By Max Bradley-Cole, Film and TV Editor
Picture this: a dolly zoom meticulously replicated using an office chair, a tracking shot achieved via a skateboarder’s treacherous navigation of a mouldy student accom, and a crane shot accomplished by a festival-style shoulder ride: Welcome to the world of student filmmaking, riddled with the zeal of future filmmakers and rife with their unending creativity.
What students lack in funds and equipment they more than make up with ingenuity. This is why I was delighted to attend the InFilm Society’s premiere, where the University of Bristol’s sole filmmaking society showcased the result of their term-long Short Film Challenge. Led by president, Anouk Griffiths, these filmmakers were randomly sorted into groups and given 8 weeks to create a film inspired by a single colour, with one cardinal rule – no horror. What emerged was a cinematic oeuvre spanning a total of 14 films including cheeky comedies, floral thrillers, and festive melodramas. This event brought together filmmakers, friends, and actors to celebrate the raw creativity of these student films and to honour them with a committee chosen award, an ‘Oscar’ - with a twist. With the stage set, or should I say set staged, here’s a closer look at six standout films from the night.
Colour: Sandy Grey – Sandy Grey
Although this film’s title may be somewhat uninspired, the content is anything but. Sandy Grey takes the form of a vlog, following a couple as they collaborate on writing a play. With pink sofas, a home video aesthetic, and an almost saccharine, soppy romance, I found myself beaming, but this smile was quickly wiped from my face as the film progressed.
Sandy Grey is like an iceberg. On the surface it’s a story about a turbulent relationship, but beneath lies a meta-commentary on performance itself. The actors play a couple, who are writing and starring in a play about a couple and using it to convey the things they feel they but cannot say to each other. The film became a performance, within a performance, within a performance. That’s pretty cool.
Oscar Award – The Pinkest Sofa (awarded for the frequent occurrence of a bright pink sofa.)
Colour: Mirror – Lady Luck
Black cats, broken mirrors, and walking over three drains: when bad things keep on happening, is it really just your luck? From eating soup with a fork because all of her spoons have magically disappeared to standing in Michelin star dogshit, this film’s protagonist cannot catch a break. The dry dialogue and slapstick humour earned one reverberant cackle from yours truly. With a twist that would make M. Night Shyamalan jealous, it left me wondering if tossing salt over your shoulder might ward off more than just bad luck, perhaps it’s perfect for stinging the eyes of some extra clingy admirers.
Oscar award – Most Scrumptious Faeces.
Colour: Mint Green – Sink
Tesco meal deal dinners and flower offcuts, a struggling writer is driven mad by her partner’s apathy and his… pizza bagels? Told through a four-part narrative, each named after a different flower, this film explores the pain of being ignored by the one who should pay the closest attention to you and the madness this can bring. With distinct colours, plenty of swearing, and lines that actually hit hard, such as, ‘Can I just do anything just to be seen?’”, this film’s strength lies in the dynamic between its two leads. Whilst it could have benefitted from less dialogue to show rather than tell, it still managed to build some effective tension that culminated in a rather gruesome climax.
Oscar award– Most Confusing Job for Too Many Bagels.
Colour: Blue – The Other Guy
Imagine Challengers – minus the tennis.
Two bros compete to see who can hold their breath underwater the longest, all to impress the vague concept of a girl who barely appears on-screen. What follows is some undeniably homoerotic splashing, a theme that persists throughout the film. I couldn’t help but notice that the audience was extremely interested in the budding romance, and it wasn’t about who would win the girl. No, the question on everyone’s lips was ‘when are these two guys going to kiss?’
Oscar award– Best On-Screen Chemistry
Colour: Dark Grey – Light Me
A woman starts awake, stranded in an unfamiliar forest clutching a single match. As she explores the woodland around her, she discovers others trapped in this limbo-like realm, their fates all intertwined and dependent upon a single matchbox. It's Bristolian Arthouse, It's Bristol New Wave, it goes Jean-Luc God-hard (I’m so sorry). It was hilarious, beautifully shot, and had stunts so intense I was genuinely worried someone might get hurt.
Oscar award– Wonkiest Bullet (awarded for a cameo of a particularly skew-whiff bullet.)
Colour: Gold – The Fifth Gift
A chaotic Christmas conundrum! Four flatmates, five presents, and one love triangle spark confusion, drama, divaness, and a whole lot of regifting. With the biggest fire risk I’ve ever seen in a student film, someone spraying a can of Lynx over an OPEN FLAME, I genuinely thought my heart was going to give out. But alas, I survived to enjoy all the Come-Dine-With-Me-esque drama and I only wish there had been a scene at the end where everyone rated their meal out of 10.
Oscar award– Biggest Fire Hazard.
Colour: Beige – Hey, Hay Man!
This film tells the whimsical yet profound tale of Jack the Scarecrow and his once-in-a-lifetime journey to experience the joys of Bristol. Brilliantly shot, with what might be the best cinematography I’d seen so far (and I’d expect nothing less from the third-year film students), every frame is a work of art. The scarecrow is brought on an adventure that takes him to the best Richmond building cameo ever, a party scene so good I was envious, and the stunning sights of Weston-super-mud, sorry Super-Mare. In the end, Jack is settled on a bench, free to gaze out at the sea view, and although it was kind of giving John Lewis Ad, it remained emotional, heartfelt, and came complete with the most amusing Oscar title yet.
Oscar award- Most Outstanding in his Field! (Ba-dum tss)
Well, there it is, a whole evening’s worth of student-run and student-created entertainment. These films will soon be available on the InFilm youtube channel, and if you are interested in creating your own movie masterpiece, find InFilm on Instagram @infilmbristol or email them at infilmbristol@gmail.com for more information.
Will you be joining inFilm next semester?
