SFF-rated ATHENS

25 shorts competed this year for the Audience Award for Best Short. As in the previous years, the Audience was asked to answer the question “Would you watch this film for a second time?”

15 shorts out of the 25 got a “yes” answer 50% or more -which is an indication that this year’s selection was even better than 2008.

This year the Award returned to Europe. The short film that scored the higher percentage, and the Winner of the 2009 Audience Award for Best Short is

“La Plluja” (Rain), Spain, by director Nofre Moya.

Director Nofre Moya

(yes, he plays the main character too), could not be present to receive the award, but he sent a message to the Greek Audience:

“It’s a great honour to me to receive this ”audience best award”. It makes me feel that I share with the audience similar inquietudes about the present society, and about what we expect from the close future if we don’t change our attitude in the world we live.
Sometimes the fantasy is the best way to analyze the real present.”

Nofre Moyà

Indeed, awarding “Rain”, indicates the desire of the audience for shorts that stay focused on the present day and use the devices of the Fantastic Arts to talk about what troubles us in today’s world.

The other four shorts that make up the SFF-rated 2009 Full House of Shorts are:

2nd: “Tea & Remembrance” by Ron Yuan (USA), reflecting the popularity of comics and of “martial dancing” in Greece.

3d: “La Main Des Maitres” by A. Toupet/C.Delatre/V.Chauvet (France) an excellent animation that I suspect lost the Award only because it was too short (4 minutes) and lacked a fully developed story.

4th: “Las Gafas” (The Glasses) by Alberto Garcia Martin (Spain), a witty and humorous  story about religious faith.

5th: “Welgunzer” by Bradford Schmidt (USA), where time travel has nothing to do with science and everything to do with human emotions.

The full list of the 15 shorts that persuaded the SFF-rated 2009 audience to dedicate to them more of their time follows.