BFI Film Shorts

Given that it took place during London Film Festival, Lily thought it was only right to curate a selection of BFI shorts, including a number from this year’s festival and a couple of favourites from the BFI archive.

Here’s what we watched:

See It Say It  
A nightmare of terror unravels when a struggling actor is confronted with a stranger’s prejudice whilst commuting to an audition.

Quarantine
A post-Brexit pagan dance fantasy about a troupe of Morris-dancing badgers forced to confront the animals quarantined in a facility built above their burrow.

Stomach Bug
A disturbing unravelling of a single father struggling to cope with empty nest syndrome as it begins to manifest physically.

Mother’s Day 
A space-loving boy navigates a new world after his mum suffers a mental health crisis.

Uki 
A short stop-frame animation following a lonely Inuit who struggles to survive after an oil tanker leaks oil off the coast of Alaska, killing all the wildlife in the area.

Magic Candies 
Dong-Dong tries some magic sweets with startling results.

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Below are reviews from Coggers that participated in the virtual screening.

(Spoilers ahead)

Marta Guerrini

Stomach bug – Matty Crawford

Matty Crawford’s Stomach Bug stands out in this year’s Film Festival 2024 Shorts program, Sleepless Nights. This theme resonates powerfully with the film, which navigates the realms of drama and body horror. Amidst its unsettling atmosphere, Crawford skillfully weaves in emotional depth, exploring a father’s struggle with the passage of time and the shifting dynamics of his relationship with his only daughter.

The story begins in a hospital where Manny, despite having an unusually enlarged stomach, is reassured by the doctor that he has only a stomach bug. However, the next 15 minutes reveal a far more complex reality. Manny grapples with a mysterious malaise that gnaws at him from within. As the tension mounts, he finds it increasingly difficult to connect with his daughter, who seems disengaged during their phone calls.

In a poignant final call, Manny reluctantly decides to give her the space she craves. At the same time, he finds himself racing back to the hospital as his condition deteriorates. This affliction, invisible to those around him, symbolises his internal struggle, and as viewers, we become deeply invested in his physical transformation, which reminds us of Alien and The Substance.

Stomach Bug is a haunting experience, not for the faint of stomach, but it will resonate with anyone who has grappled with the passage of time and the evolving nature of familial bonds.

Mark Williams

Uki – Ieuan Lewis and George Warren

Uki was a short animated film in which a lonely man and his dog experience the struggles of life when oil spills onto the coast of Alaska. This non-verbal short film provides a great insight into the effects of pollution, which sees the man hunting for food in the only place he can, the oil-spoiled sea.

In a moment of despair, the man imagines throwing himself into the sea, where he is eaten by a whale. In the whale’s stomach, he finds a fish barking with the voice of his dog. Snapping out of his vision, the man comes to the realisation that there is no other option but to eat his dog and remain alone.

Lily Sammells

Magic Candies – Daisuke Nishio

Magic Candies manages to hit a perfect balance between lighthearted humour and stirring poignancy. It also is one of the least bleak of the selection, which is why I chose it as the final film.

This short perfectly captures the complexities of communication and empathy. Through a touch of magical realism, it draws a parallel between the extraordinary effort required to converse with typically silent objects—a sofa, a falling leaf—and the courage it takes to engage with a stranger.

Entertaining, relatable and moving, Magic Candies is a heartwarming watch I’d recommend for both children and adults alike.

Sadly, the BFI film festival shorts are no longer available to stream via their website – but I strongly recommend a deep dive into their fascinating (and free) archive.

Illustration by José Fernández Villamayor for our Cultural Calendar.