There were five nominations in the category. I was able to see them at a campus theater in a nearby town last night. I liked that they showed them all together and at the end of each film they showed the cast/crew as they were sitting around their screens watching the nominations. What a joy.
This blog goes over all five nominations. First, my pick:
Run time: 20 minutes, Release Date: 8 August 2017
IMDB Synopsis: The Silent Child centers around a profoundly deaf four-year old girl named Libby who is born into a middle class family and lives in a world of silence until a caring social worker teaches her the gift of communication.
My thoughts: The kid’s mom is an asshole. A jealous asshole. They did not realize she was deaf until she was three and a half. That is just bullshit. My family realized I was hearing impaired when I was in 6th grade. However, I had one fully functioning ear that compensated. The part about this that I connected most to was that it only takes one teaching professional to reach a child who was living within the barriers of herself, unable to connect (truly) with the outer world.
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Run time: 20 minutes, Release Date: 6 August 2017
IMDB Synopsis: At 2:30AM on August 28, 1955 in the most racially divided state in the country, 64 year-old Mose Wright tries to protect his 14 year-old nephew Emmett Till from two racist killers out for blood. Based on the true story of the 1955 murder of Emmett Louis Till.
My thoughts: This man whistled at a white woman and was executed by the husband. This short was very powerful and ended with the actual footage of Emmet’s uncle from the Freedom Riders who interviewed him. I was so mad at his uncle for not sending him off somewhere if he thought that there would be trouble. I did not understand why he wouldn’t have him sleep at a neighbor’s or something.
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Run time: 13 minutes, Release Date: 26 September 2016
IMDB Synopsis: The delusional patient of a psychiatrist believes he is actually the psychiatrist. As they each attempt to treat each other the session gets out of control.
My thoughts: This was a witty short film about a psychiatrist and a patient who thinks he is a psychiatrist. It is a “who’s on first” type of back and forth. Very cute. The only short that is not based on actual events.
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Run time: 21 minutes, Release Date: 11 March 2017
IMDB Synopsis: Inspired by an actual 911 call placed during a school shooting incident in Atlanta, Georgia.
My thoughts: I felt like the acting was a little choppy. But the shots fired in this made me jump and the people next to me jump as well. This is a timely piece and it is uplifting to see that the kindness of one person to another was enough to deescalate a situation. I know that it is not something that could happen all the time but it is heartening that it happened in this instance.
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Run time: 22 minutes, Release Date: 2017
IMDB Synopsis: For a decade Kenya has been targeted by terrorist attacks of the Al-Shabaab. An atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust between Muslims and Christians is growing. Until in December 2015, Muslim bus passengers showed that solidarity can prevail.
My thoughts: Another inspiring film based on actual events that shows that sometimes the people you hate are the ones that can save you. I would love to see a follow up of what happened to the young girl. However, the teacher, Salah Farrah, who was shot, passed away. The film is dedicated to him.
Thoughts and Ponderances 
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