Adeline (newcomer Dylan Chloe Dash) isn't quite great yet, but she's well on her way in Jessica Mendez Siqueiros's Indy Shorts official selection Adeline, The Great, a film created as part of the 2019 AT&T Hello Lab Mentorship Program that is proving to be popular on this year's weird as heck pandemic-influenced festival circuit. 

Written by Jasmine Johnson, Adeline, The Great follows a woke boarding school student, the aforementioned Adeline, who questions her commitment to activism when she finds herself with no friends, countless enemies, and facing some very serious accusations. 

Screening as part of the "School's Out" block of films during the 2020 Indy Shorts, Adeline, The Great has a wonderful vibe and spirit mostly courtesy of Dash's larger-than-life charisma and a wonderfully off-kilter performance by the always spot-on Melora Walters (Magnolia, Boogie Nights) as Ms. Nichols. 

Adeline, The Great has screened at multiple fests prior to its arrival in Indy including Inside Out - Toronto LGBT Film Festival, Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival, Cinequest, and Vail Film Festival. The film was an Audience Pick at Palm Springs Short Fest and picked up the Best Narrative Short prize at Las Cruces Film Festival 2020. 

Supporting players Sarah Targum and Rileigh McDonald are an absolute delight, especially as Adeline's fate takes a detour and she inches herself ever so more closely toward boarding school greatness. With wonderful messages about friendship, activism, and staying true to oneself, this is a memorable short film that absolutely feels like it could easily be a feature film project. 

Alex Schiff's original music is soulful and filled with passion, while D.P. Lara Aqel captures the humor and the heart of this little indie gem. 

For more information on the AT&T Hello Lab Mentorship Program, click on the film's official website linked to in the credits. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic