The coronavirus might have stopped SXSW 2020 from happening, but the 70 short films that were supposed to be screened at the festival have now found a new online home, thanks to Mailchimp. Through the streaming platform Mailchimp Presents, the shorts are now able to reach the audience and big players in the movie industry, which could make a lot of difference for the budding filmmakers.
While they're diverse in their themes, genres and duration, the films share the same interest: humans in all of their glory and flaws. They're available for free, so they make a perfect isolation companion. But there are a lot of these shorts, and you may be overwhelmed by the many options. Thankfully, Globetrotter has picked a few of our favorites, so you'll know where to start. Go check them out in this list below, and watch the rest here.
No Crying at the Dinner Table
Dir.: Carol Nguyen
Documentary
Filmmaker Carol Nguyen interviews her parents and sister, challenging them to reveal their deepest secrets and, in doing so, open up to each other for the first time. Raw, moving and healing at the same time, it explores and breaks the stigma against emotional openness commonly found within Asian families.
Hiplet: Because We Can
Dir.: Addison Wright
Documentary
A combination between "Hip-hop" and "Ballet", Hiplet is a movement founded by Homer Hans Bryant. The documentary follows a group of hiplet ballerinas as they talk about what the dance means for them as young black women trying to make it in the society.
Broken Bird
Dir.: Rachel Harrison Gordon
Narrative
A half-black and half-Jewish teenage girl tip-toes between two worlds as she prepares for her Bat Mitzvah.
Coup d'etat Math
Dir.: Sai Selvarajan
Animation
Everyone is fighting their own struggles, whether they live in cities or refugee camps. Four women unveil their stories.
Reminiscences of the Green Revolution
Dir.: Dean Colin Marcial
Narrative
Based on the real-life events leading to the resignation of President Joseph Estrada in 2001 in the Philippines, a group of college students prepare for a peaceful protest, until forces stronger than the corrupt regime threaten to break their friendship and derail the revolution.
Affurmative Action
Dir.: Travis Wood
Documentary
Filmmaker Travis Wood discovers that companies like dogs better than black people.
The Paint Wizzard
Dir.: Jessie Auritt & Jessica Wolfson
Documentary
At 58 years old, Millie McCrory finally became the person she had always wanted: a woman. Millie is no stranger to receiving other people's condescending questions and looks, but in this documentary, she gets to tell her own story and shows her house-painting skills.
