As we finish our coverage of the shorts films shown on the Berlin Final Girls Festival, (Running from June 9th to 11th), we will talk now about the block called «Escape», you can see the previous covered blocks here and here
Minor disclaimer: Please note that there were some blocks and titles shown on the festival that we could not cover due time restrictions, and in no way means that the titles not mentioned are bad or should be skipped, and while I will try to bring your attention to the short films and do them justice with the synopsis, I will keep it spoiler-free.
As mentioned before, this block was called «Escape» and some of the shorts included were:
Emergency Stop (dir. Diane Jessie Miller, Ireland, 2016)
A woman driving on a lonely country road, apparently finds a victim of a violent attack. A prudent person would try to call the police for help, but what can you do when there is no signal?
…Simple, to the point and twisted, can’t ask for more!
Restart (dir. Olga Osorio, Spain, 2015)
A woman can’t break free from a time loop where she was abducted.
I am a sucker for time travel and the implications of «cause and effect», paradoxes and all that related mumbo jumbo. This one will keep you thinking for a while after the credits roll.
Shah Mat (dir. Razan Takesh and Kirill Kripak, UAE, 2016)
A man finds himself trapped on a boat with a mysterious hood figure. The only way out from this strange prison is to participate in a game of chess, putting his life on the line.
Man, I loved this one!! It has simple, but very effective special effects, the dialogue between the characters was very well written, Do not wast time trying to guess the ending, just enjoy the ride getting there.
Puppet Man (dir. Jacqueline Castel, US, 2016)
A group of friends looking to party enter a bar that is about to close. After a couple of drinks the bartender share with the group the tale of a killer, one that comes to visit if you have been bad…
Well shot and entertaining, specially if you are into slashers. Be on the look out for a face familiar to fans of the genre, as a clue I will tell you that the music in this short has his signature all over it.
The Last Roadkill (dir. Xavier Hamel, produced by Tonia Rightley, US, 2016)
Three women with a pact are about to execute the final step in order to be part of a legacy, but one of them is having second thoughts.
Easy to the eyes, but not quite one of my favorites, well shot, though.
From the press release:
Berlin, DE – The 2nd edition of Final Girls Berlin Film Festival will take place in Berlin, Germany from the 9th to the 11th of June, with a program consisting of three feature films, eight curated short blocks, a talk on the “horror hag” subgenre, a workshop on monstrous representations of the “other” in horror, and an art exhibition with five female artists working in horror.
Final Girls Berlin Film Fest showcases horror films that were directed, written, and/or produced by women and non-binary filmmakers.
Festival co-director Sara Neidorf says, “The films we’re presenting relish in various forms of resistance: decimating traditional representations of women in film; blurring bodily boundaries; highlighting the perversions lurking within the nuclear family structure; contorting the conventions of romance; painting bloody portraits of revenge.” Co-director Eli Lewy adds, “The films screening in FGBFF express women’s fantasies and fears in poignant, new ways, showing that horror is fertile ground for feminist filmmaking.”