Written and Directed by Simon Ellis.

Soft is a masterclass in short filmmaking. Centered around a teenage boy, Scott, his father, and a gang of feral hooligans who terrorise both of them, Soft is a film without an ounce of fat on it. The suspense and escalation in the narrative are relentless. This film explores numerous themes at once – masculinity and fear first and foremost – but also social division, paranoia and revenge.

It’s no surprise this film scooped so many awards. Simon Ellis, a believer in short film as a valuable medium in its own right (rather than just a bridge to making feature films) took several years to come up with what he felt was the right script. Everything here is first-class – the acting, the editing, the pace, the timing, the realism, the cinematography (the use of shots filmed through mobile phones is ingenious). Asbo, the leader of the pack of teen thugs, is alarmingly believable as are his baying peers. A shortfilmweb Editor’s pick and a classic, disturbingly memorable piece of short filmmaking.

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