A young boy from Charlotte, NC discovers the difference between playing video games and dealing with Real Life turmoil when a family member becomes ill.

Juror comments: Gaming & Life is a moving story that touched my heart in its short 12 minutes. From the onset, I enjoyed seeing the characters portrayed by an adorable African American family at Christmas. As the film progresses so do the conflicts. One is the issue of managing an 11-year-old’s video game hours; the other is a deeper and sadder issue about the cancer diagnosis his mother receives. Despite the sad ending, I enjoyed this short very much.

The story follows Tristan, the youngest boy of a family of four, who receives a new video game from Santa and is super happy about it. But his obsession with video gaming generates a conflict with his parents. That is until his mother becomes ill and he is left with nothing but his gaming to deal with his loss.

The acting is consistently smooth and authentic. I especially like the father/son dynamics, which are balanced, loving, character-building, and emotionally supportive. The plot moves quickly from typical day-to-day family dynamics to a tragic loss. The directorial influence ties the emotional threads together along with the help of thoughtful background music. There are a couple of editing problems; for example, a TV screenshot that is used for transitions restarts itself in the middle of the transition, and a fade jerks an image in another. Otherwise, this short film is beautifully shot and posted.

The point is well made that people are really the most important priority in our lives and there are no substitutes for caring and loving friends and family.

I give Gaming & Life 4 out of 5 and recommend it for ages 12 to 18. Reviewed by Nancy K., KIDS FIRST!