Best Short Films of 2010 February 25, 2011

March, not January, is when my actual year starts; when my fingers start to get numb because of the irrepressible need to write; when the rush of (dumb) list-making overwhelms and kicks me in the face. So yeah, let’s begin.

Following are some of the most noteworthy short films I saw the previous year. Three of them were from Ambisyon 2010, a project which I hope will continue this year, and the rest I picked up from working on Cinema Rehiyon, an NCCA project (led by Teddy Co) which just had a successful run in Manila, Davao, and Baguio in the past few weeks. I tried my best not to rank them, but as you can see, the order just gave me away. So there.

Lupang Hinarang sa Sumilao (Ditsi Carolino) Calling Ditsi’s chronicle of the journey of Sumilao farmers from Bukidnon to Manila overwhelming is a complete understatement, especially when you realize, as the anger and sorrow thump in your chest and force you to heave a sigh of pain, that this is just a fragment of the whole devastating thing.

Ang Katapusang Bagting (Remton Siega Zuasola) No, no. Not shot in one take, because Remton has already been there, done that many times, and excelled in them. Now what he does is a sweep of generations, the past meeting the present, and the present meeting the future, a tale of romance and chances wrapped in sweet, not to mention terrible, longing.

Di Ako Makatulog Dahil Wala Ka sa Tabi Ko (Jade Castro) Jade the humorist is also Jade the cheesy, campy, and candid hopeless romantic who waxes poetic upon the mere mention of the word love. Also, breakup.

OCD (Christian Linaban) Is that how short it is? Two minutes? Well directed, well acted, well edited, well everything. Best 100 seconds.

Faculty (Jerrold Tarog) Intense confrontation is a Jerrold dish that never fails to grab by the throat because it’s the only way to grab without resorting to unnecessary blood, tears, and gold.

Ang Sipyat/Bakak (Ronald Gary Bengil Bautista) These two short films from Davaoeño Ronald Gary Bautista are far from exceptional, but both are fresh and promising, if not cringe-worthy at some parts. But still. The dude’s a filmmaker to look forward to.

KKK: Kaawti Kaabtik Kapaltik (Noriel Jarito) That it took me three viewings to surrender to KKK owes to Noriel’s slippery style that slides along the psychology of his subject. On the fourth viewing, though, I still don’t understand it.

Kontrata (Poli Gonzales) It stirred some fair amount of controversy when it was shown in Davao a few weeks ago, but really, who hasn’t seen a dick in a mouth?

Boca (Zurich Chan) It’s a mood piece that could’ve worked better with less dialogue and quirkiness, but Boca manages to leave with the sublime image of tits bathed in milk. I suppose that’s Zurich’s intention anyway.

Ngilngig Stories (Bagane Fiola) Fascinating is how this collection of horror stories does not rely on the usual shock ploys commonly seen in studio movies, and manages, in six short minutes for each part, to build suspense neatly and pull some random surprises.

Cano (Michal Joachimowski) It seems like an ode to cinema and film-viewing, but Polish director Joachimowski also gets himself involved with the people in Bacolod and shares an interesting glimpse of their life.