Best Short Film Winners receive our stunning 11 1/2″ 24K custom gold statuette which is manufactured by R.S. Owens, the same company that manufactured the Oscar for 30 years! All Winners can purchase the award via our online Awards Order Form HERE.
Title: Hold Me Down
Runtime: 3 min
Country: UK
Director: Luna Al Masri
Placement: Award of Excellence + Best Music (Brian Dalton)
Competition: December, 2022
Synopsis: Hold Me Down is a visual and symbolic representation of depression.
The character wakes up and finds himself in a life that is controlled by an impossible to win game of chess against an unknown entity. He is confused, despaired and overwhelmed trying to figure a way out to the point where he starts questioning his sanity. Through Hold Me Down, we show the common feeling in depression that one’s feelings and actions are controlled by something heavy outside of themselves and it is often impossible to even go against.
Within the symbolism, our character’s journey leads him to realise that if he wants to survive then he must change the rules. He chooses not to participate all together. He doesn’t have to keep fighting against his own feelings, he can get the help he needs instead.