A wonderful showcase of emerging talent, Cygnet II proves that Western Australian films can be as funny and profound as any big-budget movie. These short films embrace animation, live-action, found-footage and many, many more ways to bring their ideas to life on the screen. Each new film promises something completely different to what you’ve ever seen before, in both the story it’s telling and the way it tells it. Despite the diversity of style and narrative in each film, they all come together as a collection to paint a picture of young Aussies and how they view the world today.

You do have to go into this bearing in mind that it’s a showcase of student and emerging work. Sometimes a vision isn’t executed perfectly, or the film loses control of the narrative in the middle, or the special effects fall short of what you’re used to seeing in the media. Having said that, the vision is one hundred percent there. In each film, you can feel the passion of the people behind it and their determination to bring their story to life. You will laugh, cry and feel shivers run down your spine. These films are bringing something new and genuine into the world. They leave you unsure of what is coming next and delighted with what you discover. They feel real.

Each film is tied together seamlessly by cool, retro intermission slides. However, what really connects these films is their themes: childhood imaginings, existential dread, mundane horror and fear of the unknown. They follow people who experience all kinds of love – for their parents, their freedom, their dreams … even their housemates. If you’re young, if you’re Aussie, if you love film, or even if you’re just curious about what the next generation is thinking and feeling, these films are unmissable.