Support Indie Film - UK Film Review

UK Film Review now have a selection of 3 UK Kickstarter film projects which need support.

You can check them all out here: http://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/#!support-indie-film/cnam

But, here is a quick run-down of the three amazing projects:

LAB RATS

A short body horror filled with practical effects - expect melting faces and exploding limbs!

Synopsis: Kat and her eco-warrior friends embark on a mission to expose the international bio-chemistry company, Ring-Amnion, as liars after a tip-off that they ran an animal testing lab - despite their public profile claiming otherwise.

The gang, and Kat's 20,000 followers, are eager to find out what Ring-Amnion have been hiding as they break into an old building, but they aren't prepared for what they find inside...

MAYA

Maya is a horror feature film about jinn possession shot on location in Pakistan in the Urdu/Hindi language, subtitled in English. It follows the life of a young girl in her early twenties, Maya, and a traumatic event that happens in her childhood revolving around urban legends/stories about jinn (fire demons from Islamic scripture). The film follows her as an adult as she tries to piece together her childhood whilst surviving her present. 

Current challenges include hitting deadlines whilst in post-production - Editing, subtitling, Colour Grading, Sound Design and Music Composition. They're aiming to have everything done by May in time for their first festival entry. Any setbacks would most likely stem from technology and equipment, however they have a solid team working together, which will help resolve any matters quickly.

Directed by: K Pervaiz

 

LIKE THE DEAD 

 

Like The Dead is a short film series that tells the tale of a man (Will McCabe) reliving the same day again and again in different ways, always with the same outcome:  The grisly murder of his girlfriend (Sian Gordon).

The first three 2-5 min shorts set up the environment and the repetition that he is living.  Looking past the bloodshed, there is something behind those haunted eyes.  There is more to the tale than is immediately apparent.

The final 20-min short that we are raising money to film provides the answers we are looking for, and raises a few more questions.  We find out who this man and woman are.  We finally see how he is living like the dead.  Asleep from reality.  Escaping.

Check out the UK Film Review #supportindiefilm page for more: http://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/#!support-indie-film/cnam

 

UK Film Review - Short Film - "Aftermath"

Bleak and atmospheric, Aftermath (or Akibet in its original, Turkish title), depicts an intense short story about grief and the “painful truth of life”.

Damla (Gizem Aybike Sahin) and her unnamed sibling (Berkan Uygun) are trying to cope with the death of their parents in very different ways. The traumatic experience has left them distraught, and the need to lean on family during times of strife is a strong theme during the film. Damla’s attempts to bring her brother back from the edge of oblivion are met with heartbreaking stoicism, which only ends up causing another devastating tragedy.

As the pair struggle to find an anchor, it becomes clear that without a solid companion for dependency, both are lost in different ways.

Enduring themes of loss and coping mechanisms are pelted at the audience, with a beautifully moody score and a pointed and effective script. The film, from Tofic Rzayev, delivers a powerful punch in its short, 8-minute run-time that most films fail to produce in a feature length.

Aftermath is a beautifully shot and well-produced short film that leaves a distinct aftertaste for any discerning viewer.

A little more development on the story and its fallout would have been appreciated, however this is just evidence of Rzayev’s expertise - giving you such powerful flavours, leaving you desperate for more.

One of UK Film Review’s top short films this year, Aftermath is a lesson in short film-making.


CLICK HERE FOR MORE SHORT FILM REVIEWS

Aloha - Movie Trailer

Trailer for new film Aloha - starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Bill Murray, Rachel McAdams, and...Alec Baldwin!

http://youtu.be/lPU3uoXcLBU

Short Film Review - UK Film Review

FLUX

“Choreography Geography”
Review by Chris Olson

Three separate dancers perform mesmerising routines across different locations, ranging from urban landscapes to a lonely dance studio.

Dance as a modern expressionistic art form exploded a while back, with dance troops forming orderly lines at every talent show across the UK, hoping to be the next Diversity. However, what was missing from most of the groups as they flung their members across arenas to mash-ups of pop/techno songs was substance. Few communicated anything other than a desire to wow with acrobatics, lacking in any emotional connection between the dancers and the routine.

Flux, a short film from Patrick Ryder and Alex Brock, dishes out more inspiration in its two-and-a-half minutes run-time than an entire series of Britain’s Got Talent!

The three dancers, vastly different in look, style and location, not only display fantastic skill in their choreography and execution, but deliver a worthwhile portrayal of the competing themes represented through dance. At once a lonely and isolating scene, seeing an individual dancing with no one around them in a deserted location, Flux can also be seen as a collective. These three dancers seem to be moving in unison (even with different styles), expressing an inner urge that needs no words.

Also, there exists a contrast between the fantastic moves shown by these talented performers and the fact that there is no audience. Not even passers-by. This juxtaposition between art and fame is revealed in such a short space of time most will miss it, but that's what appeals from filmmakers like Ryder and Brock who pack a quick punch to their short films.

With a pounding soundtrack that rises towards a beautiful climax, Flux maintains high levels of passion and emotion without relying on inevitable falls to build momentum.

Hats off to Xue Zhang, Ellena Louise Austin, and Hannah Barron for their outstanding performances - in the truest sense of the word.


More reviews at www.ukfilmreview.co.uk

Under The Dark Wing
Directed by Christopher Di Nunzio

Shot in a moody, film noir style, Under the Dark Wing is a combination of crime and supernatural. Three characters intertwine in the gangster-land world of this criminal underbelly: a chicken-wing eating Don called George (David Graziano), an ex-junkie called Johnny (Fiore Leo), and a mysterious woman (Jessy Row) whom Johnny fails to “eliminate” during a hit.

Torn between his ethics and his loyalties to George, Johnny falls into a spiral of despair and looks to his old ways to help him cope. In a powerful drug-taking scene, Under the Dark Wing proves its mettle in delving into the crime genre.

Di Nunzio’s stylistic choices make this a worthwhile watch for fans of short films, in particular for those who enjoy gritty urban fables and character exploration. The odd use of close-up, like when George is eating chicken wings, is a fantastic method of creating dislike for his character, whilst the long, static shot of Johnny preparing to shoot-up is equally as effective, making the viewer feel increasingly uncomfortable as its moral anchor slips into chaos.

Sound is used well, creating a tense atmosphere, in particular the church bells behind Johnny’s drug-taking, and the loud crunching of leaves when a goon (Keith Bennett) approached the mysterious woman.

Arguably, the clichéd mobster (George) is little on the nose, but Graziano still comes across as believable and a decent script elevates his performance above the usual contrived claptrap that passes for modern, urban cinema. Leo is also worthy of mention, in particular in the more dramatic sequences.

The themes of innocence versus purity, and the ambiguity of morality are pulsating throughout the movie, and make it extremely compelling. Very watchable stuff.

More reviews at: www.ukfilmreview.co.uk