FILM FRENZY

Diana Zermeno in Drawn; James Jelkin in I Don’t Bite (Photos: Drawn, Victorhouse Films; I Don’t Bite, Smart Mouth Productions & Hassell Haus)

By Matt Brunson

Go West, young man (and woman) — that’s the directive suggested by Frightful Shorts by the Shore, a new film festival debuting this month in San Diego.

As an East Coast denizen invited to serve as one of the judges for this fledging fest, I saw enough worthy efforts to wish this event was occurring next to the Atlantic rather than the Pacific. But those who live in Southern California — or those who might be visiting the area on April 26 — should consider checking out this festival dedicated to horror shorts that run between 4 and 25 minutes. A whopping 255 films were submitted, from which only 14 were selected to compete for the top prizes. From that group, five flicks were ultimately deemed winners and will be the quintet screened during the festival.

Here’s a look at the top two winners, followed by mentions of the other three finalists and details on the festival.

I Don’t Bite, written and directed by Andy Hassell and Ben Yannette (Best Horror Short). Perhaps the best compliment one can pay a short film is that the material is rich enough to warrant a feature-length version. That’s certainly the case with I Don’t Bite, which offers a tantalizing taste of a storyline that doesn’t come close to wearing out its welcome. Of course, the world hardly needs another motion picture about a serial killer, but this one provides a bizarre twist. The mass murderer is Dr. Wiley (James Jelkin), a respectable dentist with an unusual fetish: He’s turned on by people’s scars, and seemingly the bigger the better. This would be a harmless enough proclivity were he to confine himself to ogling photos on sexyscars.com, but being both a misogynist and a psychopath, he’s driven to kill women. His latest target is Carla (Piper Lyric Verbrick), an athletic sort he meets at the gym. Her scars, particularly one shaped like a divining rod on her right inner thigh, catch his attention, prompting him to flirt with her. Amazingly, his goofball routine doesn’t drive her away, and they’re soon hitting the NYC streets on their first date. Needless to say, the date night turns deadly after Dr. Wiley tips his hand. With its slick visuals, perfectly picked leads, and hard-charging score, I Don’t Bite works as both a cautionary tale and an effective thriller.

Drawn, written and directed by Ty Clancey (Audience Choice Award, aka First Runner-up). Just as Jessica Rabbit made a declaration that “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way” in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, then Grace, the little girl at the center of this unsettling short, might be tempted to assert that “I’m not bad, I just draw that way.” Indeed, Grace (Diana Zermeno) would seem to be the perfect child, as she loves her father Wyatt (Jesse Garcia), mourns the loss of her mother, and always demonstrates poise and politeness. But give the child a crayon or two, and a measure of insidiousness takes over. That’s a lesson learned the hard way by Mr. Wolcott (Clayne Crawford), an unctuous land speculator pressuring Wyatt into selling his property so a golf course can be built there. But as Wyatt tells Wolcott, he has no intention of selling the land that’s been in his late wife’s family for generations, and he — scratch that, Grace — will also do anything to prevent it from being snatched via eminent domain. Sharp cinematography and deft editing enhance Drawn’s creep factor, but it’s the story that offers the strongest hook, allowing each individual viewer to ascertain if Grace is the ultimate bad seed or merely a naïve and damaged child whose fertile imagination and limited worldview inform her every move.

Other Winners:

Border Hopper, directed by Nico Casavecchia, written by Casavecchia and Mercedes Arturo (Honorable Mention).

The Soul Trader, directed by Susan Dynner, written by Mike Underwood (Honorable Mention).

Break of Dawn, directed by Rich Varville, written by Varville and Jeff M. Zook (Best San Diego Scares).

Frightful Shorts by the Shore will be held 2-4pm Saturday, April 26, at the AMC La Jolla 12, 8657 Villa La Jolla Drive #129, San Diego. The screening will be followed by filmmaker Q&A sessions and a networking event. Tickets cost $24 ($20 through April 11). Go here to purchase tickets or for more information.