Short Cut Grass

  • David Gašo
  • Feature
  • Comedy
  • 2023
  • 25:53
  • Short length

Synopsis

An early summer evening starts with a game. As one kid counts to three thousand, the others hide in a row of suburban gardens. Meanwhile, a young father spends the evening with someone else’s child, an old man awaits a call that will change his life, and the future of a friendship is threatened. The game ends when mosquitoes start rising from the grass. Short Cut Grass premiered at Oberhausen.

Directors

David Gašo

Born year 2000 in Osijek, Croatia, moved in 2019 to study Film and TV directing in Zagreb. David has directed several short films at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, most notably his awarded short films Laci’s Great Escape (25 FPS 2021 - Green DCP award) and Incendiary, which premiered at the 19th Zagreb Film Festival. His graduate short film Short Cut Grass had its premiere at the 69th Oberhausen Short Film Festival and was later awarded a special jury mention at the 29th Sarajevo Film Festival, as well as the “Vedran Šamanović” award, the highest yearly accolade awarded to an artist who pushed boundaries of film expression in Croatian film, which was announced at the 70th Pula Film Festival. Besides filmmaking efforts, David has several director credits working on TV commercials and music videos, while also running film workshops for youth at the Summer film school in Gunja and Filmska RUNDA festival in Osijek where he is part of the organization board, as well as one of its programme selectors since 2022. As of 2023, he is a member of the Film Director’s Association of Croatia.

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Awards

  • Pula Film Festival – Vedran Šamanović Award 2023
  • Sarajevo Film Festival 2023 – Student Competition – Special Mention 2023
  • Zagreb Film Festival – Checkers – The Golden Pram 2023
  • STIFF Student International Film Festival – Special Mention, Audience Award 2023
  • Oktavijan Award for Best Short and Medium-length Fiction Film 2024
  • Croatian Film Days – Grand Prix; Best Cinematography (Tin Ostrošić); Best Music (Borna Maksan) 2024
  • Filmska revija kazališne akademije (FRKA) – Best Film, Best Cinematography, Audience Award, Best Scenography, Best Sound Design, 2023
  • BiH Looks Around Festival – Best Film 2023
  • Küstendorf Film & Music Festival – Bronze Egg 2024
  • Pančevo Film Festival – Best Short Film 2024

Production contact

Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb

Trg Republike Hrvatske 5, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
T. (centrala): +385 (0)1 48 28 506; +385 (0)1 48 28 507 
dekanat@adu.hr 
www.adu.hr 

Awards

  • Pula Film Festival – Vedran Šamanović Award 2023
  • Sarajevo Film Festival 2023 – Student Competition – Special Mention 2023
  • Zagreb Film Festival – Checkers – The Golden Pram 2023
  • STIFF Student International Film Festival – Special Mention, Audience Award 2023
  • Oktavijan Award for Best Short and Medium-length Fiction Film 2024
  • Croatian Film Days – Grand Prix; Best Cinematography (Tin Ostrošić); Best Music (Borna Maksan) 2024
  • Filmska revija kazališne akademije (FRKA) – Best Film, Best Cinematography, Audience Award, Best Scenography, Best Sound Design, 2023
  • BiH Looks Around Festival – Best Film 2023
  • Küstendorf Film & Music Festival – Bronze Egg 2024
  • Pančevo Film Festival – Best Short Film 2024

Production contact

Academy of Dramatic Art, University of Zagreb

Trg Republike Hrvatske 5, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
T. (centrala): +385 (0)1 48 28 506; +385 (0)1 48 28 507 
dekanat@adu.hr 
www.adu.hr