The competition:
Ave Maria (B+)
This story of Orthodox Israeli Jews who find themselves stranded after a minor car accident at a nunnery in the West Bank is an entirely amusing and delightful tale, a refreshing case of clashing cultures in a highly temperamental area getting along rather well and providing plenty of entertainment in the process.
Day One (B+)
This short dives right into its intriguing mix of lightheartedness and intensity as an army interpreter in her first day on the job in Afghanistan goes from having to stop to pee after a short walk to having to deliver a bomb-maker’s pregnant wife’s baby. It balances a range of emotions well and tells an involving and complex story.
Everything Will Be Okay (B)
This film about a divorced father acting strange as he begins a weekend with his young daughter is big on the bond between parent and child. As it builds slowly towards an emotionally-charged finish, it conveys character sentiments but doesn’t hit home as dramatically when it comes to its narrative.
Shok (B+)
It’s hard not to like this sweet tale of friendship that takes place in the middle of an ethnic conflict in Kosovo with armed militants roaming the streets. There’s something wonderful about the enduring connection between two young friends that makes this film resonate strongly.
Stutterer (B+)
This film’s title gives away its plot, a heartwarming and enjoyable story about a man with a stutter who struggles to figure out a way to hide his impediment from the woman that he has been chatting with online and who is overcome by the stress of meeting her in person.
Previous winners: The Phone Call, Helium, Cufrew, The Shore, God of Love, The New Tenants, Toyland, The Mozart of Pickpockets, West Bank Story, Six Shooter
Who should win: They’re all pretty good. I would choose “Ave Maria” or “Shok.”
Who will win: Something tells me it will be Day One.
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