Emotions and sensations take hold as a protest begins to turn ugly.

‘Kickoff’ is a film that concentrates itself on pure emotions, the emotions that thrive on collective responses that push civilians towards a common goal, often against a more powerful source. The short is about the sensations taking hold as a protest begins to turn ugly, told from the viewpoint of somebody present.

Alistair Moore originally wrote Kickoff as a short story in 2010. He teamed up with director Zoran Trajkovic to turn it into a film, and by a great twist of fortune, actor Steven Waddington (Sleepy Hollow, Last of the Mohicans, The Sweeney) saw the script, loved it and asked to play the lead. It won the 2013 UK Film Festival’s Best British Short award and made the 2013 London Sundance Short Film Competition top 5. In a nutshell, Kickoff is about the thrill of going into battle.

The way ‘Kickoff’ grabs our attention and displays so much emotion on screen is not groundbreaking, but it’s extremely effective. Director Zoran Trajkovic gets things right when depicting vivid memories, highlighting the little details that often get subconsciously imprinted in our minds. Close ups, blurred and unfocused, might seem unclear, but when pieced together fill out a clearer memory of an instant, bringing out the heightened sensation in an exhilarating moment. Sound also plays a tremendous role in the film and in representing a strong moment in time, effectively slowing time down and amplifying every pin drop.

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