A veritably 'thespi' event, Cambridge Shorts provided a selection of short student films from across CambridgeJessica Poon

For those interested in cinema and yearning to mingle with an exclusively ‘thespi’ crowd, the Cambridge Shorts night proved to be a success on both counts. Screening six films, intermitted by the questionable comedic rapport of Joe Shalom, the evening offered a showcase of the best of student films in Cambridge. Once settled into our seats, having battled our way through hordes of crop-trouser clad arts students, we were all thrown in at the deep end with what appeared to be the beginning of Michael Macintyre’s comedy road show, minus the irony.

There was a strong start with the first film, Dinner Out, an artful and well composed short, in which Joe Pieri’s performance of the mysteriously bandaged man procured many laughs. A particularly inventive and well-executed element was the use of the meal’s courses as intertitles, giving the short a polished structure. This first film also introduced us to a recurrent downfall of almost all the evening’s films: patchy and occasionally inaudible sound.

Manticore’s sole protagonist was well acted by Joe Spence, and the use of a time-lapse motif is always satisfying, however, the storyline left us somewhat confused.

“Who’s for the Game? was aesthetically pleasing, its beautiful final shot being one of the most memorable of the evening.”

Who’s for the Game? was aesthetically pleasing, its beautiful final shot being one of the most memorable of the evening. Despite earthy brown hues in abundance, the short (like the others) still failed to make up for the almost complete lack of actual brown people. Whilst the premise was refreshing, we found it hard to connect emotionally with the characters as the dialogue felt forced at times.

The next short, Wake, took on the subject of mourning using the clever motif of the grave-digger as the embodiment of the protagonist’s grief. Whilst the monochrome colour palette created a suitably sombre atmosphere, the short was lacking in a compelling story line.

Wenlock and Jones’ fourth episode provided some comic relief with its Memebridge-style relatability and recognisable stereotypes. Overall the short was surprisingly professional, considering it came from a larger, ongoing series, testament to the dedication and skill of the cast and crew. It stood alone convincingly and, deservingly, elicited the most laughs of the night.

The final film featured the best actor of the evening Os Leanse in a convincing portrayal of the thespian’s dream man. If Not, Then What? made use of every second, allowing the audience to become invested in the characters and their relationships. Accompanying the skilful cinematography was Kai Konishi-Dukes’ emotive and befitting score. Ideologically the film fell slightly short, devoting most of the screen time to the development of the heterosexual relationship, despite the director’s (Aaron Kilercioglu) claim to depict experiences of the LGBTQ+ community.

Overall the evening, though entertaining and professional, suffered from a sense of exclusivity, exacerbated by Joe Shalom’s incessant in-jokes. The crowd felt mostly made up of the film’s crews and casts, and perhaps the exhibition would have benefitted by the presence of more non-involved students who could have appreciated the shorts for their impressive content, rather than just the recognition of their friends. When combined with the overwhelmingly white casts, it was easy to feel like the films were not made for the enjoyment of the wider, diverse student population, but rather, the elite echelons of the thespian community. This is a shame, considering the genuine quality of the films which were shown; we only wish that more people could have enjoyed the obvious talent that Cambridge has to offer