We’ve all been there. In a world consumed by techno-holism, we’ve watched busy texters too distracted by their cellphones to avoid walking into street poles. We’ve seen school kids huddled necks down to play video games on handheld devices while the playground equipment remains empty. We might even have been on dates with a person who couldn’t stop taking selfies or talking to their friend on the phone.
That’s exactly where I Phub You picks up. The short film by local filmmakers Justin Kueber and Sam Reid takes that concept and churns it into a love story filled with comedy and tenderness, all in less than ten minutes. Starting on Monday, it’s also going up as a solid contender on Telus’ Storyhive website in a contest for female-directed shorts.
“Phub is a ‘phone snub.’ It’s a millennial word for snubbing someone for your phone,” Kueber explained. “You see it everywhere. People on their phones constantly, not interacting as humans should, face-to-face.”
The film follows a young man on a date with just such a person but circumstances lead him off on a Wizard of Oz-like quest for a better relationship. Since he’s an old school kind of guy, his dream is set in a silent film world.
Director Shannon Hunt brought her theatre background to help the actors elicit that classic silent film feel to it.
“This was her first time directing a film but she brought her theatre experience and really worked with the actors, bringing out those theatrical performances that you’d see in silent film, that style of acting. She did a really good job of it. We tried to make it relatable and we also tried to work within the silent world. If you’re ‘phubbing’ someone on your phone, you’re silent,” Kueber said.
The filmmakers received $10,000 to make the film from the telecommunications company. There were 15 films from Alberta and another 15 from British Columbia that were funded through the Telus program, which also included some guidance from mentors from the National Screen Institute of Canada (NSI).
From Monday to Friday next week, members of the public can vote for their favourite short film by viewing all of the entries on www.storyhive.com. The shorts that get the most votes from each province will be awarded entry into a mentorship program through the NSI as well as passes to the Banff World Media Festival. The two shorts will also get further distribution opportunities on different Telus media platforms.
Kueber said that winning the Alberta contest would really be a boost.
“It would mean the world. It’s just taking that next step in our career.”
