Among the many feature films, the Champs-Elysées Film Festival also offers us a multitude of short films. French or American, there is something for everyone. JustFocus offers you a small homemade selection of five short films in competition this year.
Beauty Boys : when taking responsibility is a source of pride
Florent Gouëlou, French director, makes us follow for a day the daily life of two young teenagers dreaming of being drag queen. Daring to assume their tastes in front of all the inhabitants at the village show, this choice will unfortunately not please everyone. Beauty Boys is a wonderful short film advocating self-acceptance, mutual aid and differences. Everyone's acting may not be worthy of the greatest, but that's enough to move us. Immersing the viewer in a glittery and increasingly assumed universe, Florant Gouëlou encourages the youngest and the oldest to encourage the new generation to accept themselves, to be proud. And it's mission successful. 
Myzuko : a difficult subject
Half-American, half-Japanese, Mizuko is an animated documentary directed by Kira Dane and Katelyn Rebelo.Juggling between Japan and New York, a Japanese-American woman talks about her experience of voluntary termination of pregnancy. Mixing childhood memories, adult life and Japanese culture, this woman tells us her story sometimes in English, sometimes in Japanese. On a background of watercolor and images filmed on camera, this short film rocks us all along. The softness of the images contrasts with the certain brutality of the story, also softened by the Japanese myths revolving around this famous "mizuko". The story may be somewhat messy at times, but it is no less touching. 
Handheld : an unexpected discovery
Handheld is the story of a little boy discovering for the first time the images of his father. Directed by Pisie Hochheim and Tony Oswald, this short film points to the difficulty of single-parent families. Despite the main subject, it shows how raising a child alone is not always easy, in the same way as having only one parent. Somewhat sad, this short film might have been more interesting if it had been a few minutes longer. Some information is missing, and we end up with questions in our heads. Flats caught up by good acting and a certain coherence in the story. 
Genius Loci: when chaos takes over
Colorful graphics, a story in chaos. Directed by the French Adrien Merigeau, this short film plunges us into the daily life of Reine, a young girl with a foggy mind. Through the tumult of her ideas, we discover what is going on in the head of a young girl with sometimes contradictory emotions. Insecure or even lost, drowned in anger and overflow, Reine touches us in the heart. The drawings are full of colors but soft at the same time, the animations move in all directions, to make us lose our heads. Sometimes a little too fast, the thread of the story tends to tangle, you have to hang on. Despite a frenetic pace, Adrien Merigeau offers us here a little masterpiece that we never tire of seeing again. 
Blaké: a parking lot or a field?
Blaké is a short film by Reunionese Vincent Fontano. Two men, a parking lot, confessions. A debate even. The parking lot is empty and the night promises to be long. The two men then share their dreams, their way of seeing things, of seeing the world. One is young and dreamy, the other older and pessimistic. Dream and reality mix, but it is easy to follow and differentiate between them. Dark tones, a reality sometimes harsher than we imagine, Blaké perfectly reflects the lost hopes and shattered dreams of youth. Surely a little long compared to its content, this short film is no less cruel. 
Obviously, other short films are waiting to be watched! And who knows, maybe some pearls are hiding among them? As a reminder, access to the Champs-Elysées Film Festival is free and accessible to all, you just have to register.
