2024 Atlanta Film Festival – Shorts: A Paw Over Dark, ATM, and Provisions

As the Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) officially gets underway, we’ll be reviewing select projects that will compete this year.

Today’s short films for review are: A Paw Over Dark, ATM, and Provisions. At the end of each review you’ll find a link to their screening schedule during the film festival.

A Paw Over Dark

Directors: Dorian Saisse and Marisa Molson
Producer: Judy Lung
Rating: 8.5 out of 10

A Paw Over Dark is a 2D animated short film that begs the question, “What would you do to stay relevant?” At the film’s center is a man named Massimo, a thespian who appears well past his prime and has outstayed his welcome at a theatre. His audience appeared bored and took on a fiendish appearance. Massimo’s passionate performance falls on deaf ears until a dog finds his way onstage and steals the limelight. As laughter erupts at his mere presence, Massimo’s rage gradually ascends. The crowd has a fiendish look to them as if reflecting how the masses are addicted to stimulation and entertainment.

I applaud the creativity behind this project as there’s no singular subject to focus on. For example, the animation style (and I love that it was 2D) was a loving nod to the animated films of old. Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, The Secret of Nimh, and An American Tail come to mind after soaking this in. And instead of riling up emotions from Fievel’s, “Somewhere Out There” in the aforementioned An American Tail, you’ll get whisked away by the soundtrack. Yes, this animated short has a whole symphonic composure, again, a chef’s kiss to the animated glory days. If you enjoyed the rollercoaster of emotions that came with Merry Melodies back in the day, then you’ll enjoy the film’s composition by Ryan Oldfield.

The question at the center of this short parallels our own real-life choices. How far would you go for fame? Glory? Artists, athletes, and even influencers struggle to cope with relevancy once their celebrity fire burns out. A Paw Over Dark gives a humorous, dark glimpse into one man’s struggle for fame and relevancy to an excellent score that touches the soul.

Screening schedule

ATM

Director, Producer: Chih-Ching Tseng
Cast: Jay Shipman
Rating: 8 out of 10

ATM is a short film that examines a man, a machine, and a choice. Directed by Chih-Ching Tseng and told through a blend of stop motion and reality (a real cat), this quick three-minute short examines human nature and a test of judgment.

The legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.” Here, we see that very scenario play out before our eyes as a man is mesmerized by a defunct Automatic Teller Machine (ATM). As he attempts to make a routine withdrawal, he’s alerted to find a zero balance. In an odd turn of events, the machine prompts him to try again and he obliges. With three quantity options, he chooses 100 and receives it. He goes through a range of reactions from surprise to delight to pure shock. With that being said, how far would you go if you had an ATM dispensing money to you without affecting your balance?

I’m a big fan of the stop-motion style of animation. Clever camera tricks and an eye for minute details combine to produce creative imagery. Outside of the animation style, the story teaches a good lesson. Every choice we make in life produces varied results. If you had the chance to receive free money, would you take $100 without risk or risk your life for $100,000? It’s human nature to want “more” but ATM teaches the lesson that greed comes at a price. The surprise with the real-life cat brought a comical end to a bad set of choices. Even though the short could’ve been longer, it’s long enough to convey the message it needs to.

Screening schedule

Provisions

Director: Kheyal Roy-Meighoo
Producer: Isaac Gazmararian
Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Provisions is a beautiful stop-motion short film that follows a girl’s conversation with her grandmother. To her chagrin, the young girl’s attempts to make provisions soup had proven futile as she laments to her grandma, “I’m trying to roll up the dumplings but they’re just so sticky, I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” In a loving tone that we could only receive from our grandparents, the girl is comforted and reassured that everything will turn out ok.

As the conversation continues, it diverts from cooking and turns toward reflection. Here, the conversation addresses estrangement and the never-ending quest for identity. They’re both from Trinidad & Tobago but the grandmother lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada while the granddaughter lives in the U.S. With Toronto being the melting pot that it is, it’s easy to see how the sight in front of you could be called home but you feel something different inside.

It was a true Hallmark moment watching a girl cook with her grandmother on speakerphone just talking about life. Having a trusted elder you can not only learn from but pour into is worth more than any monetary value. It felt so authentic that I didn’t want it to end.

The stop-motion animation here was phenomenal. While the conversation was still going, the focus often strayed from the phone and went to the food. The way it focused on the cutting of vegetables and steam coming from the pot was amazing. You can tell a lot of time and effort was put into this project.

Director Kheyal Roy-Meighoo has a gem on her hands.

Screening schedule

-Jon Jones

Photos: Courtesy of ATLFF