GROUP 312 ANNUAL REPORT 2023: A Full Program Review by J.S.

From GROUP 312 ANNUAL REPORT 2023 trailer.

Over the past year, not-for-profit artists’ collective Group 312 Films has gathered their best shorts for their annual report at Chicago Filmmakers. Tune in to see the wacky, poetic, and experimental featured works by Kevin B. Chatham, Johnny Lange, Kelly McGowan, Richard Syska, David Purdie, Brian Klein, and Kevin Ortinau.

The GROUP 312 ANNUAL REPORT 2023 screening is hosted at our Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema.

Saturday, August 26, at 7:00 PM CST.
1326 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago

Trailer for GROUP 312 ANNUAL REPORT 2023.

INCOGNITO by Brian Klein

A very simple and silly film that is solely shots of Chicago where a strange man peeks out from behind an object for a few seconds. That's it, that's the entire movie. It's short, it's goofy, and it's a film that silently asks you not to take it seriously and just have a great time with it.

WHY WEEE by Kevin Ortinau

The majority of WHY WEEE's runtime is taken up by a plant. Sounds like an exaggeration, it's not. As the camera circles the plant and the film's audio gets more layered, the experience of watching it becomes more and more surreal. It's not a film that aims to present a straightforward narrative, but it is one that wants to make you feel something.

WRONG by Kevin B. Chatham

Another film that focuses solely on a plant, WRONG is narrated by on-screen text that is sometimes dark and sometimes abstract and tough to decipher. The ambient music and sound design turns it into a sensory experience that absorbs the audience into its visuals and text.

UNRELEASED by Kevin B. Chatham

UNRELEASED is a deceptive film that presents itself as a behind the scenes documentary but quickly turns into something more. It aims to present a normal situation and quietly twists it into something abnormal, and in doing so, creates a very solid and disturbing psychological horror thriller that is entertaining, dark, and memorable.

INCOGNITO by Kevin B. Chatham

INCOGNITO is the exact opposite of the other identically titled film in the catalogue. It's similarly simple, but it is instead dark, abrasive, and unsettling. Despite it being only three minutes of a out-of-focus man monologuing to the camera, it manages to burrow deep inside the viewer's head and refuses to leave.

NON INTERUM by Johnny Lange

Another film that focuses on a character's monologue and manages to be effectively unsettling in the process. NON INTERUM is bolstered by its filmmaking and selective uses of color, creating a creeping experience that grows on the viewer as it continues further and further.

MEDITATIONS ON MIDDLE AGE by Johnny Lange

Easily the weirdest and most graphic film of the catalogue. MEDITATIONS ON MIDDLE AGE is kind of what it says in its title, but is also a weird, kind of disturbing, and very memorable experience. Lots of weird effects and strange filmmaking in this one, but it comes together in the end.

IN A BOX by Dave Purdie

A ridiculously weird little film that reads as one part music video, one part meme. It's a guy walking around and opening cabinets and various boxes, but it's sped up and there's funny music playing over it the entire time. What you see is what you get.

THIS TIME IT WILL BE DIFFERENT by Kevin B. Chatham

A creepy film that relies on its crossfaded shots and unnerving music to (successfully) draw emotions out of its audience. Memorable, thought-provoking, and deeply disturbing.

INCOGNITO by Richard Syska

Unlike the other two films sharing its titled in the collection, INCOGNITO tells a story with mostly visuals that warns of total nuclear destruction. It's a heavy story to tell, but this film is up to the challenge with its foreboding, archaic visuals and older-sounding audio.

THE GREATEST MOVIE NEVER MADE by Richard Syska

A fake documentary following the career of its director, THE GREATEST MOVIE NEVER MADE is a work of historical fiction that wallows in the absurd. From movies that win a ludicrous amount of academy awards to movies so good they kill people, the director delights in crafting an experience that is as weird and funny as possible, and it's an experience that's hard not to get into.

NEXT TIME IT WILL BE BETTER by Kelly McGowan

A funny and weird stop-motion venture that revels in its creative visuals, NEXT TIME IT WILL BE BETTER is a breath of fresh air amongst the rest of the festival's live action shorts. The sound design, homemade sets, and plot give it a sense of unique humor that can't be found anywhere else amongst that catalogue, and it's a film that marks itself as distinct, even for this collection of very strange films.

METAMORPHOSIS by Kelly McGowan

Another weird and good-humored stop-motion film, with the added benefit of having a live-action cat in it. Even better set design, a simple yet enjoyable story, and some very good animation go with it.

Visit Chicago Filmmakers, Saturday August 26th at 7PM, to catch the screening of GROUP 312 ANNUAL REPORT 2023.

For tickets: www.chicagofilmmakers.org/upcoming-screenings-and-events

A review by J.S., edited by Sofia Migaly.