One of the most oft-overlooked elements of a quality film festival is the pre-feature short.

Programmers work hard selecting the right short to fit in snugly with the main attraction, but by the time the credits roll and everyone is lined up at the bathroom, the quick 15 minute gem seems like a lifetime ago.

I've seen a number of good (and not so good) shorts at this year's Fantastic Fest, but Julien Lecat's Survivor of the Hippocampus, a cleverly staged romp through the working mind, has been the best so far.

Here's a little video of me saying nice things about this little movie, once I realized how much I dug it.

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