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Postman (2020)
7/10
AIMAFF Review
19 June 2023
Postman makes for another notch in Minkyu Kang's long list of achievements in cinema and television. Discrete and understated, within its 6 minutes it fits a world of thoughts on the medium itself, and art and inspiration in general.

Plot-wise, minimalism is the name of the game. A day in the life of a dutiful postman is interrupted, and his life itself changed forever, through a grim and unexpected encounter. The postman's plain and stoic figure clashes with the dostoyevskian painter, whose dismissal of the material world in favor of the enchanting sky blue can be interpreted in more than one way. Themes of the dedication to art, the pursuit of dreams and ideals, buddhism and obsession seem to pervade the short yet dense film.

Visually speaking, Postman is yet again discreet, crisp and colorful but at the same time consciously mundane and at times creepy. It's characterized by a devotion to realism, and through an impressionist lens photographs aspects of simple life. That is, until under the influence of inspiration and art, the protagonist ascends as close as possible to the metaphysical. The decision to forgo music or fancy editing only serves to further highlight the transcendent ending. Acting is satisfactory, the script however leaves something to be desired, be that an extra scene or some small illuminating dialogue.

As a sum, Postman is a short and sweet experience of catharsis, consumed as if in a daydream in the monotonous everyday lives we lead. Protagonist, antagonist and theme, the higher nature of art that was personified in the ancient Greek Muses now perseveres as Kang's blue sky. We hope for larger and deeper projects from the creator.
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The Roast (2021)
7/10
AIMAFF REVIEW
21 March 2023
Erim Sisman's oppressively dark horror short Rosto makes you feel as if you are drowning in mud, thoghroughly surrounded by despair and dirty to the bone. A familiar yet disturbing topic taken to the extreme in a social allegory fit for today's dog-eat-dog world.

Homo hominis lupus, man being a wolf to his fellow man, seems to be the pervading theme of Rosto - Roast, in English. The story takes place entirely in and around a gloomy, run-down cabin, with the twisted conflict & power games between a man seeking his missing son and his psychopathic host at the center of the plot. Clearly following in the footsteps of the stories of Steven King, inspired by folklore and reminiscent of masterpieces such as The Seventh Seal, from the poetic dialogue to the claustrophobic setting.

The above statement is most apt when it comes to the film's looks. Rosto boasts long takes intercut with nightmarish scenes through the clever use of editing, exceptional lighting and color that gives the illusion of black & white, as well as a killer soundtrack punctuating the somber visuals. Dreamy and disorienting, the whole short manages to creep into your mind and make you feel unsafe and desperate, even if its ideas aren't the most original.

Through the horrifying acts, dilemmas and twists the protagonist faces, we are introduced to a subtle commentary on societal norms, systemic violence & coercion, the exploitation of those in need by those in power, fatherhood, and how far we're willing to go to protect those we love and ourseleves.
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Lawless Law (2017)
7/10
AIMAFF Review
6 January 2023
''Lawless Law'' by Robert Deon is an action packed short film with notes of a police drama. Following a recently out of prison father that is literally fighting for his family. The script is clever and snappy along with a very entertaining pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat. On a technical aspect there are issues in sound mixing and designing, where the momentum of dialogue is lost due to this inconsistency. We are treated to some creative directing shots accompanied with practical editing. The color correction department leaves a lot to be desired as scenes and location feel flat. The actors perform on an outstanding level paying respect and making clear that they are behind this script. It is clear to any viewer that this has been a passion project for the whole crew and we are very optimistic for what the future has to offer for this crew.
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7/10
IS THIS REAL LIFE ?
2 February 2021
Looking for a gateway from reality? This micro short film is for you. ''Mammoth Meditation'' by Matt Check is a tranquil vision that truly doesn't have a lot going on, yet still succeeds in delivering a meditative calming atmosphere.

Taking a dive inside the mind of our extremely amiable flower protagonist this one-shot film showcases the struggle of remaining in a single parallel universe while meditating. This art piece doesn't take any risks but also doesn't play entirely safe. In conclusion, a very laconic vision of Matt Check materialized in this 3D lucid dream aesthetic.

LIMFF Team
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7/10
AIMAFF Review
11 January 2021
''TO KILL A TRUTH'' is a dark political thriller located in Greece and directed by Kiriakos Kotsinis. This short art piece delivers a huge commentary to the corrupt journalism of the country.

We witness the story of a famous immoral journalist who's been abducted by a team of aggressive political activists. The cinematography does a great job creating a mysterious neo noir atmosphere.

Well written and well played although the color palette is poor and leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately the film lacks of a climax, it feels like it is constantly building up to an escalation point that never arrives. On the other hand there are a lot of iconic shots and you can tell it is a well crafted piece of art created with passion. The main protagonist conveys a lot of emotions without ever telling a single word and the filming locations are on point.

Kiriakos Kotsinis manages to showcase an art house political drama successfully. These are the first attempts of him in this genre and the future looks bright and optimistic for him.
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The Ribbon (2019)
9/10
A very powerful story with a heavy message
4 January 2021
The Ribbon is a short but deeply emotional film. Do not get fooled by the playful bright colors or the smooth animation. The Ribbon tells the story of a young girl in her own majestic kingdom. Later on we find out that this fairytale like world is her escape from her tough medical condition.

The candy visuals and the love drawn into this project are obvious. The spiritual creatures and movements bring strong Miyazaki vibes on the table. Out of the happy valley there is a strong and shocking plot twist. A very rough and emotional scene.

All this is served with the amazing score of Jonathan Galland. A bittersweet trip that just under 5 minutes delivers a lot of emotional weight. The original score helps to deliver the message in a caring way and manipulates the emotions of the viewer, sad when it is needed but also hopeful, optimistic and freed.
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Birthday Girl (II) (2020)
7/10
The Autocatastrophic femme fatale Ellie
20 December 2020
BIRTHDAY GIRL is the student film of the young filmmaker Zachary Edward Zebrowitz. From the first scene you can already tell this is going to be the melodramatic trip of a young girl on the day of her birthday.

Zebrowitz is very playful in his lighting techniques, decides to capture the emotion via pink and grey light depending on the psychology of Ellie.

Although you can tell this film was made with a good heart and love for the medium. Zebrowitz falls in the trap of the femme fatale auto catastrophic teenager cliché. The film has some very good pacing and does not play safe for a student film. The directing is solid but the acting leaves more to be desired. The cinematography looks very pretty with literally candy on the screen and as expected for student films, sound design is treated as a secondary attribute.

In the end this is a very hopeful first step for the you filmmaker. We cannot wait to see what he is preparing next. Overall BIRTHDAY GIRL is a very optimistic first attempt on filmmaking.

For the record the poster art looks incredible, has something Homeric.
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