With a score of 4.8 (out of 5), Excuse Me, Miss, Miss, Miss, directed by Filipino filmmaker Sonny Calvento, won the fifth edition of the Locarno Shorts Weeks, the Locarno Film Festival’s off and on-demand event, which revamped its formula this year by making its full selection available throughout the whole month of February.
The recorded data demonstrates the success of the initiative, which engages the Festival’s global community every year: the short films collectively gathered 26,888 views (+54% compared to 2022), involving 11,585 unique users from Switzerland and all over the world.
The Locarno Shorts Weeks Audience Award, offered by Swiss Life, further confirms the Philippines as one of the most lively scenes for independent cinema today. The story of Vangie, a saleswoman who is about to lose her job, crushed by impossible expectations and professional standards, won over the audience with its ability to blend a light comedic touch with the bleakness of a problematic social issue. The director was inspired by the real recollections of a former store clerk, who used humor as a defense weapon to recall her difficult experience. Calvento decided to recreate this apparent contradiction, shaping an irresistible piece of black humor. Originally shown as part of the Open Doors: Shorts section of the Locarno Film Festival in 2021, the film was also the first Filipino short ever selected at Sundance, the US haven of independent film.
If you missed it, we are offering you the chance to watch it in our on-demand screening room, where it will be available again for 24 hours. Join us in celebrating short cinema, and a memorable edition of the Locarno Shorts Weeks.
