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“The film snuck up on me...there’s no question in my mind which of the nominees is the most emotionally captivating, artistically innovative, and viscerally beautiful.”
— Amid Amidi, Cartoon Brew

: Short Film

The Renter

Jason Carpenter

The Renter tells an autobiographical story of a young boy thrust into the terror of daycare. He finds himself in the care of a ratchety, old lady who rents out rooms to strangers and decapitates chickens for ad-hoc soup. Though the story itself may not be the wildest, it certainly is honest.

Powered by a haunting score from Jeff Shiffman, “The Renter” gets under your skin. The relationships between the characters are fraught with ambiguity, making them feel more authentic than the tidy roles often found in student films. From the animal-like prowling of the old man to the cowering hesitancy of the little boy, each movement of each character imparts dramatic weight, even as it stokes uncertainties about the characters’ motivations.

The Renter screened at more than 100 film festivals worldwide.

: Final Artwork

A Rusty Screen Door, a Bowl of Soup, and an Unruly Tenant.

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“Do yourself a favor: Stop what you’re doing and, for the next 9 minutes devote your attention to The Renter”
— Motionographer