Antlers in the Snow

“An intriguing idea and takes on new virtual technology in order to achieve it…”

Ash, unprepared in the wilderness, searches for the trophy elk he encountered as a child hunting with his father. After finally killing the elk, he realizes that he is lost. As darkness falls, injury forces him to spend the night. Through his struggle, the past and present blend as he finds a lost connection with his father.

This intriguing film from writer/director Riley F Sabo is a surprise to find in the Student Film category, not just because of the high production quality but because of the unique story it sets our hero on. You don’t come across many short films shot in the freezing wilderness, but Sabo and his team manage to pull together and make it work.

The lack of dialogue was an inspired choice as it allows the viewer to really immerse themselves in the environment by listening to the subtle sounds. Our hero Ash played by Carsten Manring seems to give himself completely over to the film as it called for some challenging scenes and conditions to perform in. Props to Manring for not only making it through but also adding a sense of realism and believability in the character.

The cinematography from DOP Ian Nye is simple and effective with some excellent frames that capture the sense of scale and isolation. Rather than going overboard with shot ideas, Nye allows Manring to play with the scene to avoid heavy cutting and letting the film breathe, something that makes you pay more attention. It seemed as though they had some good conditions (albeit cold) to shoot in as the final result is superb and must have had many challenges to film in.

Whether it was by choice or budget related, not including score throughout seemed to work. Instead it let every tiny action from Ash drive the story and focus on the emotion of the performance. Having the rich soundscape of the forest fill the space worked far better than a score which might have become distracting. It’s a bold move but worked wonders.

Outstanding work from Sabo and the team, this was a real find and something we hope continues to gain accolade’s on the festival circuit. Our only feedback is that we wanted more of the story to play out as we were invested…

— APEX Film Awards