Indy Shorts 2020: Indiana Spotlight

The Indy Shorts International Film Festival, presented by Heartland Film, is a unique festival that both showcases short films and offers cash prizes to many of its winning films. This year, the festival expanded its prize-winning categories to include Comedy, Student Films, Directorial Debut, and Heartland Horror. With 128 films across 18 programs, Indy Shorts is proud to announce that half of this year's lineup was either directed or co-directed by women, and that the winners of the Narrative and Documentary grand prizes will qualify for the 2021 Academy Awards (as long as they meet all other requirements).

The festival will be held in a hybrid format using both the Eventive Virtual Fest and four nights of screenings at Indianapolis's Tibbs Drive-In.

Kinetic

This movie is a mere five minutes, but it leaves you wanting more.

Writer-director Kylie Eaton’s story of a young girl with some sort of powers sucks you in.

You want to know more about her. “Kinetic” basically plays like a long trailer, and you hope that Eaton can perhaps get funding to expand this into a feature film.

That would be worth seeing.--Bob Bloom

The Mailing List

This dark satire is funny, but with an edgy uneasiness as it tracks a young man on a college campus who prefers to be an individual, but after being pestered to sign up for a group’s mailing list finds himself hounded to participate.

Writer J.B. Bilbery and director Talon Reed Cooper are casting criticism on our growing herd mentality and our over-reliance on our smartphones.

“The Mailing List” makes some pertinent observations that should be taken seriously. --Bob Bloom

Paradox

This winning short is a cute blend of science fiction and rom com that centers on an awkward young woman told by a time traveler from the future that she will be the inventor of time travel.

She does not believe him, until he is forced to offer her hints on how to act as well as meet the young man who will be her partner in science and in life.

Writer-director Glenn A. Pratt’s film is a charmer. --Bob Bloom