CLERMONT-FERRAND INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2014

“I think if you stick to what is fun in life, you’ll maybe end up being a filmmaker.”
Daniel Moshel – interview for Directors Notes
http://www.directorsnotes.com/2013/08/08/dn295-metube-daniel-moshel/

De Honger (Hunger) Benoit De Clerck Belgium 2013 16min

On a warm day in May, after school, a young boy is playing on the beach, when he stumbles upon two lovers hidden by the sand dunes. Hard to write anything else without giving away the end, but that’s the gist of it!
De Honger is an elegant, picturesque film, its long shots of windy beaches, its bluntness, its impropriety typical of a certain genre of Belgian cinema. The ambiance is one of 1960s rigid, traditional bourgeoisie. Worth seeing for the stunning cinematography and its irreverent ending.

Darling Darling Matthew Lessner USA 2005 14min

All round nice guy Harold is taking his girlfriend to a prom. Dressed to the nines, he wants to make a good impression in front of Mr Darling, the father, who for no apparent reason, is wearing a pony’s head.
He decides to challenge the young man to a round of archery and launches himself into a guitar solo (the funniest I have ever had the pleasure of seeing on a big screen).
Lessner draws from Waspish imagery to come up with an absurd, psychedelic free ride of a film. Long shots enable the scenario to unfold uninterrupted in all its bizarre, topsy turvy glory. The absurdity of the film is sublte and handled magnificently; at no point is the pony head explained or referred to (spare a thought for actor Steven Barry who was actually wearing a real, stuffed head). There is a star turn from Michael Cera as the young man, always polite and imperturbable, some time before the success of Superbad and Juno.

Les jours d’avant Karim Moussaoui, Algeria/France 2013 40min

Yamina and Djaber live in Algiers in the early 1990s, although Yamina is a recent resident since her father was promoted to police inspector and sent to live there. From the get-go, she is known as a ’cop’s daughter’ and becomes one of the most popular girls in her school. Djaber, clearly attracted to her, is at a loss as to how to approach her. Karim Moussaoui’s short film follows the story of two people whose paths cross but that keep missing each other, on a backdrop of impending violence.
Every detail of the film has its place, no line of dialogue or scene is superfluous. This is a beautiful film about missed chances. It has just received the Jury Grand Prize for French Shorts at the 26th Festival Permiers Plans of Angers and its actress Souhila Mallem was awarded best female role.

MeTube : August sings Carmen « Habanera » (MeTude : chante la Habanera de Carmen)

Daniel Moshel USA/ Canada 2013 13Min

MeTube is Daniel Moshel’s tribute to all those self-promotion enthusiasts who meticulously post their efforts on Youtube. Deceptively brash and messy at first glance, MeTube is in fact well put together and thought out.

Here is an interview with the director on the making of this film:

http://www.directorsnotes.com/2013/08/08/dn295-metube-daniel-moshel/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2jn_lxrrPg