Each week the folks at Cinema Circus show a series of short films on Wednesday evening at the Chilmark Community center. The films begin at 6 p.m. but the circus — complete with jugglers, face painters, stilt walkers, food and music — gets under way.

The short films are programmed each week around a central theme, introduced in the first film by Professor Projector. This week’s theme is setting and how the filmmaker creates a sense of place.

An advanced screening of the films was arranged with a young cineaste. This week’s reviewer is Emma Bena.

Professor Projector: Setting (Dir. Scott Barrow / U.S.A. / 2013 / 5 min.)

I had to watch this film three times to know what I know about it. At first I thought this film was about the ringmaster’s hat. Then the second time, I thought this film was for five year olds and up. Then the third time I learned a little bit about setting. There is a clown rowing in a boat. The first time she rows she is in real water. The second time she is in pretend water. And the third time she is in a pot and looks like she is in water thanks to something called a green screen. I don’t know what that is. This film is funny because the bacon isn’t cooking in the machine, but Professor Projector and the Ringmaster think it is. I like Mr. Peeps because he told Professor Projector to tell the ringmaster to get them chocolate ice cream with sprinkles.

Love Earth (Dir. Hui-Ching Tseng / Taiwan / 2012 / 3 min.)

This is animation. They make keys, clips, cords, marbles, beans and berries look like they are swimming in sand. There are people talking, but I didn’t understand them. I felt like everything was a myth. Not real. This movie doesn’t tell a story. There are no characters. There are no animals. I didn’t care about the keys and sand on the screen. They were swimming around in the sand. And that’s not real. I didn’t know that happened. Ants or something moving around with berries. I did not learn anything from this film. This is not a good movie. The kids were talking in a different language. I think they were saying faster, faster. But who knows?

How Shammies Guessed (Dir. Edmunds Jansons / Latvia / 2012 / 2 min.)

This film has animation and a real cat. It tells a story about kids finding a red button. But the kids are not really real kids — they are made out of fabric and buttons. They think the button is a pillow or maybe a plate, a tomato or the sun falling from the sky. Then there’s a giant real cat — I don’t know what he was doing in the story. In the end, they realize it is a button, but still pretend it is a steering wheel. This film bothered me. I wouldn’t tell anyone to watch it. It’s not good. It was made in Latvia.

The World of Ulim and Oilut (Dir. Caru Alves de Souza / Brazil / 2011 / 13 min.)

This is live action. There are people in it. A girl gets up and gets dressed. She was sleeping with her mom. Then she ate her breakfast with her sister and then she was alone for the day. But a boy comes over. And they play. They speak but I don’t understand them because they are talking in a different language. The wolf was too scary so I turned it off.

Dot (Dirs. Sumo Science / U.K. / 2010 / 2 min.)

This is pretend. My mom read to me that the movie has a record for the smallest stop motion animation. I don’t know what that means. A girl is running from scary things. Then she gets kind of saved by a bee. She falls off the bee but flowers save her. Then she runs more. Then she goes to sleep. I only cared about the girl. I was happy she was safe in the end.

Big Plans (Dir. Irmgard Walthert / Switzerland / 2011 / 3 min.)

This is animated too. Everything is pretend. A pretend guy with big glasses is trying to make something. There’s a baby. I didn’t really like it. I didn’t care about anything that was happening in the movie.

Couch Potato (Dir. Kora Vanderlip / Canada / 2012 / 3 min.)

This has real people in it. A boy tries to turn a TV on. And it doesn’t work. He looks for batteries. Then he presses the clicker and disappears from his living room and ends up in a field. He disappears again and he’s on a trampoline. Then he’s in a car. Then he is next to a black cat. In the woods. In snow. On a car. Then in his living room. Back home. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like this one.

Shoe (Dir. Qian Shi / U.K. / 2008 / 4 min.)

This is animation because they are not real people. It’s about a girl. She runs through town barefoot in the snow. She brings her dad who is also barefoot boots and hugs him. Then he made her a doll out of a shoe. The girl was pretty, but I didn’t like the movie.

Little Ladybird Wants to Grow Up (Dir. Miha Knific / Slovenia / 2011 / 12 min.)

This is animated. They don’t speak English in this film. So it was hard to understand. I was frustrated watching this. I wanted to turn it off, but I didn’t.

What’s in Store? (Dirs. First Light Movies / U.K. / 2008 / 5 min.)

It’s live action and animation. There are mops. I like mopping. Not sure where the film is — in a house, at a school or a hotel or an apartment. Then it gets animated. Cleaning supplies move around. I don’t know what they are trying to tell us. There isn’t really a story. It might just be silly to be silly. But it didn’t make me laugh. Or even smile. I actually did like this one.

The Review on the Reviewer

Name: Emma Bena
Age: 5
School: Vineyard Montessori School. Kindergarten in the fall.
Pets: Stevie, a dog; Sprinkle, a guinea pig.
Something new you are learning: How to do a cartwheel and how to flip over in a handstand.
New place you would like to explore: The new library that they are building in West Tisbury.
New food you recently tried: Collard greens and I liked them.
Favorite thing about Martha’s Vineyard: Alley’s.
What do you want to do/be when you grow up: I think I want to be a cheerleader.
Anything else you want us to know about you: I love Spanish.