By Vee Ngunda
2-22-2025
This story originally appeared in The Miami Hurricane

I had the privilege of attending Shorts Miami, an international film festival held at the University of Miami’s Coral Gables campus. The event began on Jan. 31 and ended on Feb. 2.

Throughout these three nights, a multitude of 20-minute films were screened back-to-back, each with a genre and mood different from the last. From thought-provoking documentaries, to visually stunning dramas, the power of cinematic storytelling was truly remarkable.

The first night kicked off with a series of films focused on creating unique stories as part of the “Narrative Shorts Competition.” Each movie presented tales with drastic tones. For one movie, you may be watching a comedic film about a rodent munching on a group of guests’ potluck dinner, while for another, you may have your heartstrings pulled as you view a riveting movie of a child dealing with familial grief.

At the Friday screening, the movie I found most interesting was a film called “Dank,” a charming and seemingly intimate story of a man who sets up a lady’s washing machine. During the end of Friday’s film showcase, a $500 award was presented to“After Mountains,” a gripping feature about a child who befriends a sick boy as he waits for his grandfather’s recovery. The evening culminated in a lively reception filled with an assortment of free gifts and food to welcome the hungry viewers.

Night two ushered the movie screening forward with a new set of short films that varied in tone. This evening’s focus was targeted specifically at documentary films. The first film to kick off the night was “Rooted in Cuba,” a wholesome feature about what it means to be Cuban-American and how to preserve your heritage.

Following that sprouted an array of unique documentaries ranging from how disabilities affects individuals’ lives in “Disability in Focus”, to writing poems in concrete in “Sidewalk Poetry”, to auditioning to become a mermaid in “Unlikely Mermaid.” The end of one documentary only generated intrigue for what the next might be.

The award for the best documentary ended up going to “The Sex Slave,” an AI-generated feature on the damaging and disturbing experiences of what it’s like to be a victim of human-trafficking..

To end off with a bang, the third and final night, although bittersweet, reigned in a barrage of experimental and dramatic student-directed films. While some films were fun seatings about a group of friends playing a roleplaying game, like “Castles & Creatures: The Axe of Fate,” others were brutal tragedies dedicated to the pressures that society can place on people as portrayed in “Purple Grooves: A Funky Tragedy.”

One of the most riveting films of the night, however, was the closing film, “Eating Me Alive.” This horrific and gore-induced showed an overworked video editor losing her sanity racing to finish a film on time.

After a Q&A with the student filmmakers, the Shorts Miami International Film Festival triumphantly reached its end.

Beyond the films themselves, the festival provided a fantastic opportunity for viewers to connect and mingle with one another. Audiences had the chance to retrospect and give their interpretations of what they witnessed.

It was truly an immersive experience that opened my eyes to new perspectives as I saw films portraying unique worlds and narratives I had yet to experience. I left the festival feeling enriched and inspired, already looking forward to future film-related events.

If you’re a film enthusiast, I highly recommend keeping in touch with local film festivals—it’s an experience you won’t forget.