Writer/Director Eric Bair's 11-minute short film @Social#Connection is a lighthearted dramedy about a couple, played by Gregory Shelby and Holly Maag, whose connection by technology is challenged when there's a massive power outage during one of their dates. Faced with an absence of technology, the two must learn how to actually connect.

@Social#Connection, for better and worse, reminded me quite a bit of the recent Adam Sandler starrer Pixels, a retro-themed look at old school video games come to life. While nothing really comes to life here, Bair has painted a film that takes advantage of technology while having a sort of endearing retro quality about it enhanced by the utilization of black-and-white lensing and a sound mix that is simple yet creative and appropriate.

The film picked up a Platinum Remi at Worldfest Houston and was also an official selection of Action on Film, the latter being one of the indie/grassroots cinema world's premiere fests. Both Shelby and Maag are rather adorable here, embodying both the techno-geeks dependent upon their techno-connections and as a young man and woman who've simply become distracted until there are no more distractions.

It's fun to watch how Bair integrates color into the scenario, an obvious yet effective choice that helps drive home Bair's ultimate vision for the film.

While I'll confess to having grown a bit weary of the film's borderline cutesie sound effects even within the relatively short time range of a nearly 11-minute short, @Social#Connection is a sweet and funny short film that may, at least hopefully, lead you to put down your smart phone and actually look at the person sitting next to you in the room. For more information on the film, visit Bair's official website linked to in the credits.

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic