one small seed » short & sweet | one small seed

Popcorn, Chewing gum, peanuts & bubblegum – but this ain’t no drive-in

one small seed — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:43:59 +0000

A dark August evening in Cape Town; the city is wet and everyone is scrambling to get to their Happy Hour. The date is Tuesday the 21st; it’s the fourth instalment of Short & Sweet. Aside from the unforgiving weather outside, it had been a tough week for film; Tony Scott had just tragically passed and things were looking rather sombre. Julia Stephenson, founder and curator of Short & Sweet made her way to centre stage where she delivered a rousing welcome, urging everyone to get involved and be inspired by what they came to see.

As the official media partner, one small seed set out to Wunderbar Theatre for Short & Sweet, which seemed like the most dignified thing to do, beside polishing off a bottle of brandy to stave off the chill. The place feels beautiful… like something out of a World War Two movie, except with a cast of grandpa-sweatered hipsters instead of war-torn heroes. There is a certain intimacy that covers the theatre; the projector light bounces off eager faces and the smell of hot popcorn gives everyone that common ground of nostalgia. The crowd is looking to be as varied as the line-up of films. You’d find everyone here that’s typical of a film screening; the obnoxious guy in the front telling everyone to shut up, the equally obnoxious couple behind you talking about nothing in-particular and the rowdy people in the next row offering pre-show entertainment. Except there’s nothing typical about Short & Sweet.

From animation and dark comedy to music videos and conceptual pieces, the short films selected that night left the audience in a changing state of being. Each with its own ident (a short and sweet ad), the short films and sheer charm of the event left the dismal atmosphere outside happily forgotten. The mish-mash of hilariously nasty, over-the-top, enlightening and down-right engaging international and local short films (along with the free Cutty Sark Whiskey) were enjoyed by everyone present. One of the guests had this to say:

If nothing else, the selection of films was well curated – whoever is putting the line-up together is rather well-versed and realizes the profundity for the evocative power of short films. In the cramped space of a few minutes, there’s enough time to articulate, but not exhaust a concept or thought.

One of the highlights that night was a screening from local collective The Blackheart Gang – consisting of Jannes Hendrikz, Markus Wormstorm and Ree Treweek – and who one small seed featured back in 2006 for Issue 4. The dark-hearted masterminds resurfaced on the night in the screening of their A Tale of How, the second part of The Dodos Trilogy. Fantasia on illustrative steroids, their works are deliciously dark, tailored to delight.

Elements - the contribution from AFDA Film School student, Lukas Kuhne – was purely an exercise in cinematography and how to do it just right. I caught up with him to find out how this little gem came to be:

What inspired you to produce a love story? Was it personal experience or just something you’ve always wanted to do?
This is a question I always dread. We were asked to do a short experimental film at AFDA, where I’m currently studying. The explanation doesn’t always come out as clear as I would have liked, but I wanted to show the turmoil and the conflict that comes with trying to deal with certain elements of ourselves as well as those in other people. With her being wind and him being water, he tries to write a poem but the ink keeps getting washed away, while every time she tries to draw, her pencils and paper keep blowing away. It shows how we hinder ourselves with our internal fears… for example the fear of rejection. But in the same vein those things about them complement each other, where her wind element dries him, and his water element gives her purpose…The film gives commentary to any relationship, especially the relationship with oneself.

What’s next for you?
I’m working on my graduation piece for AFDA at the moment, which is going to be a comedy. I find that these are a lot more fun to do.

And what’s next for Short & Sweet? For the moment, there’s another two more screenings lined up – Tuesday 28 August and Tuesday 4 September. And after that, well, Julia has a few more events in the pipeline, so stay posted to our Twitter and Facebook for updates!

Article by: Shiba Melissa Mazaza
Photography: Giuseppe Russo

This is going to make you freak

one small seed — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:05:03 +0000

Short & Sweet, which began in London in 2006 and expanded to Toronto, Cape Town and Melbourne, brings people together through short film. A different selection of the finest short films, music videos and short animations from around the world are screened, from established directors to new talent. The aim is to celebrate film and take audiences on a journey: creatively, personally and emotionally.

Short and Sweet Season 2 kicked off last Tuesday at the Wunderbar Theatre (‘Old’ German Club) off Hope St in Cape Town. The night opened with ‘Nothing about Nothing’ a short film premiere by South African director Daniel Levi. We sat down and caught up with the man.

He talks about the short film being its own separate medium because it needs to be written with a certain structure in mind, and the main element he identifies making a short film successful is its simplicity. Daniel talks with excitement about where filmmaking is at the moment in South Africa, and for him he is really thrilled to have returned to the country.

‘Short & Sweet for me has always been intriguing; I had only seen it on Facebook and heard about the festival. I was not in Cape Town last year and I was amazed at the turnout and how so many people were interested… I thought wow, this is quite a magical event – it shows how interested people are in short film.’ (Daniel Levi)

Daniel gives advice to aspiring filmmakers:

I think the advice I can give young filmmakers is set aside your judgements and self criticism, and pick up the camera and make stuff, and get the experience because its through the action and experience of making film that we as filmmakers develop our language, its not through a thought process its actually through the doing.

Image: Picturescope

Click here for the Facebook event.
Click here to watch the Short & Sweet 2012 trailer.

WIN: Full season ticket to Short & Sweet 2012

one small seed — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 10:39:51 +0000

one small seed is proud to announce that we are an official media partner of Short & Sweet Season 2, bringing filmlovers an array of local and international short films, music videos and animations. We have ten seasonal tickets to give away – read on to find out more!

The event begins on Tuesday 31st of July and will run every Tuesday for six weeks, showcasing a different selection of films each week. The venue for Short&Sweet Season 2 is the Wunderbar Theatre, Hope Str, Cape Town. Doors open at 18h30.
Its unique and questionable drawcard is that no one really no’s what they’ll be watching as there is no schedule of the screenings. Sure of a great experience, the loyal audience flock to the screenings hoping to catch a taste of each cities unique flavor. Once there, the smart, youthful and diverse group relax and seek opportunity to participate and network with their peers.

We are giving away 10 full season tickets (worth R150 each), which will allow you access to each Tuesday screening for the full six weeks.

If you would like to be one of the lucky people to win one of the ten season tickets then follow these steps:

How to win:

Click attending on the Facebook event

Either
Tweet this competition link with a mention of @onesmallseedSA and tag #Short&Sweet2012
Or
Update/share your Facebook status with the link to this competition, remember to tag @one small seed Magazine and TV

We will announce the 10 winners via Twitter and Facebook this coming Friday at 12h00. NB: the more you share the higher your chances are of winning.

Short film can change opinions, create conversation, bring people together. Showcasing work from established directors and newcomers, Short & Sweet’s curation is structured around themes with intentional arcs and programmed breaks in which guest are encouraged to interact with one another.

Click here to view our last post on Short & Sweet.