Moritz And The Woodwose
SYNOPSIS
Moritz is caught between the worlds of life and death. Struggling with the illness of his little brother, he is now drifting away from his family. But when he wanders alone into the nearby forest, he encounters an ancient being who offers him a macabre bargain.
INTO THE WOODS
A dark woodland fairytale of a short film, Moritz und der Waldschrat (Moritz and the Woodwose) sets up a poignant, if expected, story—then turns it into something far more psychological. Writer-director Bryn Chainey weaves the story of Moritz (Kai Oliver Böhne), a young boy who makes a macabre deal with a woodland creature, into a meditation on mortality, innocence, make-believe, and the unknown.
Böhne is excellent in the lead role—innocent yet cruel in the way only children can be. He wears Moritz’s boyish anger like a cloak over sadness and fear. The film’s structure and spare yet poetic dialogue infuse it with a literary quality, but Moritz also exploits the visual splendor of the German forest where it takes place, taking time to establish its environment. Chainey even turns limited resources into a chance for greater mystery: We barely see the monster, but its plea haunts us long after the credits roll.—Anna Weltner, New Times
Financed by Berlin-Brandenburg Medienboard & Kuratorium Junger Deutscher Film
Writer & Director — Bryn Chainey
Producer — Anna Wendt
Cinematographer — Marc Achenbach
Editor — Courtney Teixera
Composer — Ilja Coric
VFX — Morro Images
AWARDS
Best Short Film - San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
Best Short Film - Full Moon Horror & Fantasy Film Festival
Clujshorts Trophy - Clujshorts International Film Festival
Jury Prize - Kontrast Film Festival
Best Film - Video/Film Tage Konstanz
Special Mention of the Youth Jury - Brest European Short Film Festival
Special Mention of the Jury - Granada International Film Festival
Prädikat Wertvoll — Deutsche Filmbewertung
FESTIVAL SELECTIONS
Edinburgh International Film Festival, Scotland
Warsaw International Film Festival, Poland
Hamburg International Short Film Festival, Germany
Durban International Film Festival, South Africa
International Shortfilm Festival Leuven, Belgium
Brest European Short Film Festival, France
KUKI International Children's Film Festival, Germany
Lund International Fantastic Film Festival, Sweden
Full Moon Horror & Fantasy Film Festival, Romania
Heartland Film Festival, USA
Bogota International Short Film Festival, Columbia
Go Short lnternational Short Film Festival, Netherlands
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, USA
Viewfinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, USA
SENE Film, Music & Arts Festival, USA
CMS International Children’s Film Festival, India
Granada International Film Festival, Spain
Filmets Badalona Film Festival, Spain
Leiden Short Film Experience, Netherlands
Film Fest Petaluma, USA
Sunscreen International Film Festival, USA
L'Inconnu Festival, France
European Short Film Festival of Bordeaux, France
New Vision International Film Festival, Ukraine
European Sup' de Courts Film Festival, France
Landshut Short Film Festival, Germany
Cluj Shorts International Short Film Festival, Romania
Shortcutz Berlin, Germany
Kontrast Film Festival Bayreuth, Germany
Meme Pas Peur Film Festival, Saint-Philippe
Boddinale Short Film Festival, Germany
Genrenale Genre Film Festival, Germany
Bamberg Short Film Festival, Germany
Actual Festival Logroño, Spain
Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival, Hong Kong
Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival, India
Unlimited Short Film Festival Köln, Germany
Northern Wave Film Festival, Iceland
Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre Film Festival, Argentina
Video/Film Tage Koblenz, Germany
Düsseldorf Film Festival, Germany
Toamna de Aur Film Festival Chisinau, Moldova
Konstanz Short Film Festival, Germany
Lahore International Children's Film Festival, Pakistan
Weiterstadt Open Air Film Festival, Germany
Berlin Summer Cinema Party, Germany
Alcine Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Oldenburg Short Film Festival, Germany
Cryptshow Film Festival, Spain
Grossman Fantastic Film & Wine Festival, Slovenia
Shorts at Moonlight, Germany
CinemadaMare Film Festival, Italy
Shortynale Short Film Festival, Austria
Down Under Berlin, Germany
ShortVisions International Short Film Festival, China
Hell’s Half Mile Film & Music Festival, USA
Short Film Slam, Germany
Samain du Cinéma Fantastique, France
Chacun Son Court, France