Shorts You Should See: Part 1

With all the recent activity surrounding short films such as ALIVE IN JOBURG and PANIC ATTACK, and their subsequent deals, the film industry seems to be abuzz about high quality shorts as of late. I plan to try and use this column to highlight shorts that are currently out (on the fest circuit or on youtube) which are particularly good examples of their craft.

First up is SINKHOLE by Eric Scherbarth.

This film has been making the rounds at highly lauded fests such as Telluride and Fantastic Fest this year. I was able to catch this film few weeks ago, while attending the NYC Horror Film Festival and it was the by far the best received short of the night. It went on to win best short film for that particular festival. Here is the synopsis taken from the official site: "A salesman approaches a mysterious landowner with an offer to buy the man’s smoldering abandoned coalmines but finds that there is more at stake than the land."

They shot this film on location in Centralia, PA where an actual coal fire has been burning underground for the past fifty or so years. Having been there myself, I can attest to the eeriness that makes this the perfect locale for a horror short. The story is straightforward and manages to draw you into it's world quickly while scaring you in the process. After viewing this film I can't wait to see more from the creative team behind it. Unfortunately the film is not available for viewing online; but if it is playing at a festival near you, I highly recommend going to check it out.  Go to the website below to learn more about the film and view the teaser trailer:

Sinkhole by Eric Scherbarth