Shivers Film Society’s Turner Stewart takes a look at the local genre short film GRACE that recently screened at this year’s BADASS Film Festival and is on the 70% Dark Genre program for the VIWIFF – which launches Tomorrow! (Tuesday, March 8th at the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver)…

Local filmmaker Karen Nielsen‘s short film Grace concerns a young girl (Jena Skodje) and her dog, Maverick, as they brave the post-apocalyptic wilderness. As they settle in around the campfire for the night, a stranger (Daniel Arnold) comes to them for help and a warm spot next to their fire and gets more than he bargained for.

The film has great costuming and production design which heighten the post-apocalyptic atmosphere of the film, and the best thing I can say about Nielsen’s short is that she wonderfully creates the feeling of a lived-in world. The film’s finale takes an unexpectedly gross turn that emphasizes what it takes to survive in these characters’ world, and in a way the ending resonates with universal themes about the dog-eat-dog society we sometimes find ourselves in.

Grace is one of the many highlights in the “70% Dark” Genre Short Film Program that VIWIFF attendees will not soon forget.

Catch #Grace on Friday March 11th at 4:00 PM at #VIWIFF2016.