Award of Merit – “Don’t Come Back” (Australia)

Title: Don’t Come Back
Runtime: 8 min
Country: Australia
Director: Ariyah
Placement: Award of Merit
Competition: September 30, 2017

Synopsis: Ariyah comes home to her partner late one night from some time travelling. She walks in to find that the house is completely empty and abandoned. As she is taken aback by grief and confusion, she suddenly hears a piano playing in the background and opens her eyes to find herself in the middle of a baroque period masquerade ball filled with very unsettling characters. To her mystery, she starts wondering around the house looking for her partner to get some kind of explanation only she keeps getting interrupted by the creepy faces she comes across. Ariyah is determined to get to the bottom of the situation and does not heed the warnings she is receiving until she discovers a truth she wishes she had never tried to find.