4th Silvershorts.MOV Short Films

The crop of finalists for the 4^th Silvershorts.MOV Short Film competition is a mixed bag of documentaries, comedy, fantasy, and lots of romance. The two documentaries get a big boost from their strong real-life characters. Undo is the more memorable one because of his colorful story. The affluent side of Gupit’s Ka Rene was not shown weakening the martyr, heroic part of the character.

The eight feature short films are technically good but each has their own noticeable shortcoming. Panty is well-casted but the ending could have been funnier. Lack of comedic timing spoils the punchline.

The AmBisyon 2010 short film Dahil Sa ‘yo is beautifully shot but the philosophical story is a bit meeh. An old man who has cut up all his banana trees save for one gets bitten by the love bug.

Man-woman relationship in various forms and stages are tackled by Coverage, Hindi Sa Atin Ang Buwan, and Man of the House. Love for country is debated in Patlang. Numbalikdiwa and Panibugho feature artists encountering life-changing events.

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Coverage (Jan Philippe Carpio)

A couple tries to fight their feelings for one another. In the Mood for Love meets Hayden Kho.

Dahil Sa ‘yo (Gym Lumbera)

Saging lang ang may puso. Saging din lang ang makakabighani sa isang pusong sawi.

Gupit (Mark Mirabuenos)

This is a documentary on Ka Rene, a barber and suave member of the singing group Los Tomadores. Pales in comparison to similar Undo.

Hindi Sa Atin Ang Buwan (Jon Lazam)

Suitor rides a boat, bus, taxi, and even flies to the skies only to be with his beloved lady. But, the unreachable moon is not theirs. *** Update: Grand Prize, Silvershorts.MOV 2011

Man of the House (Chuck Hipol)

According to craftily-made television advertisements, Christmas season is a happy, bountiful time for families. Just don’t tell it to dysfunctional families.

Numbalikdiwa (Richmond Garcia)

Part one

Part two

An elder guy confronts ghosts from his past.

Panibugho (Alvin Yapan)

A landscape artist hawks his oil paintings inside gated subdivisions. He covets a dashing sports bike left unattended. He rushes back home to seek out a special goose egg that will make him invisible. He then encounters a character from one of his paintings.

Panty (Timmy Harn)

A household without kids is menaced by mice and small rats. The woman is aghast to discover her things and undies in disarray. She suspects the rats as culprits. The woman gets confirmation when her pink panty stinks of a ‘playful rat.’ Ending could have been funnier.

Patlang (Jet Leyco)

An activist and an apathetic citizen fill in the blanks of what makes a good Filipino.

Undo (Lito Tabay)

Part one

Part two

This excellent documentary is a spontaneous composition of the colorful life of Cebu-based painter Vidal Alcoseba.