Short films have always been the rage but it’s sometimes easy for these to get lost in the shuffle of full length productions. There are resources for filmmakers to share their shorts out there but in the midst of so many films to choose from, it’s sometimes difficult to assess what’s worth your time and what is best left unwatched. In an effort to shine a light on some of the better short films, we’re launching a new, semi-regular column tilted “Shorts Program” which will highlight a short film that is well worth your time. Our hope is to share some of the good short films out there but also to pick up on new and emerging talent.
If you’ve got a short film you would like to share, drop us a line at feedback@rowthree.com.
In this first installment of the “Shorts Program”, I bring you a multi award winning film which captured my attention earlier this year. At the time, I posted a trailer with a little information with the promise that I’d bring your attention to it once it was released and now it’s here, just in time for Halloween.
The brainchild of Colin Cunningham, Centigrade features a man waking up one morning to find himself locked in his camper and being towed down the road by a mysterious black pick-up. As the film develops, we come to see that our lead isn’t exactly without sin and with every passing moment, the temperature inside the camper begins to rise and with the rising temperature we get an ever more crazed and angry guy.
Cunningham makes excellent use of the limited space and the dirty, dingy trailer seems to get increasingly less appealing as the heat begins to rise. There’s little dialog in the film but it makes excellent use of the “show not tell” aesthetic and though that seems fairly obvious, it’s amazing how often filmmakers forget about this. Rather than telling us that it’s getting hot in the trailer, Cunningham uses a number of shots to show the increasing heat while not constantly resorting to showing us a thermostat. And the closing shot, completely unexpected but certainly leaves a creepy feeling.
Cunningham doesn’t only star in the film but he also wrote and directed the short which has played an won a number of film festivals over the last year. Earlier this week, the film made its debut on iTunes where it is available for rental ($0.99) or purchase ($1.99). Quite the steal if you ask me and a perfect addition to your Halloween movie watching marathon on Friday.
Be sure to check out the trailer tucked under the seat. If you’re looking to see the entire film, something I highly recommend, use the links below for easy access in iTunes:
iTunes – USA
iTunes – Canada
iTunes – UK
» Read the rest of the entry..
