Tweet-Tweet is filmmaker Zhanna Bekmambetova's cinematic debut, an exquisitely rendered portrait of the life cycle brought lovingly to life via a largely silent, Pixar-like journey of the tightrope that is, in many ways, the way we live our lives as we toss n' turn, wobble and stride our way through fears and losses, joys and triumphs at times precariously and at times with remarkable boldness. 

Tweet-Tweet has already picked up a handful of festival prizes including a jury mention at Busan International Short Film Festival, the Pulcinella Award at Cartoons on the Bay, Best Short Film at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Prize in the Short Film Category at Tokyo Anime Awards. The film is also a finalist here in Indy for this weekend's inaugural Indy Shorts International Film Festival, the latest fest offering from Heartland Film that recognizes cinematic endeavors under 40 minutes in length. 

While it certainly can't hurt to have an acclaimed producer in your corner like Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch), there's also denying that Tweet-Tweet is a distinct vision and marvelous effort by the up-and-coming Bekmambetova. 

Yuriy Poteenko's lush, extravagant original score helps to give Tweet-Tweet an appropriate grandiosity that builds and sways to and fro as Bekmambetova captures the everyday rhythms of life in a simple yet remarkably poignant and effective way. 

Tweet-Tweet is the kind of film that is best experienced rather than described, yet another transformative animated experience at Indy Shorts in what has to be one of the fest's toughest, most exceptional categories. 

Tweet-Tweet is screening as part of the Finalist Shorts 2 Collection at the following times:

• Friday, July 27th at 4:30pm inside The Toby
• Saturday, July 28th at 3:45pm inside The Toby. 

Both screenings are, of course, inside the festival's host, the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. For more information on Indy Shorts, visit the Indy Shorts website. 

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic