The “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” program was jam-packed with nine films that involved transportation.
Justin Burris’ “Winter Leaves” left the audience silent with its vague delivery. A woman breaks down when she temporarily loses her keys as she is attempting to swiftly deliver divorce papers, but the latter factor is not completely clear.
Alison Heather’s “Love On Track” finds two strangers silently bonding over asthma and ultimately dancing on a train platform. Short and sweet.
Aundre Johnson’s goofy “Highway 111” (read my review) dealt with the lighter side of film fests and alien abduction, and came in handy as a teaser for the Palm Springs fest.
Matthew Linnell delivered “Security” with a heavy hand in his story of airport security agents misunderstanding the actions of a mother and son from Iran. Heightened tension and elevated aggravation lead to a tragic accident, though a subtler message would have been more effective.
Edward McGinty’s “Morning Fall” allows a motorcycle accident to slowly unfold, revealing a horrible forgotten detail. The story of confusion and loss was dedicated a victim of Flight 11.
Unfortunately, poor planning presented a comic tale of smuggling forbidden items onto an airplane following one dedicated to a terrorist act. (Admittedly, as the latter was mentioned in the credits, it may not have been recalled when organizing the films.) Christian Filek’s “Occupied” follows a woman on a mission, though all is not what it seems.
Jason Goode’s “The Hitchhiker” follows a man attempting to hitch after attending a folk festival, only to be picked up by an overly paranoid woman. A bit long, but it has its funny moments.
“Tickets Please” (“Boletos Por Favor”) finds Lucas M. Figueroa’s character attempting a getaway on a train, only to be halted by conmen. Creative animation begins and ends the film by zooming towards the locomotive in this funny little flick.
René Sampaio “The Man” (“O Homem”) presents a traffic cop shaking offenders down for bribes. Karma soon nips that idea.