Slamdance Short Takes: A STORY ABOUT YOU, SANTA ZETA, THREE COLORS PAN AFRICA, MATAPANKI, THE KEY and WHISPERINGS OF THE MOON

A STORY ABOUT YOU

A man is forced to come to terms with his past via the women who drifted through it

One part theater piece, there are losts of monlogues, and one part cinema meditation,there are altering aspect ratios, A STORY ABOUT YOU  works best in bits. This is a film of finely crafted pieces where each sequence shines perfectly, unfortunately the pieces don't truly work together. It feels like they didn't know how to tie eveything up. Don't get me wrong the film isn't bad, but for a film that contains some of the great movie moments of the year only being good over all it's a disappointment.

Still this is worth seeing if you can.

SANTA ZETA
A woman hunts pedophiles, like the one that killed her sister, only to find the one that was responsible for her sisters death, close at hand. 

Good but not great film has some great sequences in it. The trouble is that the narrative is a bit too familiar. We've seen the overall story before too many times. It's not bad but the thrill of the sequences isn't maintained in every bit of the film.

THREE COLORS: PAN AFRICA
An anthology about Black existence, each color coded to the colors black, red and green.

This film didn't really work for me. It's not the stories themselves, but more the film's insistnce on being about a greater truth. The film wants us to know this is an important tale and it tell it's story a bit too intellectually which undercuts the heart.

MATAPANKI
A young man drinks a drink and gets superpowers which creates all sorts of problems. Live action black and white cartoon, this is a kind of living comic book. Its a feature film that riffs on both comic conventions and social ideas  with mixed reasults. While by no means bad the film can be very hit or miss. Its a film you will most certainly enjoy but which you will end up liking for its big swing at trying something new as oppossed to hitting it out of the park.

THE KEY
This is an uneven, based on a true story, tale of homeless people who learn to get buy living in the homes of people who are not in their apartments all the time. There is something to this tale, but the style of the telling andbroad sense of humor at times didn't work for me.

WHISPERINGS OF THE MOON
An actress returns to Cambodia after the death of her father and reconnects with an old lover. 

Awkward inde drama has something in the central tale but it's wrapped in a style that leaves the wrong sort of silences and moments. Yes, alot of this works, but also alot of it dosn't, frequently because things are not said at the right time.

Slamdance Short take Shorts: I AM, ANIMIST COLLECTIVE, DZATA and OKAY

 

I AM
A cinematic poem in a retro style. It's a solid three minute trip to the subconcious.

ANIMIST UNCONCIUOSNESS
Another trippy experimental film melds real footage  with computer generated one to create a waking dream. Worth seeing in a darkened theater

Dzata: The Institute of Technological Consciousness
An experimental look at a fictional institute. This sort of thing is my jam. I love looks into fixtional places. While this can be a bit esoteric at times I still enjoyed the hell out of this.

OKAY

Shot using Fuji Film in order to show it off, OKAY is a tone poem of sorts about how a woman who lost her husband grieves. Full of stunning images, the film delights the eye more than the heart. Yes it soars at times, but only here and there. Still the images are enough to make seeing this at least once worth it.

Brief thoughts on TONY ODYESSY (2026) Slamdance 2026

Tony and his friend rob the bar where Tony work and then ends up on an odyssey across Brazil. 

Black and white and very deliberate, with moments of fantasy and magical realism blending with the story of two people on the run, the has some wild moments, but much of it doesn't hang together. It's trying very hard to be about something and at times it feels forced. Even allowing that it is intentionally told this is a film I liked in pieces more than as a whole.

However, despite my lack of love for the film, this is exactly the sort of film Unseen Films was set up to highlight, so if you want something atypical, give it a shot

Two of Slamdance 2026's Best: ZUMECA and SILVER

I've had a mixed reaction with the films of Slamdance this year with most of the films simply being good. Unlike in other years there had been no absolute stand outs--- until I ran into these two films very close to the start of the festival. These two films are the best of the fest -so far- and they are films destined for my year end lists 

ZUMECA
Based on a true story this is the story of Miguel, a Spaniard, who is taken in by a Taino woman named Zumeca. 

Shot in a moody black and white, with a point and shoot tableaux like style, the film shouldn't be as good as it is. It's a deliberately told version of a tale we've seen before, but somehow director Maler hits it out of the park.  Using every image, sound and performance exactly perfectly, Maler gives us a very human, a very real story that plays out before us. This isn't somewhere else but right there with us. Everything we need to know is on the faces and in the eyes of the actors. It's a staggering achievement that rocked my world in ways that few films this year have. What kills me is that I've seen a lot of films in the last two or three years about colonialism and the battle between indigenous and white civilizations and this one has haunted me the most and its seemingly coming out of nowhere... then again this is what makes Slamdance so special.

You must see this.

SILVER
Using 12 year old Juvi as our guid, we look at the highest mine in Bolivia. The Mine has been operating for centuries and it is running out of ore putting the lives of thousands of miners in Danger.

See this in darkened theater on a screen as big as possible. This verite documentary transcends the form to become a deeply moving journey to another world. Jaw droipping image follows jaw dropping image as we are brought ot this place we've never been and shown around.  It's an mind expanding trip that makes us think about the people in a place we've never been. I was floored by the film in the ways only the best cinema can achieve.

See this film.

Slamdance Short Take Shorts: Corpse Pose, The Stars, The Planets and The Moon, The Knight and The Chair

CORPSE POSE
Alex tries to forget a recenr break up over the course of a night
The decent of a young man in to paranoia over the weekend is a black and white nightmare

STARS ALL THE PLANETS AND THE MOON
Minute long animated film concerning a man mourning the loss of his dog. It's a sweetr memorial.

THE KNIGHT
A young woman with Down's Syndrome wants to live out her fantasies, sexual and otherwise, but her mom has other ideas. This is a lovely little film about a younf woman who will not be stopped. It's a film that gloriusly makes people aware that just because someone has a condition they are still human. I would love to see this further explored in a feature.

THE CHAIR

The delivery of a chair results in an uncomfortable meeting. This is amusing up to a point, bu then it oesquite stick the landing.

Slamdance 2026 Shorts Short takes: CHILD'S FARE, SEAWEED SNACKS, PANTHER PAT, DOMESTIC DEMON, ____ IN PARIS, and BENEATH THE NIGHT

CHILD’S FARE
A young girl's life is turned upside down by her dad who wants her to telp sell microwavable meals and her sister. One of the shorts that I really like at Slamdance. Feeling like a full film, with fully written characters. Its a film that leaves you feeling statisfied 

SEAWEED SNACKS
A father who is just trying to get through a kids birthday party ends up tied to another father with an agenda. This is a wicked little film that will echo to anyone who has gone to a social event hey didn't want to be part of. It's going to make you laugh.

PANTHER PAT

The story of Pat Palinkas, the first woman to play professional football (for the Orlando Panthers). Its the story you haven't heard before but one you really should. It's a killer story that will make you smile. An absolute delight.

THE GOOD FARMNER AND THE BAD SON

One of the must sees of the festival concerns a young man who doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps as a farmer and instead wants to go in another direction.  This film came  out of nowhere and absolutely delighted me. I just smiled from ear to ear. This film shouldn't have been this much fun.

DOMESTIC DEMON
This portrait of post partum depression is hjaunting. It is an experimental reflection of a state of mind with awesome images You must see this.

______IN PARIS
Portrait of a failed relationship via the images taken on the last vacation that don't include the directors ex. This is a solid portrait of one man dealing with his past.

BENEATH THE NIGHT

A subway driver with green hair, who isn't one for the limelight ends up the face of the transit system. This is a solid little tale that wonderfully doesn't follow the same old path. Worth tracking down.

Slamdance 2026 Feature Short Takes: YOU LOOK FINE, BACK ON TRACK, TEN WILL, and DUMP OF UNTITLED PIECES

YOU LOOK FINE
Director J. Snow charts his battle with sickle cell.
This is a great film. What initially feels kind of like a home movie, quickly morphs into a touching and funny look at one man's battle with his illness. Holding nothing back, Snow makes us feel as if we are his best friend, laying it all on the line.
Reoommended

BACK ON TRACK
This is a good look at a group of guys who try to to revive their wheelchair basketball team which was wrecked following covid. This is a solid little film about a bunch of guys you'll want to hang out with. It's also a solid film about why sports matter regardless of who a person is or their ability.

TEN WILL
After his van breaks down a man just out of prison reces to register as a sex offender.
This is a really good look on life on the fringe.  It's a slowly building that builds to the point where by the end we are moved.
Recommended

DUMP OF UNTITLED PIECES
A photographer and her roomate try to make some quick cash by selling some of her photographs.
This is a wicked little film that ad to be in black and white. Mirroring the photographs this film is asend up of people who dwell in the art world- but with Turkish twist. Wondefully off Hollywood this will delight anyone who doesn't want the same old same old.

SLAMDANCE 2026 short takes on Features: KINGS OF VENICE and THE PROJECTIONIST

KINGS OF VENICE 
Paddle tennis battles pickle ball in Venice California. 
This is good, if a bit by the numbers sports doc that entertains but doesn't really stand out from any number of other sports doc. I liked the film, but it didn't really stick with me in the crush of festival films.

THE PROJECTIONIST

Moody black and white film concerns a the title character, a man who has given up on life and refuses to deal with the past that has left him broken and wounded. 

This is a haunting character study that shines due to the performances and the look oif the film. Great characters are lost in a monochrome world and as a result we fall into this film. While narratively not perfect, a couple of pieces feel contrived, the film largely wins us over, especially in a dark room where it feels like a fever dream.

in Exchange For Flesh (2025) Slamdance 2026

                         
IN EXCHAGE FOR FLESH
A look at sexual abuse in prison, particulary via the strip searchs in prison.
This is deeply disturbing look at how prison guards treat prisoners- and how the treatment of prisoners outside of prisoners would result in arrest of a regular person.

This is an excellent film that is graphic- so beware.

SLAMDANCE Short Take Shorts: CHARLIE IS NOT A BOY, DYSPEPSIA BY SALTY BISCUITS, MONKEYBAR, DEAD GRANDMA

CHARLIE IS NOT A BOY 
Weird deliberate film is based on the actor who plays the lead.  This is all about the visuals and the off center feel. If you can connect to the strangeness you are going to love this- if not this is going to be a long haul. I liked the different nature of the film, but I don't feel the need to revisit.

DYSPEPSIA BY SALTY BISCUITS 
The first film from Bangladesh that has played Slamdance. The film concerns a man who thinks his stomach trouble is do to eating a fly and it not dying inside his stomach. This is a strange film full of fart jokes and off kilter humor. I was amused the other worldly sense of reality.
Worth a look 

MONKEYBAR
One minute film about a monkey who steps out of a bar. I won't say what happens (its too short to spoil) so just see it and laugh.

DEAD GRANDMA
Sardonicly black film I can't explain (it runs a minute) just know it will cause laughs that will catch in your throat.

Slamdance 2026 Feature short takes:TALLEST DWARF, DANNY IS MY BOYFRIEND, THE LEMIEURS and BRB

TALLEST DWARF
Julie Wyman looks at her life and her condition as a woman with dwarfism. Connecting with other artists she looks to bring awareness to the condition as well as how various drugs and environmental toxins maybe responsible.

This is a solid little documentary that doesn't do exactly what you think. One part auto biography, one-part social tract and one-part artistic exploration the film opens your mind and forces you to consider not only how we see the world but also how we alter it.

DANNY IS MY BOYFRIEND

Two women discover that they are both dating the same guy and plan revenge... but it doesn't go as planned. 

Amusing, if slightly by the numbers film It doesn't break the mold and it does cover some ground we've seen before but it does so entertainingly which is enough.

THE LEMIEURS
Portrait of the Lemieur family in the wake of one of their members which forces them to reflect on their lives. Filmed over four years, director Sammy LeMieurs chronicles the changes in his family. It's a bracing portrait that can be a bit raw at times. The family is seen to be in flux and emotions are revealed. This is a slice of life filled with life and a great deal of melancholy.

BRB

Two sisters go on road trip- one to reconnect with her boyfriend, the other to meet the boy she likes who is unaware her hand is deformed. 

Set in the early days of the internet, before it was everywhere and before on-line dating was more prevalent, this is not really the story of the trip but the bond between sisters. It's a sweet little journey that over comes the by the numbers set up by giving us two well drawn young ladies to root for.

Recommended 

Standing Still (2026) Slamdance 2026

This is one of the best films at Slamdance. 

The film is a look at the homes in Altadena California that were poisoned after the fire by the smoke and ash as all the conteminents settled on everything in everyone's houses. This is what was like what happened in Manhattan after the World TradeCenter came down  and what happened other cities where wild fires tore through the communities.  Its a situation that people don't consider in the wake of fires.

It will give you a great deal to think about.

Recommended

CLOVERS and OLD MAN AND THE PARROT Slamdance2026

CLOVERS
Clovers is a strip mall casino in Ashboror North Carolina. The 2016 election is going on and the town is dying. Director Jacob Hatley, a resident of the town, films the various inhabitants as they try to survive.

Backwater slice of life is nothing like what you expect, so just belt in and go for the ride. Its a years long odyessy that will break your heart, make you laugh and wonder if you and your friends are anything like this. 

\An off beat little gem

THE OLD MAN AND THE PARROT
This is a crazy comedy about an old guy and his stuffed parrot, into which the soul of his lover has been placed. Desperate to set his lover free he tracks down a holy man who he hopes can do the job, only to find he's had a stroke, and his daughter isn't certain what to do.

Splitting time between now and when the soul was trapped this is as off kilter a film can get. Loud and boisterous the filmis very much alive and kicking. While the over the toip nature of the proceedings doesn't always work, enough does that you get dragged along wehile laughing and smiling.

Worth a look

Slamdance short takes: 11, and FREE DAUGHTER OF FREE KYRGYZSTAN

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11
As an apocalypse happens a filmmaker continues to make her film.
One of the best made and best acted films I've seen in a long time, Bebe Go's film herald's the arrival of a major talent who creates films that you slip into as if they were a part of your life. She has made a film that absolutely delighted me on so many levels.

FREE DAUGHTER OF FREE KYRGYZSTAN
Portrait of Zere Asylbek who uses her music in order to challange the norms of her country and its views of women. Consider that Kyrgystan still allows women to be kidnapped to become a bride. This is an unexpected look at an unexpected tale that seems almost like coming from another world

Crime & Parody (2026) Big Sky 2026

In Parma Ohio Anthony Novak created a parody Facebook page that made fun of the local police. The cops were no amused and arrested Novak and threw him in jail.

In an age where the current group of authorities have no sense of humor, there is a seeming unending attack on free speech. What happened in Parma could happen anywhere and this film is a stark warning of what could happen to any of use. To be certain thereare wrinkles in Novak's case (he made the page a little too official looking), this film still is something we need to see.

To be honest the basic thread of Novak's story doesn't need be a feature doc but there are twists. The Onion gets involved in the case. Additionally Ayesha Bell Hardaway,  Novak's lawyer's efforts to knock the charges down raise the question qualified immunity given to the police. Why are the police allowed to do whatever they want and get away with it when it can have tragic consequences. An example of those consequences was the death of Hardaway's friend Omar Arrington-Bey at the hands of the police. Its the complications that make the film truly compelling 

You need to see this film.

Slamdance Short Take Episodes: PUKE BITCH, DADDIES BOI, THE HUMAN WILL

PUKE BITCH
Playing in the episodes section of Slamdance this dark thriller is the first episode of series. To be honest I have no idea if I like the episode, but the tale of fringe sort of people with unpleasant interests, road kill being the least of them, is deeply disturbing.  Have gone through the show twice I know I don't want to revisit it because it bothers me so. That's a rave and a call for anyone who likes to dwell in the dark.

DADDIES BOI

This film is from the episodic section of the festival. It concerns two friends who are trying to make a buck selling companionship. Well acted and containing two intriguing lead characters this is a prime example of something episodic that should be a feature, since when the episode ended you will want more.

THE HUMAN, WILL

Narrated show about a man who gets fired and decides to try a different caree path. They are running a single episode at Slamdance and it's a major mistake. The press was given access to an hour's worth of the series and it's clear thata single seven minute  episode is not the way to go. The series doesn't click until the end of the second. This is really good but itshould have been a long short and not a series