The 2023 Edition of the BlackBird film festival occurred on April 28-May 1 at the SUNY Cortland campus. Almost 1000 short films were submitted to the festival, and 97 were accepted into the three-day event.
The short films were shown in blocks, with a similar overarching theme.
The film block titled ‘Time to Escape’ had its films under the umbrella: “Whether trapped, held captive, or left behind – all the characters in this film better find a way to escape before it’s too late!”
This block was entertaining and home to many thought-provoking and reflective pieces. However, two films, in particular, stood out, not only to myself but to judges and the filmmaking personnel in attendance.
‘O, Brave New World’ Directed by Elisabeth Ness
Ranking: 9/10
Nominated for the ‘Best Powerful Voice Award,’ “O’ Brave New World” is only on screen for two minutes. Still, the feelings of trauma and overwhelming political hysteria of Covid-19-era America stick with you long after viewing.
The small space used to film the short virtually puts the viewer back into lockdown. The audience is bombarded by the sights and sounds of news reports of racial injustice, massive protests, death counts in the millions, and political division. The exceptional usage of sound throughout the film was more than deserving of its nomination for the best sound design award.
Desirée Abeyta, director of the short film “Anne,” had high praise for “O’ Brave New World,” which she says was one of her favorites in the block.
“Anne is a great example of what a good short is,” Abeyta said. “Focusing on a moment in time and exploring it to its depth and leaving you with something.”
For most of us in 2020-21, there was no outlet to escape the reality we faced at that time. The direction captured this sense of hopelessness perfectly.
The film has a brilliant message of viewing a low point in society as a way to start anew.
“O’ Brave New World” encourages us to view the world with hope rather than despair, but we must embrace our reality rather than run away from it.
“ANNE” Directed by Desirée Abeyta
Ranking: 10/10
This film is my favorite of the block, and the Blackbird judges agree with me — the film was nominated for the ‘Powerful Voice’ and ‘Cinema Writing’ awards and won the ‘Best of Fest’ and ‘Cinema Director’ awards.
Assistant Director of the festival, Alex Lockwright, loved the film.
“I gave it a ten out of ten,” said Lockwright. “It’s pure dialogue, perfect runtime, everything about it – an absolute knockout.”
“Anne” is a funny and thought-provoking short that doesn’t try to answer questions but opens the door for necessary conversations.
The film features two women — one white, one black — both auditioning for the role of Anne Frank in a play. The two women go back and forth, arguing over why each should get the role, ultimately ending at a standstill.
What makes the film so great is that it isn’t preachy. Abeyta doesn’t force her opinion of what is ‘right’ on the audience. She leaves it up to interpretation.
“We weren’t trying to persuade you to come away with one decision,” said Abeyta. “We wanted to present the argument, have both actresses play the part, and have you come up with the decision”.
The film is perfectly timed as we are currently in an era of debate around diversity casting and race-swapping major roles in films and television shows. Anne is a perfect way to encourage informed debate about a serious topic while being lighthearted and funny.
I’m personally a fan when films tackle real issues, but can do it in a way that engages the audience. Both films do it in their own spectacular ways – O’ Brave New World with its fantastic visuals and sound design, and Anne with its hilarious writing and actresses’ performances. Ultimately, both films are fantastic, and their awards and nominations are well earned.