The short documentary block at this year’s Vashon Island Film Festival proved that powerful storytelling doesn’t require a feature-length runtime. Screening Friday morning at the Vashon Theatre, the five films in this program offered distinct perspectives and artistic approaches — […]

The post The Short Documentaries of Vashon Island Film Festival 2025 appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

Arriving on Vashon Island felt like stepping into a film set, where the landscape is a perfect blend of tranquility and creativity. My journey to the Vashon Island Film Festival began with a ferry ride that was more meditative than […]

The post A Journey Through the First Two Days of the Vashon Island Film Festival appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

In celebration of HtN buddies Nathan and David Zellner’s much ballyhooed feature Sasquatch Sunset expanding to many more theaters this Friday, we wanted to do a throwback to their 2011 Sundance short film Sasquatch Birth Journal 2. The film is a […]

The post Zellner Brothers SASQUATCH BIRTH JOURNAL 2 appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

The 2024 Academy Awards take place on Sunday, March 10, and as usual there are 15 nominated short films across three categories: animation, documentary, and live action. As I do every year for Hammer to Nail, I watch all of […]

The post 2024 OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORTS appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

While several great world cinema shorts premiered last week at Sundance including now 2023 Oscar-nominated The Flying Sailor, Sundance captured the American zeitgeist of what it means to survive, and sometimes thrive, in today’s complicated and torn nation. At the […]

The post A SELECTION OF 2023 SUNDANCE SHORTS appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

It can take forever to make a movie. That’s why sometimes movies often seem to drag way behind the issues of the day. So when I heard about the Roe versus Wade Overturn anthology response film Give Me An A, […]

The post A Conversation with Natasha Halevi (GIVE ME AN A) appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

(Check out Jack Schenker’s movie review of Stars at Noon the latest from Claire Denis. The film is in select theaters now as well as on VOD. Seen it? Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.) Claire Denis’ Stars at […]

The post STARS AT NOON appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

In the past, I have reviewed the Oscar-nominated shorts either in one big compilation piece or separately, by category. I missed last year, but now am back with a quick glance at the 15 nominated films. We’ll know by the […]

The post 2022 OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORTS appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

(The runs March 11-20 in glorious Austin, Texas. Check out Melanie Addington’s movie review’s of ten shorts films at South by Southwest. Join the conversation with HtN on our Letterboxd Page.) While features tend to be what is looked at by […]

The post 10 SHORTS AT SXSW ’22 appeared first on Hammer to Nail.

With various styles, Sundance programming in the short film category is sometimes amongst the most exciting. I looked at my top 10 favorites in the shorts competition, with too many great choices to highlight this year. All films are available […]

The post A SELECTION OF 2022 SUNDANCE FILM FEST SHORTS appeared first on Hammer to Nail.