The Faeries of Blackheath Woods

An unsettling standout, this lush, epic-looking short (shot on Super 16mm film in Ireland!) shows what happens when a young girl discovers faeries are not the sweet, gentle beings folklore makes them out to be. It manages to create suspense and suck you in, in under five minutes. A great performance from lead actress Katie Keogh and top-notch visual effects top it off. It's not often we see a short that can suck you in that quickly and make you concerned about a character's fate. A self-aware moment at the end momentarily distracts, but it's required viewing for those who want to tell a complete, eerie story in no time flat.

This film opens with an exuberant little girl so focused on her pursuit of what first appears to be a butterfly that she runs through the picnic her parents have laid. Ignoring their warning, she becomes even more determined to follow her prey when she realizes it is a fairy. Farther and farther she plunges into the forest, only to discover that she doesn't live in a fairy tale.

This film's slightly muted colors reminded Arthur Rackham's illustrations , which often depicted fairies. The costuming, which doesn't seem specific to a period or place, fits with the storybook aesthetic of this film. The director's eye for detail allows him to communicate tone shifts to the audience with great subtly. At the opening of the film, it appears to be late summer, early fall, but as Melissa strays farther into the forest the "seasons" change. She finds herself surrounded by bare branches lined by frost. These very light touches transform a simple tale of childish curiosity gone hideously astray into a beautiful and riveting short film.

This was a pretty good short, though I do not understand the rather high score as to me it needed a bit more in areas and it needed less in others. The story could use a bit more development, and at the end there is a scene that seems to be trying to be funny while it should have been trying to creep the viewer out further (basically the bumping into the lens). The film follows a young girl who is chasing a butterfly. As she runs away from the picnic her mom and dad are having she suddenly realizes that she sees a fairy. She is at the edge of the woods and a whole bunch come and turn her this way and that as she giggles. Then she goes further into the woods and soon things take a turn to the horrific. Like I said add a bit more before her running into the forest and perhaps set a few things up and take away that odd bit of comedy and you have a better short. The premise is interesting and the atmosphere is good in this film too. It did not creep me out however, as did a couple of other shorts I have watched recently did. Nothing unexpected happened as you knew pretty much how it was going to turn out. Still, overall it was well done and enjoyable.

I saw this film recently at the Kerry Film Festival in Ireland and was really blown away. Everything in this work feels just right- the direction, the acting, the cinematography, the editing, etc.

In simple terms, it is a chase film...albeit it a gripping, dark and highly attention grabbing one. I know the film has taken away awards at several festivals- including the above mentioned- and the accolades are more than well deserved.

I think this short is a great calling card- small on running time and showcasing loads of ability. It really presents this filmmaker as one who can not only tell a story, but can express said narrative in a compelling and entertaining way- and with a unique eye. I really look forward to seeing this director move on to bigger (feature) projects, as he seems more than fit to be at the proverbial helm.