A Look at the 8 Dramas
I had initially planned to catch all the festival shorts, but due to timing and a last-minute decision, I chose the drama block. Eight films later, I learned something about myself: I can sit more easily through a two-hour feature than through eight short ones in a row — but I’m still glad I made that choice. The range of tone and subject matter made for a memorable afternoon, even if the emotional stitching between films was a little uneven.
Sound of the Somme
My favorite of the eight, this beautifully crafted World War I short tells the true story of James C. Richardson, a young bagpiper who carries his instrument and courage into the trenches and into No-Man’s Land. It’s both harrowing and uplifting, with an authenticity that hits deeply. The blend of music and history gives it emotional weight that lingers long after the final note fades.
Sometimes I Imagine Your Funeral
A Texas premiere and easily one of the most moving shorts of the group. It follows a brother as he prepares to speak at his sister’s funeral after her overdose. Told with quiet restraint and tenderness, the film finds power in pauses and in what’s left unsaid. It’s heartbreaking, honest, and deeply human.
The Singers
Set in a dim, smoky bar, this film unfolds around a contest offering $100 to the best male singer. What starts as a rowdy gimmick turns unexpectedly poignant as each man steps up to sing, revealing hints of vulnerability and longing beneath the bravado. The voices themselves — rough, raw, and honest — make this one unforgettable.
Still Life
A Texas premiere about an artist who returns to her late grandmother’s home, where she rediscovers old memories, her strained relationship with her father, and her sense of belonging. Gentle and beautifully shot, it balances grief and creativity in quiet, tender strokes. The performances are understated, and the emotional connection feels genuine.
Cycles
Set entirely in a laundromat, Cycles takes an everyday setting and turns it into something reflective and quietly powerful. As clothes tumble and time passes, the film observes the repetition of daily life — the small moments that hint at change, loss, and endurance. It’s a subtle piece with a surprisingly strong final punch.
Main Man
Another Texas premiere, Main Man follows a guy who fills in on a film set — a premise that could have been straightforward but, for me, became the most confusing of the bunch. Perhaps I was just tired by that point, but I had a hard time following where it was going. Still, Haley Joel Osment delivers a grounded performance that adds some clarity to the chaos.
Red River Cowboy
Violent and relentless, this Australian-set short depicts a woman kidnapped and abandoned to die in the bush on her ex-lover’s wedding day. It’s raw, dusty, and shot with striking visual clarity. It offers a surprising and unsettling twist, and although the tone shift from the gentler films was jarring, it definitely left an impression.
Foxhole
The most unsettling of the group, Foxhole creates a slow, tense rhythm that leads to a disturbing final scene. It’s technically superb and emotionally powerful — the kind of short that leaves the theater in silence afterward.
NOTABLY Each of the eight films stood alone strongly, but watching them in sequence was a rollercoaster of tone and emotion — from quiet grief to violence, music, and confusion. That uneven “stitching” made the experience more mentally demanding than I expected, but it also showed just how many ways a short film can move you.
My personal favorites — Sound of the Somme, Sometimes I Imagine Your Funeral, and The Singers — share a common thread: emotional honesty expressed with restraint and care.
Despite my new appreciation for pacing aligned with my current attention span, I felt thankful I watched them all. Festivals like Round Top enable discovery — stories told in ten or twenty minutes that can leave a lasting impression. And this collection definitely did.