Best Documentary Short – “Dark Matter” (Australia)

Title: Dark Matter
Runtime: 10 min
Country: Australia
Director: Leo Berkeley
Placement: Best Short Film + Best Editing (Ptolemy Culvenor)
Competition: September, 2024

Synopsis: Dark Matter is a short essay film and the first film in 8 years from Leo Berkeley, a Melbourne independent filmmaker for over 40 years. Now in the later stages of MS (Multiple Sclerosis), Leo is wheelchair-bound and spends his days staring out the window of his apartment. The film shows him reflecting on topics from fake grass and cigarette butts to disability and quantum mechanics.