The word adorable is what most comes to mind when describing writer/director Genevieve-Clay Smith's 4-minute short film Inclusion Makes the World More Vibrant. It's a word that equally describes young George Holahan-Cantwell's turn as James, a little boy helping his blind mother (Freya Higgins) experience an art gallery in a surprising and unusual way. 

Set to screen this week at Pittsburgh's ReelAbilties Film Festival being held from September 4-11th, Inclusion Makes the World More Vibrant picked up the International Humanitarian Platinum Award at the World Humanitarian Awards and has screened at multiple fests including TIFF Kids International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and St. Louis International Film Festival. It's a short, breezy yet meaningful film that soars on the strength of Holahan-Cantwell's enthusiastic performance and a quieter, more sensitive performance by Freya Higgins as the young mother who may be blind but who sees more than most. 

The film's music by Jonny Higgins is appropriately bouncy and vibrant, while Henry Smith's lensing for the film is wide and enveloping and immersive. The script by Genevieve Clay-Smith takes a simple yet serious message and makes it an awful lot of fun to watch. 

For more information on ReelAbilties Pittsburgh, visit the film festival's website. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic