrace said cultures and histories, we can keep our cultures alive for far longer than anyone expected.
It’s an eye-opening watch, and showcases both the life and work of Cormier, and his little corner of the world, in a truly beautiful fashion.
It will be screened at the ‘People’s History’ on Saturday, June 27 at 2:30 p.m.
Me and The Spaceman (Director: Eric William Elliott)
A mysterious spaceman searches for a missing rocket ship alongside a grieving mother, and their journey turns into a way for her to face the death of her son.
The sound is a huge standout here. The music by Jared Walker really completes scenes, and makes them perfectly convey exactly what they need to with no spoken words at times. Yet it’s when the sound cuts out that everything hits its emotional peak.
Space is used not just as a sci-fi angle to approach this story from, but as a theme of the space we find ourselves in once someone is gone, and how it can feel as empty at the vastness of the stars. Yet, as we learn to let go, we are surrounded by their memories, allowing them to live on in our hearts and minds.
It can take a little bit to get going, but once it does, it becomes an incredibly emotional story about grief and letting go.
It will be screened at the ‘Striking Out the Boys:’ on Sunday, June 28 at 7:00 p.m.
These are just five of the dozens of short films on display at this year’s Nickel Independent Film Festival. If you’re interested in checking out some films out, the festival runs until June 28th at the LSPU Hall.
The Muse will be providing more coverage for the festival as it progresses.
