Indy Shorts International Film Festival

By Bob Bloom

The Indy Shorts International Film Festival opens today and runs through July 26.
For tickets, email indyshortsfilmfestival20.eventive.org

Below are a few samplings of what Indy Shorts 2020 is offering. Enjoy.

Indy Shorts 2020: Heartland Horror
“Eject”

“Horror” can be a broad film genre and tagging a movie for that genre can sometimes backfire.
Thus it is with “Eject,” a short written and directed by David Yorke.
The story is simple; a young woman notices a rash on her arm. It continues to get worse, and when she finally peels off the scab, she sees a UBS port in her foreman.
What happens after she plugs in a flash drive is the bulk of this nine-minute movie, that is definitely worth seeing. Without giving much away, let’s just say that too much knowledge may not be that good for you.

Indy Shorts 2020: Heartland Horror
“Deep End”

“Deep End” is a cautionary tale about heeding signs, especially those that says, “No Trespassing.”
The premise of this five-minute movie, directed by Anthony Sellitti and co-written by Sellitti and Zachary Donohue, is simple: A young boy riding his bike on a sweltering summer day, sees an inviting pool and, with no one around, decides to take a dip.
He ignores the “No Trespassing” sign on the gate and pays the price.
What he encounters in the pool is the highpoint of this horror short. The film, with no dialogue, is a purely visual experience.

Indy Shorts 2020: Heartland Comedy
“Good Mourning”

A memorial service may not be the best venue for humor.
But throw in a nervous granddaughter about to give a eulogy for her beloved grandfather, a self-absorbed ex-boyfriend who shows up in a team mascot outfit and you have a recipe for laughs.
Simmer for eight minutes and enjoy. The good news is, you won’t die laughing — but you may come close.

Indy Shorts 2020: Heartland Comedy
“Out of Stock”

This satire takes a simple premise — a joke made by Johnny Carson on “The Tonight Show” on Dec. 19, 1973 about a toilet paper shortage — and carries it to absurd lengths.
Most of the film is set in a supermarket where the owner-manager jacks up prices from 15 cents to $200 a roll, yet people keep pouring into the store and buying dozens and dozens of rolls.
The movie spotlights the gullibility of people as well as their greed. The 18-minute comedy, directed by Byran Taira, is funny, but it also makes a salient point about humanity.

Indy Shorts 2020: Indiana Spotlight 2
“Kinetic”

This movie is a mere five minutes, but it leaves you wanting more.
Writer-director Kylie Eaton’s story of a young girl with some sort of powers sucks you in.
You want to know more about her. “Kinetic” basically plays like a long trailer, and you hope that Eaton can perhaps get funding to expand this into a feature film.
That would be worth seeing.

Indy Shorts 2020: Indiana Spotlight 2
“The Mailing List”

This dark satire is funny, but with an edgy uneasiness as it tracks a young man on a college campus who prefers to be an individual, but after being pestered to sign up for a group’s mailing list finds himself hounded to participate.
Writer J.B. Bilbery and director Talon Reed Cooper are casting criticism on our growing herd mentality and our over-reliance on our smartphones.
“The Mailing List” makes some pertinent observations that should be taken seriously.

Indy Shorts 2020: Indiana Spotlight 2
“Paradox”

This winning short is a cute blend of science fiction and rom com that centers on an awkward young woman told by a time traveler from the future that she will be the inventor of time travel.
She does not believe him, until he is forced to offer her hints on how to act as well as meet the young man who will be her partner in science and in life.
Writer-director Glenn A. Pratt’s film is a charmer.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.