Short film fest has a sinister edge

A killer plastic bat, invisible zombies, a deadly “third wheel” and a revengeful tattooist were just a few of the antagonists in the series of short films at this weekend’s Arthouse Short Film Festival.

RVA Magazine and BGNB Productions presented the two-hour festival at The Byrd Theatre Saturday afternoon. The theater was about three-quarters full, and the audience heartily applauded after each film.

Many of the films seemed to have a dark undertone. They examined topics such as obsession, rape, insanity, rejection and alcoholism.

The arthouse film committee chose the 10 best short films from submissions by local filmmakers to appear in the festival.

Three prizes of $500 each were awarded to the top films. The judges awarded two prizes, and the audience chose the winner of the third.

The Grand Jury prize, the top prize, went to “Duplicity” by Kunitaro Ohi, a VCU senior film major.

The film depicts an atypical “good guy” who falls in love with a girl already in a relationship. When he can’t stand being the third wheel any longer, he kills the girl’s boyfriend.

The boyfriend in the film is played by The Commonwealth Times’ own anaging editor, Gayland Hethcoat.

Best in Show went to “At the River,” directed by Todd Raviotta, a VCU film professor and undergraduate and master’s degree alumnus. A silent black-and-white examination of homosexuality, the film was beautifully and tenderly portrayed, and shot at the James River.

The Audience’s Choice award went to “