Tribeca 2012 Short FIlms including one of the best of Tribeca - Foxes

As a way of decompressing from a month of films at Tribeca I spent a Saturday night catching up on some of the short films at the festival via the Press on Line Library:

First up a film you really want to track down---

FOXES
I want to really talk about this film, but I don't dare. I don't want to ruin it for you. This is a film of mood and of surprise that you just need to see. These hair raising 15 minutes are best experienced rather than wrecked by careless words.

This is a chilling short film from Ireland about a couple living all alone in a lonely row of houses. She becomes obsessed with the foxes that wander the neighborhood. Where her obsession goes is the story, and it will mess with your head. Seriously this is an eerie film of the highest order. The end sent a genuine chill through my body.

Put it on the list of best films of any length at Tribeca and possibly of the year. Absolute proof that great things come in small packages.

INCOMPLETE HISTORY OF THE TRAVELOGUE, 1925
Actual travel film shot by a rich family from 1925 is married with passages from The Great Gatsby and period music. A nice idea that doesn't quite work.

INQUIRE WITHIN
A short four minute WTF film of choices. Your guess is as good as mine. My guess is it doesn't add up to very much.

INTERMISSION TIME
Freaky animated film about the concession stand at a drive in and what happens when the subjects of the nightly "show" turn the tables. Yes, I'm being obtuse, simply because I can't explain this with out ruining its wonderful That's not right feeling. Its not right, and damn creepy as a result. Worth watching. One of the best short films at this years Tribeca.

LEONID'S STORY
Animated/live action documentary about Chernobyl and how one family got swept up in it. The human story is good but it just sort of misses. I think the problem is that the subtitling seems not quite right.
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LIBRARY OF DUST
In the process of taking stock of things at the Oregon State Hospital, a room full of copper cans containing the ashes of former patients is found. A small scale and sad story about people who ultimately really were forgotten by everyone.

SCENES FROM A VISIT TO JAPAN
Super 8 Travel footage of Japan. I'm at a loss as to why this was shown at the film festival. In all honesty it's like watching someone's home movies...which gives me an idea, I'll submit my family films nor next years festival.

TROTTEUR
A Young man races a locomotive. Lyrically beautiful metaphysical tale seems to want to be about something, the question is what? I watched this twice because I thought it would click the second time, it didn't.

TURNING THE CORNER
A man explains how a chance meeting changed his life. The question is why are we being told this story? Its well made, and the story is interesting, but devoid of any connection to anything larger this becomes a disposable story. You will wonder why anyone would take the time to animate this story.

VOICE OVER
A voice over narrator deals with a shifting story. A good little film, but I'm not sure that the pay off is worth the effort to get there. Worth a look if you have other things to watch as well.

CURFEW
Sitting in a bath tub and about to commit suicide a man's sister calls him up to have him come watch her daughter while she runs out. He goes and it sets in motion a series of life changing events. A very good little film...though in full disclosure I think I would have liked this better had the publicity team not been pushing this film as a must see. Give me a gentle push not a hard sell.

DEMOCRATIC LOCATIONS (GERMAN VERSION)
Locations in modern day where historic events happened. And the point of this is what? Boredom? If you you nailed it.

DREAMSCAPES
Good, but unremarkable portrait of painter Stephen Hannock. We watch as he paints and goes through his paces. I'm being snide, this is a good film, but it's placement in the Festival alludes to a more important and better film. Its good but, not great.

BARCELONA
A trip through Barcelona set to music. Think of it as someone’s photo screensaver on the big screen.

THE LAST ICE MERCHANT
A look at the last man carting ice from the glaciers on ---- and selling it to a dwindling number of customers. Talk about a dying job, this is a look at a man who is really the last of his kind. Its completely understandable as to why the need for glacial ice is dwindling, there are modern ice makers, and people no longer care about how the ice tastes so long as it keeps their drinks cold. A good little film.

PERFECT FIT
A look at the big burly men who make ballet shoes. As one of the guy jokes, people think he’s kidding when he says that he makes ballet slippers, but its clear, watching the men turn out the shoes, you need big strong men to make things so dainty. An amusing trifle.

CHUPACHUPS
Very good Korean short film about a young woman recently admitted to the police force who goes home to meet an old friend who runs a coffee shop. A very nice little drama.

That's all I managed to squeeze in. I did miss a few that I wanted to see such as Baseball in the Time of Cholera and Beauty Culture because they were not available for screening.

If I can leave you with any thought, it's track down FOXES because it is that good.