In January, documentary vanguard and equality champion Alma Har’el joined us for the first Film of the Month competition of the new year. Read about her career here, including her wonderful two hybrid doc features, her music video work and her time spent establishing gender bias advocacy group Free The Bid. Her poetic words on this month’s three short films in the competition that received the most number of member votes, below.

Girl by Megan K Fox

Alma selected Girl as her winner, Megan K Fox’s inventive, experimental short about a homeless girl. Unique, affecting and memorable, Fox’s short was shot in the vertical format to “make audiences consider the space that these marginalised characters occupy in our society as well as on our screens,” and has certainly achieved that, winning Underwire’s Best Under 25 award, the Women in Film and Television and Lifetime Shorts Competion, and Most Inspiring Project at the Think Big Digital Awards. Alma was similarly impressed and inspired. “It is always a surprising moment that awakens a filmmaker’s faith in the power of moving image when they encounter a film like “Girl”. The small aspect ratio that speaks volumes of the world closing in on this woman and the minimalism of her day somehow work together perfectly to poetically paint a feeling of isolation and the value of grace. Please don’t wait for money and film school. Pick up your phones and find your voice.”

The Arrival by Daniel Montanarini

First runner up was The Arrival, Daniel Montanarini’s subtle, restrained and graceful short film that sees a character play out an internal monologue in one, extended take. Alma was convinced. “What are the little thoughts that go through our head and the mundane actions we take when we have a crucial internal monologue? An elegant one shot that allows us to get into the mind of a woman at a moment that decides life.”

A Girl and Her Gun by Paul Holbrook & Sam Dawe

Second runner up was A Girl and Her Gun, by filmmaking duo Paul Holbrook & Sam Dawe, also known as Skunk Films. “A confident, tongue in British cheek film that captures the drama of childhood in the shadow of abuse through the lens of Sergio Leone.”