Short Film: End of Shift

The 2020 International Vampire Film and Arts Festival (IVFAF) was, due to the pandemic, virtual. Even better it was free to attend and over the two days showed plenty of films – both features and shorts. The great thing about a virtual festival was I was able to screenshot as I watched and I will be bringing you articles, based on those not covered before on TMtV, over the coming months and the first is Mexican short End of Shift – which actually won the Golden Stake for best short at the festival.

Tony checks his phone

This 2020 short was directed by Telio F Espinoza and comes in just under 15 minutes. It starts with an Uber driver, Tony, dropping his last customer for the evening off. He is just checking his phone when the fare app sounds and a customer, Silvio, appears at the car window. He gets in the car and explains that Michelle (the last customer) booked Tony for him, on her recommendation. Tony explains he was about to go off shift. But Silvio offers him a full day’s takings for the trip and Tony acquiesces. He asks where to and Silvio passes him a folded paper with a printed ‘S’ seal.

bloody and fanged

As they drive and chat Tony puts music on, Chopin’s nocturnes. Silvio comments on this and suggests that Chopin was like an old friend. I rather liked this as Chopin and the vampire genre have a connection all the way back to Count Stenbock’s 1894 story the Sad Story of a Vampire, in which vampire Count Vardalek plays the Nocturnes. Tony takes Silvio to the location and is waiting for him when a man runs to the car, banging on the window and begging for help. He vanishes and Silvio appears, bloodied mouth and fangs.

flashback

Tony panics but suddenly Silvio is in the car. He gives Tony two choices but only spills out number 2. That Tony drive him and receive the money promised plus a bonus. Tony agrees. As the night progresses Silvio explains that, when mortal, a landowner took his daughter and raped and killed her. He fled and was taken in by a man who turned out to be a vampire and turned Silvio, but it was too late to get revenge. Now he seeks out those who would abuse children, be they rich or poor, and punishes them. He just knows who they are and all he has killed that evening fall into that category.

monster with a cause

This was a really interesting short with not only a good storyline but with twists included. The primary one looked at the question of morality, of the vigilante nature of the avenging angel and whether something can be normalised and supported, even assisted, in a short space of time (the story lasts for a night). Tony is played with a range of emotions, whereas Silvio is just plain cool as a cucumber. A good use of music – including, but also beyond, the Chopin – accompanied the short. At the time of writing there is no IMDb page.