Bizarro World, A Short Film Series
2023 · 8m · USA
Directed by Jonathan Salmon, Abdi Ibrahim
Tones: darkly comic, humorous, surreal
A comedic, surreal anthology of four unrelated short vignettes filmed in Los Angeles, each examining absurd interpersonal exchanges driven by materialistic and superficial social motivations. The series originated as a satiric writing exercise inspired by bizarre real behavior the filmmakers witnessed in LA.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Four LA sketches in single-take slow-zooms, made by people who watched too much Portlandia. Anthology of 'wasn't LA wild today' bits — pass.
Salmon and Ibrahim impose a single formal constraint — one-take slow zoom from wide to close-up — across four otherwise unrelated LA vignettes. A reasonable conceit, though the satiric register is well-trodden territory.
Each vignette in a single continuous take with a slow zoom from wide to close-up — that's a shared formal constraint connecting four otherwise unrelated sketches, which is a smart binding device for anthology comedy. Cast (Jak Knight, Zack Fox, Mekki Leeper) brings real LA comedy chops.
Reviews
A collection of quirky, funny skits that gives us laughs and uncomfortable squeamishness in spades.
Absurd exchanges of entertaining and engaging intensity — the filmmakers make viewers think twice about the simple things we brush off as comedic.
Festivals
- Palm Springs ShortFest 2023
- Kortfilmfestival Leuven 2023