Hi everyone, Bryan here….

Short films have always held a special place in my heart, because I believe that short films pave the way for amazing talented filmmakers to showcase their work on small budgets to the masses. Sometimes, these filmmakers and their short films move ahead to become feature length films and win Oscars, thus setting the stage for original and fresh filmmaking. It’s a great way to seek out new talent in hopes for a very promising future for film in general in the most unlikely places.

That brings us to a film titled ‘Jesse‘, which is currently making the rounds of the independent film festival circuit around the country and is getting a lot of attention, which it deserves. Shot in the North Texas area by filmmaker Jay Shirtz, ‘Jesse‘ is a very dark drama about someone who must choose one of two paths to go down at a very horrifying time in life. The short film speaks to our most animalistic urges as human beings as our main character decides his course of action. The film is narrated with a haunting quality that will have you questioning what is real and what isn’t, as we see murder, rape, and sex all in the span of a few minutes.

Shirtz takes you down this thrilling road with his organic camera techniques and use of color to throw us off our proverbial path, only to throw in a twist that we don’t see coming, ultimately leaving the “chosen” path to the audience to decide. The performances are top notch and have a visceral quality to them as the direction and cinematography bring a fresh look to the filmmaking world, making Jay Shirtz one filmmaker to watch out for in the future. ‘Jesse‘ is one of those short films that you want to spend two hours with, even if it leaves you sweating on the edge of your seat.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

-Bryan Kluger