There is some charming original music by Flóra Lili Matisz.

~ Andrew Robertson -

See it if you get the chance.

~ Chris -

If there is one thing Uisden Murray’s short film has in spades, it’s ambition.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The film seems to have little purpose other than to shock.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

It leaves a few too many questions unanswered, a few too many unasked, but it's still excellent.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Behind it all lies the mundanity of the situation; even when the story shifts, the lighting and props and system-centred plotting retain that grim suburban comprehensive ethos.

~ Jennie Kermode -

More a song of lust, than of love.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Sexuality is a particularly ambitious topic for an AI first-timer but the effect is rather charming.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Sums For Beginners isn't shy about its accusations, but neither is it stultifyingly heavy-handed.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The inexperience of this film's makers shows, but it comes across as a statement from the heart.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It's all quite poetic, but doesn't say much.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The film convinces and amuses in equal measure.

~ Andrew Robertson -

The message is clear enough: the class barrier breaks down when everyone is on their knees in a flower bed.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

As a sample of guerrilla film-making it is accomplished, in that the passengers seem completely unaware that their stories are being documented.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The substitute of the title is a delirious, rictus-grinning comic creation.

~ Scott Macdonald -

The acting is strong and the plot tight.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

An intelligent film which ably demonstrates how disability can complicate life, Stutterer deserves a lot of praise for its script, direction and editing.

~ Jennie Kermode -

This affecting short by Chris Hooper is excellent and clearly marks him out as a talent to watch.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Like dancing, Deren’s finished work appears so effortless that it is all too easy to miss its subtlety.

~ Chris -

The soundtrack fits the energy and imagination of the visuals perfectly.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

In Strayed there's a definite sense of finding - a startling, stunning finding.

~ Andrew Robertson -

A fascinating little film.

~ Andrew Robertson -

There is brave cinema and safe cinema. Strap is brave cinema.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

While Michael Wong's direction shows good grasp of technique it is perhaps appropriate that a film that relies so heavily on different perceptions of shared memories is so constructed in the edit.

~ Andrew Robertson -

It's beautifully constructed, pun intended.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Gómez's physical acting is superb, the ultimate in deadpan comedy, her empty gaze surpassingly soulful.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Only just avoids outstaying its welcome.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Despite the lush pastel colouration, Stanley Pickle feels decidedly old-fashioned.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Deceptively simple in set up, this short isn't just asking questions of those browsing the store, but of the viewer.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Great performances and assured direction

~ Scott Macdonald -

Inés Barrionuevo and Augustina San Martín direct with a delicate touch, coaxing performances from their young stars that feel natural and fresh.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A stunning work full of personality and dedication.

~ Andrew Robertson -

It's uncomfortable viewing, sometimes literally so, as pictures flash by with stroboscopic intensity, but more often than not the discomfiture is emotional.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Motta doesn't evoke statistics, instead keeping her focus on the small and the personal

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The subtext here is much darker than the story itself.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Though the story is a small one, the emotional charge crackles with strength.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Beautifully animated with some stunning watercolour backdrops, this gentle, magical story takes on issues which many young people struggle with, and neither patronises nor preaches in the process.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Ferman Narin's camera creeps along with the grocer, through doors, up stairs, and further as things escalate.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Nature not so much red in tooth and claw as death-masqued of the same shade.

~ Andrew Robertson -

The transition from outsider to insider, the uneasy space between protagonist, antagonist, even the chemistry with the other girls singly and collectively all speak to a delicacy that reflects the script.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Directors Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra show through this well-edited film, just how traumatic losing someone close can be.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A philosophical note lends the film an additional air of mystery that, like the plastics, can be moulded in a variety of ways, depending on your viewpoint.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Although it’s unique and the animation style interesting and effective in conveying its subject matter, there doesn’t seem to be quite enough substance to sustain the running time.

~ James Benefield -

Shalimar Preuss has written, directed, something stunning.

~ Andrew Robertson -

With contributions from all the major participants in its extraordinary story, Joshua Seftel’s short documentary is a powerful piece of work.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Simplicity gives it stark strength.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Brings home the fact that one person's tourism may be adding to another person's trauma.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

This is a gem, a diamond because of its roughness.

~ Andrew Robertson -

One of the interviewees talks about the "stomach" of the factory needing to be filled - a strong image that highlights the "monster" problem that the community faces.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Never did a doily indicate such doom, nor the vain hope of a banner on a Coronation mug convey such gloom.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Čadež employs the gouts of smoke to disturbing effect, fogging up the action and making passive aggression feel like a punch.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A good idea, well executed.

~ Jane Fae -

Like a complex jigsaw, each piece slots into place perfectly, completing a richly detailed picture of one man and his determination.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The power of this film rests on perfect performances... no sentimentalism is allowed to enter into them, yet both demonstrate a complexity which goes far beyond what their few lines can express.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Not just unbalanced tonally, it is consistent with itself. It is a thing to enjoy, to allow to wash over you

~ Andrew Robertson -

Myrthe Mosterman’s cinematography perfectly captures the greyness of inner city life and the constant sense of oppression which Ruby feels.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Stacey Gregg has crafted a script that neatly gives us characters and then exposes their flaws.

~ Andrew Robertson -

It's a simple story but well told, with excellent technique.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The only things that stop it from being perfect are boring technical ones.

~ Andrew Robertson -

A lesson in how to build atmosphere and wrong-foot an audience.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

SpeakOut, released 28 July 2018 at Norwich Pride, is a useful resource.

~ Jane Fae -

Through it all is a common thread of authenticity and of women opening up about things and feelings they are rarely asked to scrutinise.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

I've seen it described as a film with a twist but that suggests it's got just one. It's full of them, it's made of them, it reels and gyres and tumbles into something special.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Part fantasy, part western, the film is exquisitely shot, the humid atmosphere of the island creating a degree of visual uncertainty to confound viewers further.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It is difficult to surmise at times whether the gritty realism here is deliberate, or merely the landscape of an angry teenager's violent fantasies.

~ Sarah Artt -

Divorced of context, this is a touching little film, a moment of creation, recollection. As an homage, a piece of Kubrickania it becomes something else, something arch.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Stefanie Abel Horowitz's carefully structured short explores a kind of horror rarely touched upon in cinema: the empty ache of anhedonia.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Something Blue is a wee gem of a film, beautifully shot and directed with remarkable assurance.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Gabriela Lourenzato's film takes us along and at the close makes the allegorical actual.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Gently plunges into a richly-textured reverie of unobserved objects, spaces and people that leave a lasting impression on a visceral level.

~ Sergiu Inizian -

Sofia Djama's film is uncomfortable, intense, composed.

~ Andrew Robertson -

As Davka, Sukhbat Munkhbaatar is adolescent perfection, all gangle and angle.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Snare manages to say a great deal in the space of 13 minutes and find time for some impressive drumming too.

~ Jennie Kermode -

By resisting the temptation to be overly faithful to the wording of the book, the film gets closer to its spirit.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Avraam doesn’t spoon-feed us details, letting the various issues Smaragda is facing emerge organically.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Satisfyingly surreal.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Full of gleeful anachronisms... brilliant.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Interesting to a point, but feels as though deeper digging is needed to really get to the heart of the attraction.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Sister is packed full of character yet retains its melancholy edge throughout.

~ Jennie Kermode -

With no need to expand beyond a lean 16 minutes, A Sister is free to focus on what it's good at. The result is a film that feels much more compelling and real.

~ Jennie Kermode -

For all its intent to sharpness, Siren is perhaps a little too blunt in its spread.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Although there’s plenty of drama, especially considering the length, Belarmino and Rithy wisely also find time to develop the characters so that the focus falls on Silig’s vibrant emotional core

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Overton uses the visuals of sign language well, showing how they offer real freedom of expression for the previously sidelined Libby and, at one point, kills the sound completely to immerse us fully in her world.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Sander Joon's film is an absolute delight. There is not a character or element whose design does not feel both fitting and funny.

~ Andrew Robertson -

The high production values on display here don't take away the film's raw edge.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It's a mark of its quality how ably it wrong-foots.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Russell-Martin - whose background is on stage, featuring in productions with Glasgow's Citizens Theatre among others - makes an impact in her film debut.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Whilst this isn’t the first Indian film to tackle homophobia – or even the first about Muslims – it breaks new ground in the way it develops these themes.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Shadows feels like a film which seemed like a good idea to people who hadn’t seen much of this type of cinema.

~ Jennie Kermode -

To tell a story like this effectively depends on being able to capture the spirit of a place across time, and this Vajraca does wonderfully.

~ Jennie Kermode -

This is brilliant work.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Grittily compelling

~ Amber Wilkinson -

With a focus on moments of joy, Reed subverts the familiar melancholy of trans narratives and presents an optimistic tale about making inroads as an outsider, with much wider relevance.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A haunting film full of beautiful melodies.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Anita Abinezhad's central performance is compelling, bold and bargaining.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Will give many viewers a much clearer idea of how this sort of science works without being patronising or overly geeky.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It’s a reflexive, even self-conscious work, interested in the infrastructure of oil, of film.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Blending film and animation, this film takes a sidelong look at bodies and what it means to be bodied.

~ Jennie Kermode -

I was reminded of Steve Reich’s work.

~ Chris -

Amusing, entertaining, and technically excellent.

~ Andrew Robertson -

A film that probes at ideas of masculinity and the fluidity that the smoke sauna environment might bring to that, the emphasis is on the physical expression of feelings rather than them being vocalised.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

With the residents of another orphanage forming the cast and acquitting themselves impressively, this is a film with a big emotional impact which doesn't depend too heavily on viewer familiarity with its origins.

~ Jennie Kermode -

There is a sense of creeping change rather than glorious revolution - even as Daniel begins to have a growing self-awareness, this need not necessarily lead to an immediate alteration of attitude towards life.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The misery which comes from such treatment is powerfully conveyed in this Oscar-qualifying short.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Both central performers are impressive in this brief but engaging snapshot of teenage life in England

~ Jennie Kermode -

Every time I have seen Salt &Sauce I was left with an overwhelming hunger for chips.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Adds up to an almost magical experience.

~ James Benefield -

The weakness of Square Eyes is that it repeats a single gag without improving on it.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

You would have to be a serious fan to find this entertaining.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

It's not just sexist, ableist and desperately badly researched, it's also, purely and simply, not very good.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A delight.

~ Tony Sullivan -

It's dark in places, intentionally so, and that's also to the credit of those involved.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Safia Benhaim has constructed a haunting film.

~ Rebecca Naughten -

One or two of the lines hit the mark but there aren't enough laughs to sustain it.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Handled with humour and flair.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The cumulative result is powerful and deeply distressing.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The acting is dire and the jokes are single shot misfires.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

Jennings had an eye for small moments that signal real life rather than something staged for the camera

~ Rebecca Naughten -

More of a whinge than a revelation.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

It is hard to imagine three minutes that could leave you gripped so hard with so little.

~ Chris -

Although competently handled here - and decently narrated - it lacks the crackle of originality.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The problem with this film is that it isn’t really a film – it’s more akin to a slideshow.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

It intrigues and delivers on the promise of the character-based suspense.

~ Scott Macdonald -

There are some powerful moments.

~ Andrew Robertson -

For others looking in, even listening, it appears untouched by humility, top heavy with opinion, devoid of humour and sticky with language.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

A success predicated upon the impression of failure.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Someone Else marks Newall as a filmmaker with evident talent.

~ Paul Griffiths -

This is interesting work, and you should look forward to further output from those involved.

~ Andrew Robertson -

This is clever writing, smart filmmaking and excellent acting. It grasps your nerve endings and gives them a twist.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

Darkly humorous and brilliantly crafted.

~ Leanne McGrath -

The director contrasts the concrete jungle people see every day and the animals that can also be found by those who have the patience to look for them.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Pinder gets great performances from MacDonald and Hughs.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The film is repetitive in the way it tackles its subject, but the people themselves make up for that.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

There is a concrete sense of just how true and harrowing this testimony is.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Skyscraper shows a master filmmaker taking a seemingly random subject and re-creating it with a depth and sense of awe that enriches the world around us.

~ Chris -

Offers the audience moments of genuine comedy that is both cutsey and clever.

~ Josh Morrall -

Kevin is personable, talented, able, and Christopher Lewis Cook's film captures his time in Stockbridge brilliantly.

~ Andrew Robertson -

John Webster keeps his documentary simple and to the point.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Rarely does cinema speak in the first person, and rarely is it so effective when doing so.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Mansaray is a likeable lead and all the young actors are flawless in their delivery, with Robinson showing a paricular talent for physical comedic acting.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Moderately amusing.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Unflinching.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Every detail is hilarious.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

A touching, beautifully constructed story.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Gorgeous scenery and subtle performances.

~ Andrew Robertson -

A charming snapshot of teenage life, Silly Girl takes spots and grime and vomit and turns them into a new romantic language.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Naheed Raza's film is hypnotic.

~ Andrew Robertson -

The film suggests that the story ignites a sense of working class solidarity.

~ Rebecca Naughten -

Visually this is one of the best short films at the Edinburgh Film Festival, so distinctive in its appearance that it will leave you wanting more.

~ Andrew Robertson -

If you only see one short film this year - make it this one.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The painterly 3D animation style draws the viewer in, so effectively does it depict a fantastical landscape.

~ Owen Van Spall -

If there is some hidden message, I must be blind, too, because I certainly couldn't see it.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Sight is urgent, immediate, a story spilled out before time can cut it off.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A little long, but never lacking in inspiration.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

The unlikely phrase, 'a thermos full of warm oysters,' used to describe the supposedly attractive qualities of a feverish vagina, may just give rise to a whole new sexual fetish.

~ Anton Bitel -

A documentary of sorts about a documentary out of sorts.

~ Andrew Robertson -

With limited resources, Jack does well to keep the joke afloat.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

It is well observed, constructed, the small moments of and with consequence feel authentic, inescapable.

~ Andrew Robertson -

For those of us unfamiliar with their music... it doesn't hold a great deal of interest.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The message is a simple one. Rubbish has its own beauty.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

This tale is carried admirably by young leads Lum Veseli and Andi Bajgora.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A strong selection.

~ Chris -

On that dock, in that place, the audience are made witness.

~ Andrew Robertson -

A bold, disturbing and powerful montage.

~ Dylan Matthew -

The expectation of desperate passion, or bloody horror, is dashed.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

Claustrophobic and borderline scary.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Funny stuff.

~ Andrew Robertson -

It is haunting, mysterious.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Slight but sweet.

~ Martin Gray -

Fine model work, excellent production design, an overwhelming sense of menace.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Milan Maric and Milo Timotijevic deliver good performances which require them to go in very different directions.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Certainly impressionistic, occasionally unfocused, full of artistic imagery, Alan Brown's little film doesn't say much.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

A terrifying tale.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

Zeb Lamb’s film oozes style.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Not even the quality of the animation or the music is up to much in this throwaway affair.

~ James Benefield -

Very little happens but it does so in a way that feels inevitable, astonishing.

~ Andrew Robertson -

There is no justice in poverty and there is no justice here.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

This is a film that might be best served not by a cinema but by a loop.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Not quite the cat's whiskers but certainly of interest.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

An uninspired, disappointing quartet.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

Proving that Scotland can hold it's own when it comes to documentary making.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The film is a tease, because it leaves you wanting more.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

Visually impressive, technically proficient, Scene 32 impresses the eyes.

~ Andrew Robertson -

The performances are strong and Larkin and Menzies in particular have an intensity that lifts this film above the pack.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Probably one of the most disturbing ‘issues’ films you could watch.

~ Chris -

A tasty treat.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Given how ably it delivers it would be churlish to ask for more.

~ Andrew Robertson -

The moral here may be a simple one, but Sausage does simplicity well.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Despite its slender pretext, Sauna The Dead is a smart and enjoyable film.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Overall, the film is rather slight, but it's an appealing slice of (mostly fantasy) life and an affectionate reflection on a treasured personal relationship.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The faces are grotesque and eye candy is spiked.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -

The delight of the drama stems from the well crafted characters, while its heft hinges on toxicity that may not be immediately obvious.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A very effective piece of low budget storytelling.

~ Jennie Kermode -

An extraordinarily thorough film.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Writer/director Sandhya Suri - who has a documentary background - is keen to show that everyone plays their part in the prejudices and corruption of the legal system.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Once again, Guiraudie proves himself the master of setting up a mystery by the means of perfect script economy that functions strictly on “need to know” basis.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

The director shows how it’s not just Julie’s tennis skills that have been groomed by the coach but large aspects of her life.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Cat’s viewpoint predominates, and Zilbalodis has an acute understanding of how the world looks from its point of view, of what catches its attention and how its body follows instinctively.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It’s ironic that a film about a family who have built a perfect facsimile of a life for themselves should feel so overly constructed itself

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Lin and Sun studiously maintain the enigma around Shuo so that we are left guessing as to whether he’s just a disadvantaged teen trying to make his way in the world or a cuckoo in the nest.

~ Amber Wilkinson -