Afda 2021 graduation film Where is Mr Adams? gets global recognition

Producer Larise Krishnan and the cast and crew of the film are over the moon with the film's current success, and excited to share all the different accolades the film has gathered.

"As artists and filmmakers, our job is to share our talents with the world through the medium of cinema. We are so grateful that we get to share our work not only on a national scale but internationally as well. The cast and crew of Where is Mr Adams? are happy to share that we have received Official Selections at the Monthly Indie Shorts, First-Time Filmmaker Sessions by Lift-Off Global Network, and more recently the Inaugural Isiphethu International Student Film Festival. We have received a nomination for Best Trailer at The Monthly Film Festival based in Glasgow and two honourable mentions for Best Student Film at the New York International Film Awards as well as the Global Shorts Festival based in Los Angeles. We are also extremely proud to announce that our editor, Ronan Irish, scooped up not one but two awards for Best Short Film Editor at the Onyko Film Awards in Ukraine and at the Istanbul Film Festival," says Larise.

Where is Mr Adams? was first screened at the Afda Graduation Festival in November 2021 and walked away with a host of awards. The film was also rated in the Top 5 films at the festival by renowned film critic Spling. This is what he had to say about the film:

Films like Noises Off starring Michael Caine as a director trying to keep his play of ceaseless calamities on the go have a way of presenting theatre that's difficult to capture on stage. The camera's roving eye takes us behind the scenes, captures more of the panic in close-up expressions, and takes us behind the façade of what should be a series of graceful interludes from the audience's perspective. Seeing what's been swept under the carpet unveils the magic of theatre but like a good blooper reel, winds up the hilarity. This farce style of comedy is the stuff of opening and closing doors, often used in the sitcom Frasier, which translates to some fiasco fun for audiences.

While Where is Mr Adams? is influenced by Birdman, taking an edgier approach to its language, its core is the 'what could possibly go wrong?' approach to theatre as a key character mysteriously vanishes during a live production. Taking place on stage and behind the scenes, a stricken director, stage hands and cast members flounder as they try to fill the gap using improvised bits. Taking place at a real playhouse amplifies the realism of the big night's real drama as people whip themselves into a good froth in trying to locate Mr Adams. Energy is on high in this short film comedy and the madcap performances from Thulani Nzonzo and Jordyn Linklater drive this home as Where is Mr Adams? builds to a crescendo.

Directed by Cameron Murray, the acrobatic emotions are soon brought under control as the film coasts into a calm bay. Moving from the nuttiness and spontaneity of being in the moment, things are brought back into alignment ending on a poignant note with many vivid interpretations on offer from life's philosophy to overarching narratives for our times. While it's not in the same league as The Big Lebowski or The Wolf of Wall Street when it comes to coarse language, the hype-inducing dialogue is liberally peppered with expletives. While this may even be an accurate reflection of the behind-the-scenes atmosphere of any theatre production, it's overuse does become distracting. While this may irk more sensitive viewers, the characters and story's charm, pizzazz and energy is infectious enough to wait on Adams.