Unexpected Discoveries.
2017 · 2m · USA
Directed by James Mabery, Mark Conlan
Genres: animation, family, fantasy
Tones: contemplative, tender, whimsical
A young man stumbles upon an ordinary flashlight that, when switched on, reveals magical alternate worlds hidden in plain sight. The film is a quiet reminder to stay present to whatever may be just around the corner.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
A flashlight that reveals hidden worlds is basically the most on-the-nose metaphor for 'look closer,' and yet Mabery and Conlan somehow make it work—probably because they had the sense to strip away the sentimentality and let the surreal vignettes do the talking instead of the voiceover.
The film sits comfortably in the lineage of contemplative animation—think Moonlight Mind or Blu's urban poetry—but earns its place through meticulous pacing and the formal precision of each vignette, where the editing rhythm itself becomes the grammar of attention.
The real invention here is treating the flashlight beam as a framing device rather than a gimmick—that decision to keep the light source visible and let it *sculpt* each world rather than simply reveal it transforms a two-minute runtime into something that feels like discovered architecture.
Reviews
A young fellow finds himself stumbling upon an ordinary flashlight that allows him to explore other places. 'Unexpected Discoveries' reminds us to always be present. You never know what is around the corner or what is directly in front of you.
Festivals
- Brooklyn Film Festival 2018
- London Film Awards 2018, Best Animated Short Film
- Los Angeles Animation Festival 2018, Best Art Direction
- Amsterdam International Film Festival 2018, Special Jury Prize
- Paris Short Film Festival 2018, Best Short Short Film Award