Short Film Series at Garden Cinemas in Norwalk

A short film series called Short Cuts kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Garden Cinemas in Norwalk  

October 17 Featured films 
• “Shaking Tokyo,” (2008) directed by South Korean film director and screenwriter Bong Joon-ho

• “14e Arrondissement," (2006) filmed in Paris by acclaimed director Alexander Payne 

• "Un Ballo in Maschera" (1987) directed by Nicolas Roeg. 

The films, which are international in flavor, will air at 7:30 p.m. with dessert and coffee served at 7 p.m. Popcorn is also included with admission. A post-show discussion will be led by Fairfield resident Drew Taylor, who is the features editor, critic and columnist for The Playlist/Indiewire and a frequent contributor to Moviefone, NBC Universal, MTV, and the New School Free Press.

Shaking Tokyo
The featured film for October is the 35-minute “Shaking Tokyo,” (2008).  This powerful film combines serious subject matter with black humor, forming an emotional roller coaster ride through the eyes of a young Japanese adult with "hikkomori" (agoraphobia), a growing affliction in current Japanese society.

The film is directed by South Korean film director and screenwriter Bong Joon-ho, who is known for moving beyond a genre's usual boundaries. Though he displays a fascination for strong subject matter, at the same time, his films are filled with (often black) humor and sudden mood shifts, making for an emotional roller coaster ride.

14e Arrondissement
Also on the roster is “14e Arrondissement," (2006) filmed in Paris by acclaimed director Alexander Payne. In less than seven minutes, Payne tells the warm and wistful story a Denver mail courier’s trip to The City of Lights. Payne’s commercial successes include directing “About Schmidt,” “Election,” “The Descendants” and “Sideways.”

Un Ballo in Maschera
The third film, "Un Ballo in Maschera" is an appropriately operatic take on the real-life assassination attempt on King Zog of Albania, who was attacked while leaving the theater, shot back at his would-be killers and ended up surviving the ordeal.

This piece, by British filmmaker Nicolas Roeg (of "Don't Look Now" and "Walkabout" fame), is a musical tour de force that is gripping and strange (A major scene in this short film features Roeg's wife, Theresa Russell, dressed in drag.)

Tickets may be purchased online at www.jibproductions.org or by calling the Box Office at 203-293-8831. 

JIB Productions launched Short Cuts in 2009 as a way to showcase short films that are rarely seen by the general public.  

The second night of the series is Thursday, Nov. 7. from 7:00-9:00 p.m.