Stills from the Texas Shorts Competition short films. (Photos courtesy of SXSW/Nathan Smith/Kageri/‘Jedo’s Dead’/‘Live From the Clouds’/Still from ‘Sangre Violenta / Sangre Violeta’/Patrick Bresnan/Emil Lozada)
Seven unique short films premiered during SXSW on March 8 as part of the Texas Short Program at Rollins Theatre at The Long Center in Austin, with a secondary screening held on March 11. The shorts were “vibrant work filmed in, inspired by, or connected to the Lone Star State,” according to the SXSW website. It was here that SZNS happily fulfilled our mandate to report on Texas film, as we leaned back to enjoy the viewing experience.
Beeps — 7.5/10
Easily a standout for me. Set in East Hollywood, Sam Smith is driven crazy by the sound of a beep emanating from a fire alarm somewhere in the neighborhood. Smith and his partner, Robert Vilalta, go door-to-door, asking their neighbors about the source of the noise. The conflict is incredibly low-stakes, yet instantly understandable — the core idea of a “neighborhood” comes through during Smith and Vilalta’s investigation. The people they meet, the neighbors they’re shunned by and the connections they make are a pleasure to watch. This hilarious short is directed by Kirk Johnson, who is based out of Austin and Los Angeles as part of the filmmaking duo Beef & Sage.
Hair Care — 6/10
A narrative short from director Fatima Wardy, “Hair Care” is an ambitious project fueled by the love of Côte d’Ivoire, a nation in West Africa, and its artistic and cultural influences on the protagonist in Texas. It begins with lead Jamila, played by Se’An Boatner, left abandoned in a hair stylist’s chair. When Jamila gets up to investigate, she’s suddenly transported to a fictional television studio, then to an animated version of Abidjan, a city in Côte d’Ivoire. The art style is expressive and stylized but doesn’t maintain a consistent flow throughout the animation. The sound design, however, sets the scene, and the chase through the streets is well-acted and written to great comedic effect. Narratively and artistically, a lot is happening for a 12-minute short and the love of filmmaking is obvious throughout every second. Wardy, an MFA production student at the University of Texas at Austin, rightfully earned the SXSW Texas Shorts Competition Special Jury Award.
Jedo’s Dead — 9/10
A young girl visits her grandfather after school, only to find he’s died in bed sometime prior. Scared, confused and more than a bit curious, child actor A.J. Lister takes the audience through a quiet gamut of emotion, which is later foiled by the frenetic panic of actor Langston Sardella, playing her older brother. Scenes of the children playing and dancing with Jedo, their grandfather, emphasize their relationships as loving and nurturing, and while he’s dead in front of them, it’s not a morbid death. The children are given time to grieve their grandfather alone, comforting one another for this major change. Among it all, the children are living in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, influencing their relationship with death and mourning. The 9/11 theme isn’t as prevalent as the SXSW plot summary would suggest, but I don’t mind in the slightest. “Jedo’s Dead” is cleanly visualized and sharply written — contemplative, heartfelt and unique in its perspective from Dallas-based director/screenwriter Sara Nimeh. There’s a good reason this short won the SXSW Texas Shorts Competition.
Live from the Clouds — 6.5/10
Brooklynite director Mackie Mallison documents the lives and unknown ambitions of his Japanese-American relatives living in Texas. Mallison’s grandmother, Ayako Hiwatashi, moved from Japan in the 1950s and has never been back due to her immense agoraphobia. Living in Texas with her daughters, each with similarly unrequited dreams, Mallison brings us into an otherworldly, grainy and often claustrophobic view of their world. There are times when the stories of the four women become so artistically fueled that it’s difficult to gauge whether this is a documentary, narrative or a blend in between. I’m of split minds for this film — am I here to praise the artist or the subjects? It’s valid to do both, and it’s a visually stimulating experience, but the cinematography seems to be here for its own sake, rather than to bolster the stories of these women.
Sangre Violenta / Sangre Violeta — 8/10
In September 2022, the Mexican hacktivist group Guacamaya released government documents stating the Mexican armed forces targeted feminist groups and organizations as a national-scale threat. Femicides have been on the rise in Mexico over several years, leading to death, chemical attacks and an escalation of violence towards women and girls in Mexico. Texas-based directors Edna Diaz and Arturo R. Jiménez provide perspectives from Jorge Santos, a father whose adolescent daughter was murdered during the ongoing femicides, and Maria Elena Ríos, a saxophonist who was burned with acid at the hands of an ex-boyfriend. We also meet the staunch protest group Michis Aborteros, a group of masked women who defend feminists during public protests. It’s a harrowing journey, but welcome in the state of Texas where this story may be unknown and in which Mexican politics and culture heavily intertwine. This film went on to win the SXSW Texas Short Audience Award.
The Passing — 8/10
Dr. Michael Mullen is the Visiting Vet based in Austin and is passionate about caring for pets. In this short documentary, Dr. Mullen makes his rounds throughout the city, checking in with aging cats and dogs in the comfort of their owners’ homes. Meanwhile, Cindy Lofton is preparing her own dog, Fiona, for her final day on Earth. The film opens with Lofton digging Fiona’s grave, and the film doesn’t let up on emotion from there. It’s a touching story about a woman and her four-legged friend, and despite the tearful ending, it’s a love letter to our pets, the comfort they provide and the valuable time we have with them.
The Queen vs Texas — 8/10
Raemonn James, better known as Hermajastie the Hung, is an Austin-based drag performer, activist, parent and primary subject and co-director of this documentary short. With co-director Emil Lozada, “The Queen vs Texas” takes us through the anti-drag legislation that has passed in recent years as seen through Hermajastie’s eyes. Hermajastie’s personal story was intended to be the primary focus of this film, but escalating political action toward drag performances led to a wider overlook of the drag community in Texas. There is a lack of conclusion to this short, but this absence of closure is a call to action for the audience to not let Texas be an unsafe place for the BIPOC and LGBTQIA⁺ community.
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