by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Welcome to The Short List! Each month, I treat you to a collection of short films. Hopefully this list will inspire you to check out some of these gems…
Goose Mountain (YouTube)
Who doesn’t love deep and creative cultural lore on their screen? Goose Mountain is a gorgeous Japanese fable brought to life with some detailed and richly drawn animation. The crisp black-and-white visuals are striking, bringing so much energy and life to this surreal and offbeat tale. This fable (like most) is there to not only tell a story, but to inject an important lesson into the viewer’s life. The surrealist approach makes it even more interesting to dig through the varying animalistic spirits, as well as the protagonist, who is just trying to process the crazy wonders that he sees before him. There is a specific sense of humor about it, with some fantastic stares of shock that will have you smirking. The shapeshifting animal spirits are so lively and bring such a sense of wonder to this little tale. There are shocking and strange moments around every corner, but the beautiful and creative character designs will sit with you for a long time.
D.I.Y. Duck (YouTube)
Are you ready for a brand new classic Disney animated short? Over the years, Walt Disney and co. brought dozens of short films to life with the beloved crew of Mickey Mouse and his friends. Luckily, in 2024, we get a brand new one with Donald Duck, everyone’s favorite duck in need of some anger management. The story is simple: Donald needs to replace a small item in his house. Then it turns into multiple trips to the hardware store and plenty of other improvements. Few films can be as relatable to homeowners like D.I.Y. Duck. Not only is it relatable, but it is full of nostalgia for the old school slapstick cartoons of yesteryear. Yes… Donald takes quite a few bumps along the way. This might not be a fresh-feeling short, but the classic animation and approach hits right in the nostalgic place.
Zoon (YouTube)
Do you like Axolotls? Do you like weird things? Do you like watching a bunch of smooth, blobby humans messing with nature, fooling around, and finding out? Then you would probably like Zoon, the strange, little German hybrid animation short film from Jonatan Schwenk. Things start out nice and cute with adorable axolotls doing their cute, little axolotl things. Then these strange blobby humans show up to ruin of all nature’s good time. Sound familiar? This is such an offbeat and surreal film that has atmospheric tones emanating from the gluttonous mouths of these axolotl-eating humans. There are some grotesque bits of imagery, but don’t you worry… the humans get their just deserts in the end for their reckless treatment of good old Mother Nature and her amphibious children. One other thing… did I mention this short is weird?
Variations on a Theme (YouTube)
Is there anything more fun than a filmmaker taking a cool concept and doing something funny and creative with it? Science fiction has so many possibilities, and the idea of cloning is currently a popular avenue to explore dimensions of the world (just ask Star Wars). Peter Collins Campbell investigates the idea of two people messing around with spontaneous cloning, as they must share a home full of their own doubles, and triples, and so on… There is clever, dark comedy about the absurdity that would ensue with such living arrangements. Then you consider that this is a small and low budget film. The camerawork and effects to render such surprising occurrences as spontaneous splitting of people are quite impressive. This little science fiction tale has a charismatic duo who are snarky and fun, and it explores some of the more mundane elements of having clones. Creativity is certainly on display in Variations on a Theme.
SPOTS: A Way of Seeing (Vimeo)
Who wouldn’t want to have a convenient little, short film narrated by a British person explaining the ins and outs of a craft? SPOTS: A Way of Seeing is an insightful and subtly funny approach to explaining the world of skateboarding. You learn so much that goes into the art of skating, and how to make the most of a given “spot.” The film provides a deeper understanding of different kinds of tricks and different types of fixtures to do those tricks on. There is some impressive footage of the skaters doing their thing (which I could only dream of being about to do), but what makes the film so fun is the matter-of-fact approach and subtle humor in how certain things are described. If you know a ton about skating, you might still appreciate the humorous layers, but it can also be an informative experience for those who only know what they learned from years of playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater.