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Reviews
Shadow Rising (1996)
Shadow Rising best short film
I saw this film in 1996 at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. It was the only film in the Cal Arts showcase that received a standing ovation, and well deserved. Shadow Rising has a awfully simple plot line, as we journey through the final moments of a creative teen's mind. I like the historical and cultural references that inform audiences about the richness of Southern Africa before British Colonialism, told through a kaleidoscopic collage of Raymond Anthony Edwards's unique cinematic and animation design. The sparkling score adds further depth to that cultural landscape. Edwards shot this film ingeniously, using a broad range of styles. I was blown away to learn that he was responsible for the mixture of animations, sets/backgrounds/character designs, time-lapse/motion-control photography, optical effects etc. Edwards may have been a bit overconfident in using mute actresses without any proficiency in sign language, but for a first film, he takes president over any first-time filmmakers to date. I'm surprised I haven't heard more about this film, until recently it won best short at the DV Awards 2005. I am curious to see what Edwards will come up with next. I imagine with all his experience over the years in the film industry, I would expect nothing less than a comparable brilliancy to Guillermo Del Toro's ''El Labirinto del Fauno'' (or ''Pan's Labyrinth).