Eclectic mix of short films playing at Portland festival

PORTLAND, Ore. - The nine short films that make up Shorts II (part of the 35th Northwest Film & Video Festival) have little in common besides their length, pedigree and designation as "Judge’s Selections."  Then again, perhaps that is enough to tie this collection of otherwise wildly diverse shorts together.

With themes ranging from homelessness to random dancing in the streets, each film concentrates on visual expression first and narrative second.  A few shorts, however, dispense of narrative all together, namely "Aboard The Pater Noster" by Daniel Conrad, which shows dancers performing in unusual locales around Prague, and Salise Hughes’ experimental film "The Tourist," which uses “recycled” imagery from Antonioni’s "The Passenger."

Rich storytelling is not completely missing from Shorts II - as seen in the bittersweet and often hilarious "Smile" by Julia Kwan that perfectly captures the tensions of a Chinese family preparing for their family portrait.

Perhaps the most compelling piece, "Little Pleasures," by Jamie Marie Waelchli, shows Ms. Waelchli stuffing nearly 80 pieces of chewing gum into her mouth with not so appetizing results.

You can watch Shorts II at the Portland Art Museum's Whitsell Auditorium Saturday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. Ticket info.

- Alisa Welch is a freelance writer in Portland. Check out her blog here.