I’ve been having a lot of fun watching the short-films showcase and competition. I really didn’t know what to expect when we first called for entries. Would there be enough of them? Would they be any good? The good news is that the answers to these questions are yes and yes. There are plenty of shorts—25 in all—and plenty that make for good viewing. And don’t worry—if one doesn’t please, they’re all under 5 minutes!

The bad news? Well, there is none, except that only one filmmaker can take home the $1,000 prize. Also,  the two-week run ends on Friday.

My latest viewing: “The Original Face,” inspired by the famous Zen koan, What did your face look like before your parents were born?, or often, Show me your original face.

Filmed and edited by Conor Prevenzano, this short is yet another visually arresting entry, described by Provenzano as an “experimental vision of self-knowledge” in which “a young man cleans the mirror of his mind, showing him that his true face can be seen in everything he sees.As a die-hard sci-fi fan, I have to add that the latter half of the soundtrack reminded me of a flying saucer about to land in a ’50s sci-fi flick—the floating disks of light also help set the mood. Or maybe it had more the feel of a long since buried video from Lost‘s Dharma Project. Those, by the way, are compliments—I’m a fan.

After you have a look, make sure to cast your vote! Next, view the competition.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR “THE ORIGINAL FACE.”

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