Watch Best of UNDER 5 Minute Shorts Festival
29m
Telephones, 4min,. USA
Directed by Copper Giloth
“Telephones” explores a personal journey through time, identity, and technological evolution, using a collection of telephones as a lens. Each phone, from a red Western Electric to a modern iPhone, symbolizes both moments in time - childhood, independence, life choices --- as well as technical and design innovations. Tied to memories of forbidden red clothes, maternal sewing, and illegal long-distance calls, the phones embody personal and cultural shifts over many decades.
https://instagram.com/coppergilothstudio
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-telephones
UMBRELLA, 5min,. USA
Directed by Copper Giloth
After arguing with my sister over a quirky pizza-themed umbrella in Naples, I was left alone in Rome, grappling with frustration and sadness. To process my emotions, I created a personal walking tour, visiting ancient obelisks. Each step became a way to reflect — on our strained relationship, my late brother-in-law’s whimsical obelisk drawings, and my own path to peace. My journey extended beyond Rome to Amherst, New York, Paris, Aix-en-Provence and Brittany. With my playful umbrella in hand, I found solace in walking, letting memories, grief, and laughter guide me toward healing.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-umbrella
Joss, 5min, China
Directed by Anxin
Joss, in Chinese "香火 (xiāng huǒ)“, has a double meaning: it refers to both incense offerings in temples and the continuity of family lineage. In most cases, this family lineage is traditionally believed to be passed down only through male descendants, linking “香火” to patriarchal heritage.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-joss
Shame, 5min., USA
Directed by Kelly Lynn Warren
When a woman is sexually assaulted by a mutual friend the night before, her confrontation with her best friend leads to tragic consequences.
https://www.instagram.com/shametheshortfilm/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-shame
Voight-Kampff, 2min., Réunion
Directed by Nicolas Gueniot
The Voight-Kampff test is a psychophysiological test that measures the subject's involuntary emotional responses to morally or emotionally troubling questions. Lea is nervous as the test has just begun.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-voight-kampff
Until the last minute, 3min., Ukraine
Directed by Ilya Noyabrev
A Ukrainian woman sees her husband off to war. She prays for her husband's return and makes a folk amulet (a motanka doll) with her own hands. In her prayer, the woman promises her husband to be with him until the last minute. (The video uses real photos from the beginning of the war in 2022).
https://www.instagram.com/anna_khanina/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-until-the-last-min
LIGHT, 5min,. Panama
Directed by Alberto Serra
The song, music video and story reflects the light within us and how external challenges can dim it. Darkness, simply the absence of light, becomes a metaphor for the protagonist's descent into villainy.