Bite-Sized: Food Films to Binge in Under 12 Minutes Flat
Take a break, and indulge in the short & sweet works of independent artists — you might just find your next favorite filmmaker
We’re halfway through June, and the east coast of the United States is experiencing its 10 millionth weekend of rain. Devastating, no doubt, but I happen to know a good percentage of Film Flavor readers will have — at the very least — are in need of some indoor entertainment.
Gather ‘round, grab a beverage, and spend a few moments of your day exploring a selection of delectable short films, all under five minutes in length.
Strawberry!! (2013)
Directed by Siqi Song | Runtime: 24 seconds
I went strawberry-picking in New England last weekend and — for the first time in what felt like years — I tasted a strawberry with actual flavor. (I have exactly zero evidence to back up these claims, but I believe in my heart the XXXL strawberries at the grocery store just don’t slap as hard as the local, pick-your-own farmed berries do.) At any rate, craving an ode to these red fruits, I stumbled upon Siqi Song’s ambrosial work.
One of the most impressive and clever 24-second films in existence. Bon appétit!
Near Death Experience (2016) | The Creatures of Yes
Directed by Jacob Graham and Caleb Graham | Runtime: 4 minutes, 50 seconds
Growing up, I listened to the self-titled debut album by the band The Drums on repeat. A few years ago, I decided to check in and see what they were up to. Imagine my surprise and delight as I read the band’s Wikipedia article, discovering a member left in part to “focus” on his “puppetry.” (Full disclosure, I currently work for a puppet theater!)
Fast-forward to today, and it appears musician and puppeteer Jacob Graham has used his versatile talents to found The Creatures of Yes, a series of puppetry-based programming that marries nostalgic warmth, slow-burn comedy, and amusing social commentary — with a dash of unnerving vibes.
Nothing short of a treat to watch, if Near Death Experience delights you in the least, I highly recommend taking a dive through their body of work available on Youtube.
Honorable Mention: Are You A Chocoholic? by The Creatures of Yes
Wishing Apple (2018)
Directed by Jack Stauber | Runtime: 1 minute, 58 seconds
Why wait for a birthday candle or stray eyelash when you can wish on any apple you dare to bite into?
Perhaps most recognized for his music, musician and animator Jack Stauber presents a perfect blend of his varied talents in Wishing Apple. Presented by Adult Swim Smalls short film program, the short confidently and aptly explores childlike wish-logic, with a slapping song to boot.
99¢ Pizza (2022)
Directed by Lucas Ansel | Runtime: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
Created by RISD graduate and TikTok extraordinaire Lucas Ansel, 99¢ Pizza collected film festival laurels with its delightfully unsettling stop-motion ode to New York’s late-night pizza establishments and the cursed vibes of 14th Street’s slice price hikes. (Say “slice price hikes” five times fast…)
Strawberry Short-Cut (1989)
Directed by Tom Rubnitz | Runtime: 1 minute, 20 seconds
If you’ve never engaged with 1980’s video art, particularly works created by artists hanging around lower Manhattan at the time, I believe Strawberry Short-Cut serves as an accessible and curious introduction.
In this delectable cooking spoof, painter and video artist Tom Rubnitz joins forces with fellow queer artists, employing both drag performances and vibrant late-night television aesthetics to share a dessert “hack” that would have been stitched into oblivion on TikTok (had it been available in 1989.) Feast your eyes on the short, below:
Honorable Mention: Pickle Surprise (1989) (featuring a young RuPaul and Lady Bunny)
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Milk (2024)
Directed by Angel van Cuijlenborg | Runtime: 59 seconds
Loyal Film Flavor readers will be all too familiar with milk’s sinister evocations in cinema, and vertical shorts are no different: Milk is the zoomer take on every boomer’s top concern when a storm hits: getting a glass of milk.
After winning British Film Institute’s Future Film Festival 60 Second Short Film Competition (and being reposted to their TikTok feed), this vertical short exposes how the newest generation of filmmakers is thinking about toying with today’s most ubiquitous aspect ratio.
Every time you hit a button below, a popcorn kernel somewhere pops to perfection.
⬇️ Drop your thoughts on any one of these short & sweet treats, below!
With gratitude,
In Case You Missed It…
p.s. Did you remember to get the bread and milk?
Love these! Is this considered the girl dinner of film?