Look within. Then dance it out.

Writer/director Margaret Bialis's absolutely delightful 5-minute animated short Opening Night picked up the Student Choice Award, essentially the Audience Choice Award for a Student Film, at the inaugural Indy Shorts International Film Festival in Indianapolis. 

The BFA student in an animation at DePaul University has crafted a toe tappin' work o' wonder, no small statement coming from a film critic who doesn't even have toes. 

My phantom toes were just tappin' away. 

In the film, a man reflects on the formative conflicts from his past with an abundance of optimism, humor, gratitude and a whole lot of music. 

Seriously folks, just dance it out. 

Opening Night features a stellar ensemble vocal cast working with Bialis's trippy, immensely fun animation and slight yet spot-on dialogue. Bialis is also a composer for the film, pretty much all adding up to the fact that this is one seriously gifted young woman and I can't wait to see what she does next. 

Opening Night is already having quite a bit of success on the film festival circuit with noteworthy appearances at the DePaul University Premiere Film Festival and the upcoming DC Shorts among others. 

The 2018 Indy Shorts has had some amazing animated shorts and Opening Night is right up there among them. Kudos to Indy Shorts audiences for getting this award absolutely correct and recognizing one of the first-year fest's true delights. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic