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EDITOR'S PICKP R E S S N O T E S

A meditation on fame, judgement and regret, filmmaker Stella Velon’simmensely impactful short film The Critic journeys into one character'sown sense of self worth through the eyes of a vicious interviewer.Gloriously fierce and packed with substantial emotional heft, The Critic isa short film that benefits from a powerhouse performance. Velon isincredible in this role she wrote and is able to direct herself through awonderful selection of intense and compelling scenes with skill. Thesubtle cracks that start to build up in her character's facade as thequestions become more acutely pointed is fascinating to watch, and theaudience starts to get the feeling that these interview questions may infact be personal accusations lobbied by herself rather than a third partytormentor.The aesthetic is dark and brooding, perfectly complementing the tone ofthe story, with darkly lit scenes and Smyth kept in shadow throughout -adding a degree of menace to his already unlikable character. In the finalthird, music is used to spectacular effect by Asaf Sagiv, creating aphenomenal climax for the viewer as they witness the fallout of Velon'scharacter's inquisition.Stories about Hollywood notoriety and rags-to-riches are ten a penny andoften the characters are so far removed from the audience’s ownenvironment that few of the themes hit home with any real impact.However, in The Critic, the deeply personal approach that Velon takesand the choice to use a single male interviewer makes this a particularlypoignant piece of cinema in the current social climate. Her character'sexperience at the hands of this venomously harsh critic is so entrancing inits brutality and should resonate with a large amount of viewers. Intertwining external pressures with internal angst and guilt, TheCritic is a powerful short film loaded with exceptional dialogueand cinematography (provided by the brilliantly talented AkisKonstantakopoulos). For me, a jaded male critic, I would still saythis is one of the best leading performances of the year so far.Editor-in-ChiefChris Olson[15 MIN | USA | Psychological Drama/Thriller]Written & Directed byProduced byEdited byCinematographerComposerSTELLA VELONJEAN GABRIEL KAUSSIVAN ANDRIJANICAKIS KONSTANTAKOPOULOS ASAF SAGIV with STELLAVELONALANSMYTH

ABOUT"Smyth excels""Velon is incredible"STELLA VELON ALAN SMYTHWorld premiere at the 34th Boston Film Festival and recipient of over 35 awards and nominations (2020 Webby Awards-BestIndividual Performance, First Prize in Amazon Studios' inaugural All Voices Film Festival, Best Director at the 2018 UK Film ReviewAwards, Best Short Film at the 2019 Method Fest, and Grand Jury Prize at the 2019 Queen Palm International Film Festival, as wellas Indie Shorts Mag's Editor's Pick-The Best Of All, From 2018!'), THE CRITIC is the critically-acclaimed directorial debut of actressand writer Stella Velon. Produced by Velon and Jean Gabriel Kauss, the film offers a glimpse into the darker side of fame as astarry-eyed actress, fresh off a major win, embarks on an interview that proves to be a lot more than just that and explores themesof impostor syndrome, drug addiction and the value we place on art.Official trailer

Nominated,Nominated,BEST ACTORBEST ACTORAlan SmythAlan SmythQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALGold AwardGold AwardBEST CINEMATOGRAPHYBEST CINEMATOGRAPHYAkis KonstantakopoulosAkis KonstantakopoulosQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALWon,Won,Bronze AwardBronze AwardBEST EDITINGBEST EDITINGIvan AndrijanicIvan AndrijanicQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALWon,Won,Bronze AwardBronze AwardNominated,Nominated,BEST MUSICBEST MUSICAsaf SagivAsaf SagivQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALGold AwardGold AwardNominated,Nominated,BEST POSTERBEST POSTERSylvère AzoulaiSylvère AzoulaiQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALGold AwardGold AwardBEST DIRECTORBEST DIRECTORStella VelonStella VelonUK FILM REVIEW AWARDSUK FILM REVIEW AWARDSWonWonKINOFILM MANCHESTERKINOFILM MANCHESTERWon,Won,Women in Film AwardWomen in Film AwardQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALWon,Won,Honorable MentionHonorable MentionNominated,Nominated,QUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALGold AwardGold AwardBEST WRITINGBEST WRITINGStella VelonStella VelonHB FILM FESTHB FILM FESTBest StoryBest StoryWon,Won,Nominated,Nominated,BEST ACTRESSBEST ACTRESSStella VelonStella VelonWEBBY AWARDSWEBBY AWARDSBest Individual PerformanceBest Individual PerformanceNominated,Nominated,W3 AWARDSW3 AWARDSWon Gold Award,Won Gold Award,METHOD FEST INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVALMETHOD FEST INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVALBest ActressBest ActressFESTIVAL ANGAELICA X CATALYST CONTENTFESTIVAL ANGAELICA X CATALYST CONTENTWon,Won,Best Breakout PerformanceBest Breakout PerformanceQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALQUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVALWon Gold Award,Won Gold Award,Best Actress - Short FilmBest Actress - Short FilmBest Individual PerformanceBest Individual PerformanceBEST SHORT FILMBEST SHORT FILMAMAZON STUDIOS' ALL VOICES FILM FESTIVAL '19AMAZON STUDIOS' ALL VOICES FILM FESTIVAL '19METHOD FEST INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL '19METHOD FEST INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL '19QUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL '19QUEEN PALM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL '19INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS '19INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS '19WORLDFEST HOUSTON '19WORLDFEST HOUSTON '19SUNSCREEN FILM FESTIVAL '19SUNSCREEN FILM FESTIVAL '19ARPA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL '20ARPA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL '20LONDON INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL '19LONDON INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL '19UK FILM REVIEW AWARDS '18UK FILM REVIEW AWARDS '18BOSTON FILM FESTIVAL '18BOSTON FILM FESTIVAL '18Won,Won,First PrizeFirst PrizeWon,Won,Jury PrizeJury PrizeWon,Won,Honorable MentionHonorable MentionWon,Won,Grand Jury Prize & Best First-time FilmmakerGrand Jury Prize & Best First-time FilmmakerWon,Won,Remi Dramatic OriginalRemi Dramatic OriginalNominated,Nominated,Best Breakout ShortBest Breakout ShortNominated,Nominated,Best Short FilmBest Short FilmNominated,Nominated,Best Short FilmBest Short FilmNominated,Nominated,Best Short FilmBest Short FilmNominated,Nominated,Best Short Film (World premiere)Best Short Film (World premiere)

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"The Critic depicts an artist struggling with herworst critic, and underlying imposter syndrome...it draws viewers in with its intimate portrayal of anactress enduring very pointed critique under thescrutinizing eye of a journalist. Velon’s rawportrayal of the character landed the project aWebby nomination for Best Individual Performancein the Video category."2 of 3

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“quietly fierce, dramatically potent, and heartbreakingly palpable… The Critic is a sublime piece of indie film magic”‘The Critic’ is an absolutely stunning visual and a treatto the cerebral folk and cinephiles alike!...Be it the editing or the direction, there is such consistencyin the way the film is executed from start to finish that it ishard to pick a flaw in it. The editor’s pick this yearsingularly, unabashedly falls for Stella Velon’s ‘TheCritic’, worth every minute of the short!”“ “grabs you from the start… and thenstraps you in on an emotional rollercoaster ride”[Velon] took the world she knew and wasn’t afraid tocall out the aspects that people don’t talk about withbeing an actor. Her triple threat efforts worked outsuccessfully, as The Critic has been praised for itsraw look at the industry and self-criticism. is nearly instantly engaging and a remarkablypoignant story that somehow manages to travel abroad emotional spectrum while delivering acomplete story within its modest 15-minuterunning time.”“writer/director Stella Velon's emotionally involving and thought-provoking short film The Critic… “Deftly capitalizing on a simple premise, with atension-crackling script that is always surprising,topped with a compelling central performance, The Critic showcases a major talent in the world of short film.”Lawrence Bennie“a slick short film, with a look that beliesits low budget and great performances…It feels incredibly sophisticated andmature for a short film. It’s even moreimpressive given the very limitedlocation… The Critic is well written,stunningly shot with a beautifullyobserved performance at its centre.”"Stella Velon's The Critic was namedbest short [at the Method Fest]"Stories about Hollywood notoriety and rags-to-riches are tena penny and often the characters are so far removed from theaudience’s own environment that few of the themes hit homewith any real impact. However, in The Critic, the deeplypersonal approach that Velon takes and the choice to usea single male interviewer makes this a particularlypoignant piece of cinema in the current social climate.”“ “The Critic” is an indie short that,painted in vibrant colors and rife withsymbolism and underlying meaning, is anemotional ride that is immediate andpowerful. The Critic plays out as an intriguinglook at a compelling character,showcasing a dark and daring studyfull of different complexities. This is100% a pure character study thatshares similar narrative threadsfrom previous films, such asWhiplash (2014). Only this time, itaims to break the surface of the starpersona, but its hints are far deeperthan what we see in reality...I recommend watching it at leastthree times for full effect.Sam Edwards “The standout offering of the block isThe Critic… Understanding the formand purpose of a short story is just asimportant as screencraft and The Criticsucceeds on all fronts.”Sophie London TheTheCriticsCriticsLoveLove T H ET H E C R I T I CC R I T I C

TheInternetTheInternetononTHE CRITICTHE CRITIC

"I'M GOING TO WRITE MY THOUGHTS IN GREEK BECAUSE I THINK THAT THIS WAY THEIR MEANING WILL BEMORE PRECISE. I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS SHORT FILM FOR A LONG TIME AND IT BECAME CLEARER ANDCLEARER TO ME THAT THE MOST INTENSE CRITICISM COMES FROM HERSELF... IT TOUCHED ME A LOT BECAUSE I TOO HAVE BEEN THINKING FOR YEARS THAT MY LIFE IS A NEVER-ENDINGTHEATER... LOOKING HAPPY, TELLING ONLY THE GOOD NEWS AND HIDING EVERYTHING BAD THATHAPPENS IN THE HOUSE THAT OUR "PARENTS" FOLLOW. PURE HORROR. BUT THAT HORROR, WHEN IT TAKES THE FORM OF ART, TURNS INTO SOMETHING SUBSTANTIAL. THANK YOU STELLA VELON FOR BRINGING SOME SUBSTANCE TO MY LIFE."@ NEKTARIA K

READ MOREUK Film Reviewhttps://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/post/the-critic-short-filmIndie Shorts Maghttps://www.indieshortsmag.com/reviews/2018/09/stella-velons-the-critic-captures-the-soul-of-an-actressIndie Shorts Mag — Editor's Pickhttps://www.indieshortsmag.com/editorial/2019/01/editors-pick-the-best-of-all-from-2018Film Threathttps://filmthreat.com/reviews/the-critic-2018The Independent Critichttps://theindependentcritic.com/the_criticThe Movie Buffhttp://www.themoviebuff.net/2019/01/the-critic-nrMediumhttps://lbennie.medium.com/when-the-interview-goes-wrong-stella-velons-the-critic-c8cb55ec4f5eIndy Reviewshttps://indyreviews.com/the-critic-short-film-reviewOne Film Fanhttps://onefilmfan.com/short-film-review-the-criticFilm 280https://film280reviews.wordpress.com/2020/06/25/the-critic-2018REVIEWSThe Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/princess-row-wins-audience-award-at-method-fest-1198694The Webby Awardshttps://www.webbyawards.com/news/interview-the-punk-floyd-company-the-criticFilm Dailyhttps://filmdaily.co/indie-film/indie-filmmakers/the-critic-webby-awardsCalifornia Heraldhttps://www.californiaherald.com/newcomer-stella-velon-nominated-for-the-2020-annual-webby-awards-other-celebs-include-emily-hampshire-post-malone-and-trevor-noahAmerican Reporterhttps://www.theamericanreporter.com/stella-velons-star-performance-in-the-critic-recognized-with-a-2020-webby-awards-nominationIndie Activityhttps://www.indieactivity.com/the-critic-stella-velon-debut-an-out-standing-award-winning-filmInspire N Stylehttp://inspirenstyle.com/award-winning-actress-filmmaker-stella-velon-chats-top-binge-worthy-quarantine-filmsFan Carpet + Acting Hourhttps://www.thefancarpet.com/movie_news/the-fan-carpet-actinghours-sophie-london-shares-her-reviews-for-shorts-block-6-at-the-2019-edition-of-the-london-independent-film-festivalUK Film Reviewhttps://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/post/interview-with-composer-asaf-sagivFEATURES & INTERVIEWS

amazon.com/Critic-Stella-Velon/dp/B07SH1GH2Qyoutu.be/99vwLjvknN8punkfloydco.com/the-criticimdb.com/title/tt8314192thecriticfilm.comen.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Critic_(2019_film)letterboxd.com/film/the-critic-2018instagram.com/thecritic.shortfilmSTREAM THE CRITIC ONFIND THE CRITIC ONLINEINQUIRE ABOUT THE FEATURE-LENGTH VERSIONStella Velon stella@punkfloydco.comJean Gabriel Kauss jgk@punkfloydco.com

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