A Helping Hand

From what I can remember after speaking with Jae, the director, some layers of the film were cut out which then leaves a shallow story. I would like to see the fully cut version in the future to see the difference! Apart from that, everything else was great; cinematography, cast, sound, music and editing.

I think this would've done well in the competition but it also has a good chance at Best DQ Film!

Nice work. Some awesome camera work and subtle acting that draws you in. A quality product

There are some really nice shots in this film, particularly the opening shot with the house and the tree. That said, I got the impression that the emotional beats didn't land as well as they were supposed to, and the film as a whole comes off a little shallow.

Overall technically superb that final shot was very well done but story I found there was a lot missing I assume the younger was autistic of some sort hence why the older brother wanted to get him on a walk in saying could have been stronger if you played more into the kids now days don't get outside enough.

This isn't my first "walking in a forest" movie this year, but this far it's the best looking!
Relatively thin plot.
Reminded me a lot of The Reserve - a city finalist from last year.

Felix, maybe this is the prequel - the origin story of the monster in THE Reserve!

A visually pleasing film but a bit light on story. A "whoops the person is dead" kind of movie, but the way this was revealed was really nice and said something about the relationship of the two characters. Then a bit of time for the audience to think and realise what has happened.

I too wondered if there was an autism aspect to the film.

There was definitely room for more depth to the relationships and more story or something to be revealed.

It's a shame this movie was DQ'd cause you can tell the whole team is pulling their weight. And above all a real master class in compositional cinematography. Everything in frame always feels like it was put there on purpose which is crazy because so much of it is nature. Ka pai

Beautifully shot film. Love to see the range of films on display and people taking on a more serious tone/subject. Felt as if there was more to the story that was left on the cutting room floor? The talent and technical skills in this team is clearly top notch:)

Best looking film from this team by far! Really stunning work and it’s such a shame about the last minute DQ! Personally, I think that if this team went for a lighter tone, like ‘An Evening With’, or ‘Rabid Aunty Jean’ then they could win the city! There's SO MUCH good stuff here, and I want to see this team UNLEASHED!

It's great to see this film getting so much review love. This was by far the most heartbreaking moment during our first watch through. You guys should be SO proud of this work, it's so polished, and in another universe where you had a couple more minutes, it would have been a firery competitor.

THE BEST THING: Incredible cinematography and performances.

THE NEXT THING: Beyond getting the film in on time next year, this is the second year in a row this team has chosen to go light on story, and we'd love to see what you can do when you sink your teeth into something with a thick juicy plot and clear arcs for your characters.

Great camera work and colour grading. Good use of location. I liked the timing on your editing. The slight holding on the frames eg 0:48sec. Carry on into your film for next year. Well done.

Camera work 4/5
Grading and editing 5/5
Story 3/5

Despite his protests, a boy reluctantly goes on a walk with his brother, which leads to fatal consequences.

This film looked so beautiful, and I'm devastated to see that you missed the deadline! The cinematography was absolutely stunning, everything felt clean, tight, and beautifully balanced. The edit was seamless, we just glided through the story effortlessly, all with a beautiful, haunting tone, which hit its mark all throughout, building that sense of reluctance, loneliness, and even a hint of dread foreshadowing what is to come!

My one suggestion for next year would be aligning with what our lovely city managers have already noted, this year's film is a tad light on story, and I would absolutely LOVE to see what this team can do with a stronger storyline. Honestly with this level of technical skill and a tight story you could make city finals next year easily!
Great work team!