Beautifully crafted and immensely entertaining, the French production Hors Piste (Off Road) picked up the $1,000 prize for Best Student Film at the 2019 Indy Shorts International Film Festival during the festival's 4-day run this weekend at Newfields in Midtown Indy. Co-written and directed by Leo Brunel, Loris Cavalier, Camille Jalabert, and Oscar Malet, Hors Piste (Off Road) is an animated short about two acclaimed rescue workers who are ready and prepared for their next mission. However, despite their professionalism and fierce determination, everything doesn't go quite as planned. 

The film features a bouncy original soundtrack by Nicolas Peiron and has already also picked up a nomination this year in the Annie Awards for Best Student Film. Relying exclusively on imagery rather than a narrative story with dialogue, Hors Piste (Off Road) is a light-hearted, breezy effort with pristine animation and loads of humor. If you get a chance, definitely check it out. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic