Close-Up Culture name our 25 favourite short film performances of 2022.
25. Aifang She – Canker
She is great as an influencer trying to live with a troublesome canker sore.
24. Rabea Luthl – Heartbeat
Luthl (who plays Vanja) leads a talented cast in this moving short film.
23. Ade Femzo – Drop Out
Afe Femzo shows why he’s one to watch in this entertaining short.
22. Sukhbat Munkhbaatar – Snow In September
Munkhbaatar plays Davka, a young man who has a life altering interaction with an older woman.
21. Amara Okereke – Jitterbug
Okereke is fantastic as a student on the cusp of realising her dream, only to be hit by some unexpected news.
20. Mucahit Kocak – The Moisture
In this troubling short film, Kocak plays a teacher struggling with a mischievous student.
19. Basel El Rayes and Seif El Rayes – Simo
Simo stars Basel El Rayes and Seif El Rayes as Simo and Emad, two brothers whose competitive rivalry leads to a dangerous situation. Two promising young actors on show.
18. Paula Dinamarca – The Melting Creatures
Nataly (played by the excellent Dinamarca) is visiting her ex lover Leon with her daughter Secreto. Leon is living in a mysterious community hiding from the sun: these reunions will remind Nataly the memory of a toxic and abusive relationship.
17. Irene Casagrande, Anastasia Almo, Sofia Almo – TRIA
Three talented performers lead this striking dystopian drama.
16. Hira Ambrosino – Oyakodon
Ambrosino’s tender performance leads this tale about a Japanese woman who struggles to keep her traditions and her restaurant in a rapidly changing world.
15. Alexis Floyd – Gwafi
Floyd stars in this short about loss and reincarnation.
14. Begoña Suarez – Chords
Begoña Suarez is terrific in the lead role of Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s tense short film.
13. Hervé Lassïnce – Fire At The Lake
Lassïnce is the heartbeat of this emotional drama.
12. Burial Of Life As A Young Girl – Luna Carpiaux
Carpiaux stars as a woman having the worst day of her life: while she is recovering badly from a break-up, she has to go to her sister’s bachelorette party in a ghostly spa in the mountains.
11. Kendra Sow – Please Hold The Line
Sow shines as she captures the anxiety of a young scam call operator who is thrust into a moral dilemma.
10. Chloe Pirrie – Left Over
Pirrie gives a memorable portrayal of Nel, a woman who packs up her late father’s home while simultaneously unpacking memories of their volatile relationship.
9. Notice Me – Angela Wong Carbone as Becky
The amazing Angela Wong Carbone makes this list for the second time! A powerful performer.
8. Antonio Marziale and Cole Doman – Starfuckers
Antonio Marziale and Cole Doman deliver striking performances in this excellent short film.
7. Lay Me By The Shore – Kai Smith
Smith is fantastic playing a high school senior in his final days of school as he comes to terms with his best friend’s passing.
6. Aïssa Maïga, Isabel Sandoval, Manal Issa – Maria Schneider, 1983
Maïga, Sandoval and Issa are riveting as they each recreate a Maria Schneider interview from 1983.
5. Judith Baribeau and Rosalie Fortier – A Shore Away
Baribeau and Fortier deliver gripping performances in Gaëlle Graton’s drama.
4. Not Dark Yet – Nicholas Denton as Luke and Richard Moir
Nicholas Denton ( Luke) and Richard Moir (Russell) give touching performances in this short about an elderly man with a debilitating disease who struggles with his son’s abrupt departure.
3. Asja Nadjar – Swan In The Centre
Nadjar superbly centres this film about a junior consultant who navigates empty hallways in search of clients and salespeople willing to participate in her survey.
2. A Better Half – Chris Stack
Stack is brilliant as a chronically depressed man who wrestles with his past trauma and poor mental health as an outcome of abuse as a young boy.
1. Lena Papaligoura – AirHostess-737
Papaligoura turns in a wildly entertaining performance as a flight attendant who is troubled by a new set of orthodontics.