The Provo, Utah genre festival FilmQuest puts as much emphasis on shorts as feature films, as they can be powerful launch pads for creatives. Here are some standouts so far, with this post updating as more are screened through the festival’s end on Nov. 1.
“Strip Mall” (dir. Andy Appelle)
A dark look at loss prevention, a shoplifter gets a punishment that fits his crime in this bizarre and unpredictable bite-sized bit of sadism. Bonus points for effective use of CCTV to set up the scenario.
“New Followers” (dir. Guy Pidgen)
Two influencer couples link up for a hike in New Zealand, and as cracks show in their relationships, they soon realize they’re being watched in real life as well as online. A twisty, nervy found-footage nightmare with a great ending that seems destined for feature treatment.
“I Beg Your Pardon” (dir. John W. Lustig)
This animated short is a very funny examination of a man who admits to murder, but no one seems to care — to the point that it drives him mad. A coda set in Heaven is the perfect tart ending to the outrageous concept.
“Sleep Tight” (dir. Grace Presse)
Dripping with atmosphere, Grace Presse’s portrait of a woman haunted by a sleep paralysis demon was genuinely creepy — punctuated by one perverse scene that had the audience squirming in their seats. Here’s hoping Presse gets to expand her vision into a feature project soon.
“Loud” (dir. Adam Azimov)
A music producer tries to add a haunting scream to a song, and it conjures up darkness. This short plays excellently with spooky audio mixing and feels claustrophobic until the shocking last moment.
“Bill” (dir. Emily Dhue)
A verbally-abusive husband transforms into the perfect man… after he’s killed and turned into a marionette corpse puppet by his wife. Director Emily Dhue gives this short a retro feel, which juxtaposes the husband’s obsession with cosmetic surgery, and it’s easy to see writer and star Deana Taheri topline her own “Pearl”-esque feature.
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