Rockland Shorts: An International Short Film Series will be shown March 6

‘Scared Silly’ film series is both funny and terrifying

Kay Stephens
Mon, 03/02/2015 - 1:00pm
Still from the animated short ‘Ain’t No Fish,’ which will be screened during Rockland Shorts, March 6. (Still courtesy Mike Cash and Tom Gasek)
Still from the animated short ‘Day 40.’ (Photo courtesy Sol Freidman)

    ROCKLAND — Shorts in winter, it’s what we all look forward to this time of year. The Farnsworth Art Museum and the Strand Theatre are screening the first of the 2015 international short film series, Rockland Shorts, on March 6 and it’s promising to be a hilarious, if not unsettling, evening.

    The theme of this year’s short film series is “Scared Silly.” Rockland Shorts Program Director Sally Levi said, “Basically, this series covers everything we’re afraid of, from environmental issues to relationships to really scary content. The theme is a play on fear and each movie has a different take on it. But, we have a lot of comedy, as well as genuinely scary films.”

    Levi said two short films that jump out at her (pun fully intended) include Ain't No Fish, directed by Mike Cash and Tom Gasek. The title of this four-minute animation from the UK/US was influenced by the optimistic late 1940s show tune Some Days There Just Ain't No Fish, which centers around oil spills that have had devastating effects on wildlife and the sea.

    “It’s really a silly film, but covers a very real subject we’re dealing with now,” she said.

    Another film that kills her (I must stop) is Day 40, which is also an animated six-minute short, directed by Sol Friedman from Canada, and described as “an unholy take on Noah’s Ark.”

    “This one has a zombie twist,” said Levi.

    The evening will have three live Skype interviews with three of the directors as well as a “small special surprise for everybody” said Levi. An after-party with specialty drinks will be taking place at FOG Bar and Grill.

    The rest of the lineup for Scared Silly will includes:

    · First Prize, directed by Kevin McMullin, live action, U.S.

    · One Year Lease, directed by Brian Bolster, documentary, U.S.

    · The Man Who Sat on A Toilet, directed by Bernardo Britto, animation, U.S.

    · The Lottery, directed by Shahir Daud, live action, New Zealand

    · In The Air of Christopher Gray, directed by Felix Massie, animation, U.K.

    · Knock, directed by Joseph I. Martinez, live action, U.S.

    The Farnsworth's education department is responsible for the series.

    The fee for the series is $8 for members and $10 for nonmembers. Tickets will be for sale at the Strand's box office directly prior to the screening.

    Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com

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