Under The Bridge

A young boy befriends a homeless man. This was genuinely beautiful. You don't generally see shorts like this without a New Zealand Film Commission logo at the start, playing before some lovely feature at the NZIFF.

I think maybe Cool Story Bro Film may have gotten bad directions and ended up at the wrong festival, because I'm pretty sure I just watched an NZIFF short. This is a seriously impressive film, both technically and creatively, and boasts a resonant, relevant message rarely seen in a 48 Hour submission. A very endearing take on the "Buddy Film" genre, I'm a big fan. I expect to see this film go all the way.

Clever premise and well directed. The acting was spot on and the cinematography was gorgeous. The ending could've been really sappy, but it wasn't - it was poignant and truthful. Great film!

This was definitely my favourite of the heat. A runaway boy meets up with a homeless man under a bridge and they spend the day together before the boy has to return 'home' It was very well acted, beautifully shot and told a great, and somewhat sad, story. It didn't come across as a film made in 48 hours at all, it was more like something that was funded and produced over a much longer timeframe. Fantastic work and I would be very surprised if it isn't a finalist and probably nominated for a number of awards.

Very cool film, far and away my favourite of the heat. As others have pointed out, this feels like a full on seed funded short film, both in its design and in its story. The acting from the two leads was great, they both felt like real people who wound up hanging out. Nice subtle use of the brazen Wilhelm scream. Only think I would have maybe liked to have seen was the two buddies travel on some kind of small journey together, or achieved some mutually beneficial goal. Then again it's a slice of life, and maybe that's all it needs to be.

One of the most touching and impressive shorts I've seen at 48 Hours in a long, long time. Although the start feels like it's pulled themes from 'Hunt from the Wilderpeople', it manages to shape a witty, unique and engaging piece that isn't scared to tackle current housing issues within Auckland. Congrats on making such a beautiful piece in such a short amount of time.

Another of my favourites from the heat. Beautifully shot. Had substance and poignancy. As above looked very film commission. Very topical too about homelessness. Well acted. Nice aesthetic. Meaningful if a bit familiar. Definitely a stand out.

Definitely one of my favourites from this heat! Good camera work and use of elements

By FAR my favourite film out of all the heats I went to. As a few people have mentioned, 'Under the Bridge' feels like something that was made with more time and money, and that would be found playing at the NZIFF. A beautiful, heartbreaking story that isn't afraid to take on social commentary. I loved it. This team is definitely one I'll be watching out for in years to come.

Make a good film. Make a serious film. Make a 48 Hours film. Typically you only get to choose two of those. This team managed to smash out all three. Is it perfect? Definitely not, however the heart of the film is so ridiculously solid that any flaws are mere irritations rather than complaints. If this was anything other than a 48 Hours film, I would be holding it to task as these guys clearly have the storytelling chops to have fixed those minor problems, but given that this was somehow dreamed up and delivered with such slickness in two days is remarkable. I'd be prepared to put decent money on a national slot and if it took out the top spot I wouldn't be remotely surprised. These guys are ones to watch, inside and out of the competition!

Must admit I shed a bit of a tear on this one. Not often you see an emotional story told well during the 48 hours. I'm a fan.