5 One Minute Short Film Reviews

We had the honour of screening a fantastic selection of incredible one-minute short films at our 2022 film festival. Here are a collection of micro-reviews of these brilliant one-minute micro-films.

Crywank - Imitating A Brief Projection Of Gurdjieff

Dir: C F Sherratt
UK • Animation

Imitating A Brief Projection Of Gurdjieff is a music video for the band Crywank and the debut animation by artist C F Sherratt, as part of their ongoing project to animate their latest album.

We watch a woman walk through a desolate landscape before being guided by an egg to a talking skeletal figure who points her in the direction of a vessel that takes her underground. There’s little by way of explanation for any of this, but you probably wouldn’t want to know anyway. This intriguing, unique and rather strange hand-drawn animation is hypnotic and surreal in the best possible way. 

8/10

Crywank - Imitating A Brief Projection Of Gurdjieff was nominated for Best One Minute Film at our 2022 film festival.

Haunted House

Dir: Jean-Diar Kalantar
Canada • Comedy

Haunted House, from filmmaker Jean-Diar Kalantar, is a thoroughly enjoyable yet simple little film, playing off established horror motifs before subverting expectations with humour and subverting them once again for a nice twist. 

It’s a great premise with a perfect set-up and payoff, but the particular care taken with the editing ensures that everything perfectly crescendos for the final shot.

This was predicted to be a crowd pleaser, and certainly was when we played it at our festival. 

9/10

Haunted House won Best One Minute Film at our 2022 film festival.

Papercut

Dir: Marina Fastoso
Italy • Drama

Papercut is a beautifully shot and haunting one-minute film about a man possessed by the memory of his lover who returns to a place they both held dear to deal with her ghost.

Symbolic and well-crafted, this short looks like a commercial but will leave you wanting to know more about this couple and their heartbreaking story. 

8/10

Papercut was nominated for Best One Minute Film at our 2022 film festival.

Pink House

Dir: Cally Trench
UK • Animation

As the sea level recedes a house reconstructs itself - this is Pink House by animator Cally Trench, which despite being a little over 40 seconds in length, has a lot to say and provides us with plenty to consider, from climate change to the linear nature of time. 

The music and superb animation work perfectly together and are both as haunting as they are hypnotic. The animation itself has a somewhat nostalgic feel which melds perfectly with the reversal of time aspect of the film. 

A brilliant, strangely calming and intriguing animation that we could watch endlessly.

9/10

Pink House was nominated for Best One Minute Film at our 2022 film festival.

The Game Just Got Real

Dir: bellopropello
Switzerland • Animation

The Game Just Got Real is a clever, witty and original idea that’s perfectly executed. Fusing aspects of Lars Von Trier’s Dogville with Harry Potter’s Marauder's Map, we watch the footprints of both man and dog appear, revealing a darkly comedic story that’s told solely through the imprints left behind and some brilliant sound design.

A clever and innovative idea that doesn’t end well for someone!

8/10

The Game Just Got Real was nominated for Best One Minute Film at our 2022 film festival.

Reviews by Philip Pugh