Etheria 2021 Film Festival Capsule Reviews [Part One]
Tyler Doupe'
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For the uninducted, Etheria Film Festival is a short film showcase featuring the latest and greatest in horror and sci-fi from female filmmakers. This year’s selections boasted some truly exceptional filmmaking. But you don’t have to take my word for it. The entire catalog will be available to stream on Shudder from June 25th-July 25th.
I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that every short I watched out of Etheria felt like it had feature potential. And with that in mind, I want to take a moment to showcase a few selections from the fest that really spoke to me. Read on for my take on four of the festival’s nine selections. And stay tuned for more Etheria coverage from Dread in the coming days!
Bootstrapped sees Ally, a physicist, traveling back in time, trying to save her relationship with her girlfriend Naomi, while also aiming to put a stop to the chaos she’s caused by cracking the formula for time travel.
Katy Erin does triple duty here as writer, director, and star. Bootstrapped is compelling and well-acted. The premise is one that has been explored many times before but it feels fresh and relevant here. This short is wry and funny. A sweet love story wrapped in the guise of a sci-fi film.
It was refreshing to see a love story that revolves around two women. It has become more commonplace of late to see gay men onscreen (IE: Spiral 2019) but there’s not an exceptional amount of content out there that focuses on lesbian couples.
Of the lineup, this was the film I would most like to see fleshed out into a feature length production. I was left with so many questions and was curious to see if Ally was eventually able to right past wrongs, mend her relationship with Naomi, and save the world.
Aislinn Clarke’s Eye Exam sees a woman visiting an optometrist’s office for a complimentary checkup. But she quickly begins to suspect that something isn’t quite right about the doctor overseeing her visit.
The optometrist (Richard Addison) starts off as seemingly harmless but with each passing second, becomes more and more menacing, ultimately being revealed to be a malevolent being.
The short is brief, punchy, and impressive. Clocking in at just under three-minutes, I found myself wishing it was longer.
Writer/director Mónica Mateo’s You Will Never be Back sees Ana saying goodbye to her partner, only to enter a parallel dimension where she never existed. Her neighbors, her partner, and even her own mother have no recollection of her.
You Will Never be Back delivers foreboding atmosphere and gorgeous set design. It makes very effective use of limited locations. Much of the short is set in a hallway but the lack of locations never limits the film’s potential.
Even though we know almost nothing about Ana, Ximena Vera brings her to life in such a way that makes it hard not to invest in the character. This was yet another instance where I really wanted to see more of the story unfold in long form.
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The Gray finds a former police officer working as a gatekeeper in Purgatory. But things take a turn when his young son shows up unexpectedly.
The Gray has a wicked sense of humor. It’s dry and sardonic. But the relationship between father and son is surprisingly touching. It can be challenging to present characters that the audience will connect with in short format filmmaking. But that’s not the case here. The flick tugged at my heartstrings and I found myself investing in the characters and their relationship.
After watching The Gray, I’m left curious to see what writer/director Myra Aquino does next. She has established herself as a force to be reckoned with by way of this touching and wholly entertaining outing.
Stay tuned for even more Etheria reviews from Dread Central in the near future!
