Kino Short of the Week - Best of 2024

In 2024 our Kino Short of the Week series featured shorts of all genres ranging from horror to drama, from animation to experimental, comedy and more.

As always, to help maximise viewership for filmmakers, we featured films on a non-exclusive basis helping to support releases from Omeleto, Alter, Directors Notes, and Vimeo Staff Pick as well as supporting those filmmakers who chose to self-distribute on their own channels.

We of course think every film we selected is worth a watch, but here’s 10 that stood out.

10. SCRUTINY

Written & Directed by James Quinn

Produced by Maria Ogunyale

On a bus journey across south London, a young man’s anxiety spirals into a vortex of self-doubt and torment - causing him to question: can he trust his memories?

An illustration of the process and impact of anxiety, and the demands of city life that intensify it.

9. LONDON’S FORGOTTEN

Written & Directed by Liam Pinheiro-Rogers

PRODUCED BY Cyrus Mirzashafa & Levon Gharibian

In the urban streets of London, the stories of would-be knife crime victims are connected by a wandering drifter who has loose ends to tie.

8. VOICES

Directed by Abbie Lucas

Written by Omar Khan | Produced by Håkan Carlsson

A couple overhears a violent fight next door and must decide whether or not to get involved.

7. DEAD WHISTLE STOP

Written & Directed by Sean Mckenna

Produced by Jamie Macdonald

Daniel’s not going to the office today. A dying man asked him to deliver a letter. Though he’s not sure who the dying man was or where the person he’s delivering it to is. Or what, if anything, it has to do with his new neighbours, The Illuminated Brotherhood of the All Seeing Eye.

6. SNAKE DICK

Written, directed & Produced by David Mahmoudieh

PRODUCED by George Lako & Annalea Fiachi

Jill's got the snake. Julia's got the flute. Alone, they have nothing. But together, they have a secret weapon to fight the darkness... 

5. STONES

Written, produced, & Directed by Matthew Hopper

On a trip to his old family home in the Scottish Highlands, a troubled man argues on the phone with his stoic father, forcing him to confront a dark issue in their relationship.

4. CRY LIKE A GUY

Directed by Ant Rubinstein

Written by Catherine Willoughby

Why do we cry? What’s the deal with those little droplets of emotion? Kieran Bew (HBO's 'House of the Dragon', Netflix's 'Warrior') leads us on a gruff, goofy, educational and emotional adventure through the senses into the fascinating world of tears. A feast for the feels.  

3. WAVING

Written, Produced & Directed by Rolfin Nyhus & Steven Brumwell

His worst fears seemingly realised; a distraught father takes one last walk through his ruined world. For most people, being at the centre of their own world and having a loving family is a wonderful thing. For Charlie, it's literally a nightmare. A short film about OCD.

2. EVERYBODY DIES SOMETIMES

Written & Directed by Charlotte Hamblin

Produced by Leonora Darby, Charlotte Hamblin, James Harris, & Mark Lane

A dark comedy about death anxiety that follows Mara as she grapples with the belief that she has killed everybody she's gotten close to. 

1. BOY IN THE BACK SEAT

Written & Directed by Scott Pickup
Produced by Jonny Ross, James Owen & Simon Marriott

1986. A young boy is left unattended in the car while his volatile dad takes care of some ‘business’ in a dodgy local pub. What could possibly go wrong?

---

Honourable Mentions

Even though these films didn’t make our Top 10 we still think they’re pretty great and well worth a watch.

Hold my hand

gHanimah

---

Submit to our Short of the Week series to be considered for our 2025 season

Kino Short of the Week - Best of 2023

In 2023 we featured 43 films in our Kino Short of the Week series. Selections were of all genres ranging from horror to drama, from fashion to animation, and more.

As always, we featured films on a non-exclusive basis helping to support releases from Omeleto, Alter, Directors Notes, Straight 8, Vimeo Staff Pick and Dust, as well as supporting those filmmakers who chose to self-distribute on their own channels. BUT… this year we started taking our own YouTube channel more seriously. Ten of the 43 films were distributed directly by us. Our YouTube channel received 44.8k views with our most popular release “Influencia” Written & Directed by Ryan Rosenheim & Patrick De Vinck receiving over 30k views.

Three of the 43 film featured were Kino Originals, so even though we love them and the filmmakers who made them, it does feel a bit like patting our own back to include them in our Top 10, so only the remaining 40 films were eligible for our Top 10.

BUT… if you’d like to watch (or rewatch) our Kino Originals we figured we’d add them below.

Thanks to our Sponsor

who will be providing the top 5 filmmakers on this list with a FREE copy of Final Draft

Kino Originals

MAMA’S WATCHING

DO NOT TOUCH

HIDDEN INSIGHT

and now for our top 10

10. Shallow

Directed & Produced by PAUL ASHTON
Written by JOE JOHNSEY

Deep in a forest, Barry and Larry indulge in conversation that is by turns light-hearted and extremely topical, revealing surprising revelations, both good and bad, along the way.

9. RoButler

Written & Directed by JAMES BUTTON

Overworked in the email department at the a local Welsh council, Cwnt Jones purchases a personalised AI assistant  in order to help make his life better- the RoButler.

8. Blinkers

Written & Directed by SOPHIA CAPASSO

This short film is about the cracks we don't see splitting in the rollercoaster of modern life and how two experiences of one night can be drastically dissimilar. Blinkers touches on the complexity of mental health and female friendships. 

7. Fishwife

Written, Produced, & Directed by BETH PARK

In wild 18th century Britain a lonely woman discovers that her menstrual cycle is of interest to a stranger.

6. Influencia

Written & Directed by RYAN ROSENHEIM & PATRICK DE VINCK

A despondent young influencer wakes up on the beach hungover. As he readies himself for the day, more and more of his poverty is revealed. Mourning the loss of his mother, Cesar drinks himself into a stupor, listening to his mother’s old voicemail on repeat. After sobering up enough, Cesar sneaks onto a wealthy Malibu property to film a video with a Lamborghini.

5. The Fool’s Mate

Written & Directed by CIAN LLEWELLYN
Produced by JACK POLLINGTON

A couple’s relationship is at a cross roads - as he attempts to break up, she thinks he’s about to propose. But will an impromptu chess game finally force the truth to come out?

4. No Filter

Written & Directed by NATHAN CROOKER

Prduced by MAYA KORN & NATHAN CROOKER

Insecure twenty-something Beth struggles with her digital self-image until her friend Micah introduces her to a transformative filter. The digital magic boosts her online presence and attracts new admirers, but the allure comes with a dark and insidious price.

3. Other Half

Directed by LINA KALCHEVA, Written by LAURA JAYNE TUNBRIDGE, and Produced by MICHELLE BRØNDUM

As an Individual Being in a world comprised of Merged Couples, Ren longs to find his other half and become complete.

2. Crumbs

Directed by ROBOT CHOCOLATE (GABRIELA PLAČKOVÁ, ROBERT HLOZ)
Produced by ALEXANDRA KARA MORAVČÍKOVÁ

Tired of her husband’s noisy and messy eating, a wife starts a stop-motion battle and packs her bags. CRUMBS was made entirely in-camera for Straight 8's 2020 competition on one cartridge of super 8mm film with no post-production. Find out more about their unique filmmaking process in our interview below..

1. Portrait

Directed by KEIR SIEWERT
Produced by ALIX AUSTIN
Written by KEIR SIEWERT & ANONYMOUS

Based on real accounts, a model takes matters into her own hands to expose a serial predator in the photography world.

---

Honourable Mentions

Even though these films didn’t make our Top 10 we still think they’re pretty great and well worth a watch.

Oluwale

Out of Orbit

---

Submit to our Short of the Week series to be considered for our 2024 season

Kino Short of the Week - Best of 2022

That’s a wrap on our Short of the Week series for 2022. Let’s take a moment to look back on some of the amazing shorts and filmmakers we featured on our online showcase.

10. SMASH AND GRAB | Written, Produced & Directed by NEIL LINPOW

Four women race a ticking clock across a bustling city, readying themselves for the ultimate Smash and Grab showdown.

9. PETRICHOR | Directed by Louis-Jack | Written by Kenneth Emson | Produced by Morgan Faverty

A washed up, former wunderkind of the snooker world has one last chance to revive his career. Battling with addiction and the ghosts of his past, there is more at stake than just the score.

8. MIDNIGHT DELIVERY | Written & Directed by Nathan Crooker | Produced by Nathan Crooker, Jake Silbermann, Mayumi Tatsuta

When a mysterious gift is delivered to an unsuspecting woman’s door at the stroke of midnight she unleashes a sinister evil from within.

8. true value | Directed and Produced by Alix Austin
| Written by Keir Siewert

A university student with an unusual part-time job collides with her tightly wound client in this beautifully dark crime thriller.

7. THANK YOU SO MUCH | Written & Directed by TOMASZ FRYMORGEN | Produced by TOMASZ FRYMORGEN & BRIANNA FERGUSON

It’s 8pm on a Thursday evening and the Clap for Carers is about to begin. Two neighbours battle it out to be the loudest, most grateful and most virtuous residents on the street - until someone finally calls them out. Will they swallow their pride and apologise, or will they silence the upstart who’s dared to embarrass them?

6. LOVE YA LIKE POISON! | Directed by Max Azulay & Rosie Yadid | Written by Rosie Yadid | Produced by Sarah Epstein & Rosie Yadid

Twenty-something Louise returns to NYC after university abroad. She is reunited with her firecracker of a Jewish mother, Nadine, and their relationship seems to pick up right where it left off.

While Nadine wants her back for good, Lou is desperately trying not to get too comfortable. When she reveals news of her engagement, old wounds are reopened as Nadine reveals secrets about her own failed marriage.

5. BULLDOG | Written & Directed by Kieran Stringfellow
| Produced by Tasha Williams

After spending the night in a cell, a rough sleeper has a score to settle.

3. VISKAR I VINDEN | Written & Directed by James Newman | PRODUCED BY James Newman & Harry Newman

Matilda is a forensic investigator gathering evidence at a crime scene, where an elderly man's body lies dead, gruesomely murdered by an unknown person.

It seems just another day on the job, and Matilda is told by the detective to get things done, though Matilda seems eager to take the detective role herself. When the corpse decides to communicate posthumously with the investigators in an unusual, decidedly earthy way, Matilda takes it upon herself to do some investigation on her own.

2. SAFEKEEPING | Written & Directed by DAVID YORKE
Produced by DAVID YORKE & PHIL BEASTALL

Young teen Jessica and her kid brother Charlie are setting out on a journey. They leave behind a dark, unsettling home life and set out into the larger world with few belongings. The countryside they travel through is idyllic, stretching out around them in a pastoral, seemingly peaceful expanse. Together, they make a stop at a place they once enjoyed in simpler, happier times. But all is not what it seems, both in the world and between the siblings, as they embark on a trip that will change their lives forever.

1. embers | Written, Produced & Directed by Tom Ganley

Alice sits alone at a restaurant, waiting for her date to arrive… Doesn’t sound like an interesting synopsis, but don’t be fooled by it. Embers is an emotionally complex film, winning multiple awards at film festival this past April for best screenplay, best performance in a drama & best first time filmmaker.

---

Honourable Mentions

Even though these films didn’t make our Top 10 we still think they’re pretty great and well worth a watch.

MILK

TALK RADIO

---

Submit to our Short of the Week series to be considered for our 2023 season

Kino London Short Film Festival 2023 - Submissions Now Open

Submission are now open for the 2023 edition of our Kino London Short Film Festival & we’re changing a few things.

1. OPENING OUR £1000 SHORT FILM FUND TO ALL OFFICIAL SELECTIONS. Previously, we’d nominate 9 Official Selections to compete for our film fund, however a number of filmmakers passed on this opportunity for a variety of reasons including, not having another short film ready to pitch or moving on from shorts to features. The goal of this fund is to support the short filmmaking community with another funding opportunity in a competitive market with few options. That is why this season ALL submissions will have the opportunity to pitch their next short film project for consideration. This funding opportunity is at no additional cost to filmmakers, included with the price of festival submission.

2. CHANGING THE NAME OF OUR FESTIVAL. Many already refer to our festival as the Kino Short Film Festival, Kino London Film Festival, etc. While we love the meaning behind “The People’s Film Festival”, we’ve decided to unify our brand with our other Kino offerings. We run the Kino Short Film Open Mic, Kino Short of the Week series, & now we’ve changed our name to the Kino London Short Film Festival.

3. CHANGING TO AN ANUAL ONLY COMPETITION. Previously we’d announce Finalists, Semi-Finalists & Official Selections every month leading up to our annual festival event. Now, all Official Selections will be announced after submissions close. We’re making this change to reduce admin duties in order to help make our festival sustainable.

WHAT’S STAYING THE SAME?

• Every filmmaker that submits to our festival gets FEEDBACK regardless if they win or not.

• Our categories are based on BUDGET, so micro-budget shorts don't have to compete with fully funded films.

• We build into the winning filmmaker's future by funding their next short film project with our £1,000 FILM FUND.