Kicking off the Halloween season for us at 540 Feet this year is the cleverly twisted short film Cursed. A graduation short by Merel van den Broek and Nicole Derksen, who both attended the University of the Arts Utrecht in 2014, Cursed is a retelling of the classic damsel-in-distress /villainess/handsome prince conflict, but told from the point of view of the villainess.
Using a classic Disney-esque design, Broek and Dereksen delve into what happens when an evil villainess finds her damsel-distressing plans interrupted by a handsome prince, with whom she (inconveniently) falls in love. This is a great story, made all the better by how faithfully the beginning recreates the fairytale genre only to turn it on it’s head. I like the girl-power ending as well (I always knew those Princes Charming were rogues at heart). A good short and a great inspiration for a badass witch to emulate this Halloween.
540 Feet 