Back in the day when I worked with Adrian, Brian and Tamsin at 1576 we used to go down to Bristol in November and go to a short film festival, called Encounters. It’s based in a cinema complex called the Watershed and has an amazing number of short films from all over the world. As the festival is close to the end of the year,many film-makers use it as a test ground for their next releases. So it’s almost like getting a preview of the films that will be appearing at the following year’s festivals.
I’ve forgotten how many great films I’ve been lucky enough to see. The films range from very short simple ideas with very small budgets to films that are polished and have obviously had a major production behind them.
One of the best things is that you never know what you’re going to see (this, ironically, is also one of the most frustrating things – the sound of a whole cinema snoring through a pretentious German experimental film is not a pleasant one).

This year we’ve decided to go again.

You can visit the Festival website here

I’ve tried my best to remember my favourites of the films I’ve managed to see over the past 5 years. Here’s a selection that, if you’ve got a spare half hour, are certain to make your day far more enjoyable. Dive in:

1. Astronauts. A brilliant use of silence to drive the tension that arises when two astronauts find themselves cooped up in a shuttle.

2. Stare Out Final. This was shown at the first festival I attended. Genius. The commentator’s voices are superb. Trevor Brooking anyone?

3. A brilliant piece of animation in the next film, Coucou clock. A simple duel in a kitchen that takes an unexpected twist when a new clock arrives.

4. Jojo In The Stars. This blew me away when I first saw it. We were all pretty certain it was in with a chance when it came to the awards ceremony on the Saturday night of the festival. And win it did. What was an unexpected bonus was that the director was sat in the seat directly in front of me. So I managed to let him know how amazing we’d found his film. His animation style has been picked up by major advertisers. The National Lottery used him for this ad which again I thought was a thing of beauty. And he’s now being used for all the Lloyds TSB For The Journey stuff. Not quite so sweet now that they’ve got to carry current account/mortgage/insurance info too, but they still look great.
Jojo In The Stars is a much darker affair. It’s unmistakably Mark Craste’s work, and shows the love between a trapped circus performer and someone who worships her. It was produced by Sue Goffe through Studio AKA. If you only watch one thing today, make sure it’s this.

5. The Making of Gladiator.
This is one that I’m sure the major studio would have a fit at (if they knew it existed). Which is a pity, because this is just plain funny. Russell Crowe’s cock takes centre stage. Seriously.

6. Who I Am And What I Want
A collaboration between David Shrigley and Chris Shepherd. David Shrigley is a genius who manages to take everyday situations and make them impossibly surreal. The hero, Pete of this animation is truly bonkers. It’s a riot of a journey. You’ll need to search for it yourself on YouTube, as it appears to be subject to a copyright wrangle, and the film keeps being unposted and then reposted. If you don’t find it first time, keep checking, as it’s a belter of a film.

7. Earthquake.
This film uses a really simple technique and Bo Selecta-type rubber to make an earthquake into a pretty amusing occurrence.

8.Terrance Eats Knowledge
A cautionary tale for all precocious youngsters out there. This film also shows that you don’t need a huge budget to make something work, just a strong idea and the ability to not muck it up as you bring it to life. Chris Walker nails it here in his simply illustrated film.

9. The Lunch Date
A thing of genius. This is a brilliantly thought-out film that has been beautifully shot. The reveal is supreme and fantastically well acted. I’ll say no more, other than the fact that I went out and bought this film. It wasn’t cheap, but it was certainly worth it. Enjoy.

I’m currently popping in and out, using the guys’ office as a base, and am hugely grateful to them for their prolonged kindness (and über tea-making skills).
I’ll send the mightysmall website an update after we’ve been to this year’s festival. If you happen to be down in Bristol, go along. You never know, you might just see something truly wonderful.