The Traverse City Film Festival kicked off this Tuesday, July 25th and reports are that it is amazing, today is Day 3! Below is the ‘daily’ video that talks about two aspects of the festival: food and films about food; and the volunteer experience.
itsashort.com partners with festivals to share significant events, news about the festival or just a genuine honorable mention, just because. We are huge fans of Michael Moore since like the beginning and this festival is a brilliant expression of his vision and that of so many people involved. if you can’t make it this weekend…bookmark it for next year.
Favorite Feature
There’s one film that has special resonance for current and past residents of the City of Detroit: 12th and Clairmont. This film is a kind of documentary about the Detroit Riots in 1967 and the realizations that flowed from that moment in the city’s history.
Finally a great opportunity for short filmmakers! Check out this announcement from The Hollywood Reporter! Its a collaboration between TIFF and Instagram, the launch of a digital short film competition.
For more info and amazing short film, checkout our site: itsashort.com, an online platform for award winning and award nominated short film, video and web series!
The LA Film Festival, ArcLight Cinema and Culver City Studios, short film , wow!
In 1981 band of directors, writers and producers began gathering regularly to share creative ideas and discuss ways to increase resources for independent filmmakers. National recognition quickly followed when the organization took on production of the Independent Spirit Awards in the late 1980s and assumed ownership of the Los Angeles Film Festival in 2000.
So, what do we think? The first few days and the first weekend was great. We left in the middle of the festival, ugh! But not before talking with Lena Waite, Elvis Mitchell one of the heroes of the festival, and @CandyceCayne one of the panelist for the Diversity in Tech weekend discussion. We also filmed an interview with filmmaker Amanda Evans whose feature, Serpent premiered and won the LA Film Festival Night Fall award!
In the spirit, the weekend was movies and an entire weekend devoted to Diversity in Film. We love that the diversity conversation is rich, textured, not just about race but all the isms and told from a wide variety of perspectives. Lots of issues were raised that may or may not occur for everyone but as the discussion flowed…everyone experienced at some point, a moment of ‘aha’.
The short film series was amazing great shorts ranging from The Night Shift to Black America Again – Common. So, the ‘short film’ programming did not disappoint.
The Winners for Short Film were just announced!
Award for Documentary Short Black America Again, directed by Bradford Young
Audience Award for Short Film Swim, directed by Mari Walker
Award for Short Film A Funeral for Lightning, directed by Emily Kai Bock
This Week’s Featured Short Film
Our weekly short is “Animator vs Animation IV” one of our personal favorites directed and animated by Alan Becker. The struggle between a stick figure and its creator, a computer animator. The stick figure, resisting his tormentor, attacks his social life by hacking his Facebook account, traveling onto his iPhone via USB cord, and drawing animations of his own to dismantle the animation interface.
Watch the trailer by clicking on the play button above or watch it full here.
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series, and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
what’s up, good people?! 2017 means resolutions and reinvention. just make sure you stay true to yourself and we’ll do the same. Now let’s get to some short film news.
We here at itsashort.com support the equal and equitable representation of voices not often heard in the film industry. Media outlets such as Film Independent are good at drawing attention to programs that work to pump up the volume to make sure those voices are heard.
One such program is Fox Global Directors Initiative (FDI), dedicated to shining a spotlight on the careers of underrepresented filmmakers. Jessica Sanders was one of 20 women directors in FDI’s first cohort and created a short film to express her feelings about what programs like FDI can do to make Hollywood more inclusive, particularly for women. She’s since shared some thoughts and even made a short film about her experience. Check out her mini documentary below.
This Week’s Short
AJ Briones has a beautifully shot short film in “The Smiling Man,” the story of a little girl facing a purely evil being. This creepy, horror story turns some dark corners, but manages to look wonderfully cinematic while doing it in such a brief span of time. You should not watch with children. In fact, you may need to watch with several adults.
Seriously, people. Silence is used quite well in this piece. Click the link to scare your New Year’s socks off.
Around the Web…
Mark March 21-26 off on your calendar as a “you must be here” moment for the much-anticipated Ann Arbor Film Festival. This program contains a myriad of voices from all over the world in both film as well as other presentations of art. From “Video Bureau: Works from an Archive of Chinese Video Art,” programmed by Ellen Zweig to a screening of works by African-American women artists—these folks understand what ‘inclusive’ means.
The 2017 schedule is soon coming, but in the meantime, you can absolutely check out the films from the previous festivals. In other words, you can support the short film and feature filmmakers by purchasing a DVD with last year’s films along with additional highlights from the festival at large. Click here for more details on how you get your hands on some of the most ground-breaking, experimental short film of the year.
There seems to be a disturbance in the Force. As in, there’s another take on the highly popular universe that provides an alternate perspective on the franchise. This short film garnered a little bit of steam in Los Angeles and Atlanta screenings last year. Follow the link to watch and let us know what you think. Does it rank among your favorite fan films?
Exciting stuff, good people.
Our Mission
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series, and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
what’s up, good people?! 2016 was a great year of short film. let’s be sure to make the new year even better!
Even though Kylie Jenner “gifted” us with a smokey short film starring her and her rapper-boyfriend Tyga, we thought we’d end the year by sharing some beautiful and bright animation about the importance of soul mates. Luke Sanders envisions the future through a neon gaze in his sci-fi short, “The Fisherman.” When a young woman takes the reins of her father’s scientific research, the power of attraction turns everything on its ear. Check out the electric short film below. You’ll be hooked! Get it? You get it.
This Week’s Short
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Toy Story” is the perfect follow up for Raymond Montemayor’s previous (prequel?) “Star Wars: A Toy Story.” In This Week’s Short, a young Star Wars fan forcibly awakens her father’s dark side when she plays with his sacred toys without permission in order to gain his attention. Take a look at this short film to see how it stacks up against the newly-released feature in theaters now. Sure it may not have the same star power (see what we did there?) but we think it’s out of this world.
Click the link to see the toy story from not that long ago in a land that’s actually pretty close.
PS – This fan film was produced for LucasFilms‘ #GoRogue contest. Does this make it canon? Hm…
Around the Web…
Oh, so you’re wondering just how you can kick off the new year with some awesome short film consumption? Allow us to assist you. Slamdance Film Festival gets going January 20-26 in Park City, Utah. If you’re still in the throes of your holiday travel, maybe you can add a stop and swing over to check out the schedule for either the Experimental or the Anarchy short film program. Terms like “anarchy” and “rogue”…a pattern, we sense. (That’s Yoda-speak.)
By the way, the image above is from Houston native, Tommy C. Burns who contributed the image as the official 2017 film festival artwork. Gotta love it.
Keeping with the outer space motif, Ridley Scott is back among the stars with the upcoming Alien: Covenant. An apparent sequel to a prequel (Prometheus), the teaser trailer was released over the holiday and has people up in arms. Without giving away too much, there are some familiar faces and a few tweaks to what we know as common alien imagery that may raise some eyebrows. Based on this sneak peek, can you tell us where you think you’d rank this entry in the series? Maybe you’re interested in making your own fan-centered short film based on this iconic franchise… Here’s the mini-trailer:
Exciting stuff, good people.
Our Mission
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series, and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
what’s up, good people?! don’t let the polar vortex keep you from celebrating A world day of short film!
“X-Story” is the stuff of lore. It’s being described as Akira meets Indiana Jonesby people like the folks atThe Verge. It took two years for animator Vitaliy Shushko and his team to create this masterpiece. And guess what: there’s not even any dialogue. That’s impressive storytelling. The adventure of a Lara Croft video game with the gravitas of a silent film is no small feat.
We can dig it! You can, too. Click the link to peep this masterpiece.
This Week’s Short
“Eve & Steve” is a fun and light webseries written, directed, and produced by Nell Teare and John A. Griffin about a young woman and her gay best friend. It’s billed as the “edgier Will & Grace for the mobile generation.” Would you be able to school your bestie on…ahem…adult matters? In the “Sexting” episode, Eve learns all there is to know about what the pool boy and the pizza delivery boy do behind closed doors.
Click here to watch. Just to be clear, we’ll only link to the webseries, not the pool boy’s videos.
Around the Web…
If you want to celebrate the holidays with short film programs from Down Under, Flickerfest 2017 is kicking off just after the new year. Flickerfest is Australia’s leading Academy® Accredited & BAFTA Recognised Short Film Festival, so it’s the real deal. From indie short film premieres to re-realizing Oscar award nominated and winning short films, you’re bound to find something to love. Click the link to see the complete schedule.
Watch the trailer below to get a glimpse of what’s to come!
Oh, and in case you were interested in a free program honoring World Day of Short Film, we got word from CyprusMail that International Short Film Festival of Cyprus (ISFFC) is having a shindig.
There’ll be food from a team of barbecuers named Serial Grillers and, of course, booze. December 21 at 6pm is when you can attend this event. Market of the Old Town Hall of Nicosia is where. We can hear your eyebrows raising in anticipation. Check out the parent short film festival here.
Exciting stuff, good people.
Our Mission
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series, and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
what’s up, good people?! it’s awards season and time to pay attention to short film in the major festivals.
The Sundance Institute has announced the complete list of 68, (that’s right, sixty-eight) short film titles for the 2017 showcase. The higher numbers are due in part to the debut programming initiative, The New Climate, featuring short films on environmental issues. Variety seems to think next year will be better than ever. We believe them.
Click the link to see the short film lineup for Sundance, which runs January 19 – 29.
This Week’s Short
This Week’s Short is the first installment of a four-part webseries–an original, scripted work that was created, written, and produced by an actual ad agency about the goings on of ad agencies. Comedically speaking, of course.
It’s Austin’s first day in the office and he’s shaking in his pants…so to speak. He and his new partner, Scoot, are handed their first assignment and it’s important that they ‘wow’ the client in Matt Sadowski’s“The Brief.”
Click here to check out this one-of-a-kind marketing strategy about one-of-a-kind marketing strategies.
Around the Web…
If you’re somewhere where the cold of winter is creeping into your bones, you might want to make arrangements to find yourself basking in the sun at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. The schedule runs from January 2 – 16, but important dates start in December, like when tickets are available to the public (December 20). For details on how short films can keep you warm, click here.
Then follow up in the summer months for the Palm Springs International Shortfest. The schedule for the short film fest isn’t available just yet, but mark your calendar for attending some time around June 2017. For a glimpse of what this fest has to offer, check out the 2016 short film award winners.
Fan of Rock & Roll? Yup. Fan of short film? Of course. Well, the two have come together in the best way possible. The song “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, iconized by the song’s release and again by the famous scene in Wayne’s World (click the image above to revisit), has been transformed into an amazingly thoughtful short film by the folks at Corridor Digital and VideoBlocks. The song lyrics were translated into a script and the rest is beautiful music/movie magic. Watch the cinematic storytelling below.
Exciting stuff, good people.
Our Mission
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series, and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
What’s up, good people?! the holidays are here. expect short film news and lots of good cheer.
The season greets us with the gift of Academy Awards updates. According to Good Short Films, the Oscars have whittled their animated short film list down to 10 amazing shorts (from Pixar and the like). 5 finalists will be selected January 24, but click the link to see the current candidates. One selection is the feel-good, VR, 360 Google Spotlight Stories entry, “Pearl.” Watch and explore the interactive video directed by Patrick Osborne below.
This Week’s Short
Entrepreneur Jermaine Lawrence Anderson, founder of I Am A Gentleman Project, is dedicated to developing young men and uplifting communities in need. This Week’s Short highlights “Tis the Season,” an initiative that gives families, such as the White family, a special holiday experience.
Click here for the best example of how to pay it forward.
FirstGlance Short Film Online Contest
Alright, folks. We’re wrapping up this year’s FirstGlance contest. Here are some of the films you can vote for this week:
“Greenish Blues” is the story of three friends who need a little bit of inspiration. Nicholas Brown directs this motivational heist film.
A man is desperate to prove to his son, and the world, he’s had an extraterrestrial encounter in “The Last Abduction.” Frank Perrotto helms this genuinely spooky work of science fiction.
Web series “Miss Beverly Hills Ghost” begins with a choir nerd’s near-death experience that results in a sixth sense. Wendy Graham directs.
“Solitude” is the story of an elderly woman who receives a thoughtful gift from the staff at her local train station. Michael Raso directs this sweet tale.
Director Dan Sunley has a firm grasp on this thriller when a ghost warns of the danger of putting clues together in “Pieces.”
In this cautionary tale of police brutality, two soldiers have a decision to make in director Brandon Wright’s “Red Streets.”
In case you haven’t heard, Ithaca Fantastik Film Festival (now in its 5th year) has announced its 2016 award winners. They’ve even added the Cinema Pur Audience Award. Let’s make sure to give the short film line up some love, too. Check out the short films that were on deck this year and then go ahead and schedule your travel for next year. Ithaca Fantastik is 5 days of films and events, so make sure you have the vacation time.
And traveling is an expensive endeavor, especially if you’re trekking the film festival circuit with the short film you’ve produced. One team has found it difficult to get to the festivals where their short film, “Desperately Seeking Signal,” is in the program. The Tiny Town Media film has been accepted abroad, but filmmakers Tess Marie Garneau, Thom Smalley, and Jenna MacMillan will scrape their pennies together to get to New York for the 21 Islands International Film Festival December 9 – 11. The film is about a 911 operator who develops a kinship with a stranded caller. Get a taste with the clip below.
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series, and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
what’s up, good people?! the holidays are here and short film is the gift that keeps on giving.
We know travel season has begun, so we hope while you’re sitting in a layover city between flights, you can take some time to check out a great short film or three during your downtime. You can start with The Darjeeling Limited director Wes Anderson’s holiday-themed short film, “Come Together.” The uplifting H&M ad stars actorAdrien Brodyas Conductor Ralph on a delayed train, destined to ruin the holiday plans of all of its passengers. But he teams up with his crew to do a little something special for everyone, including one young rider. Click the link to see some short film cheer.
This Week’s Short
Still from “Gift”
‘Tis the season, and what other way to instill the importance of giving than with director Daniel Yam’s short film, “Gift.” A young boy disappointed with the life his father has built for their family is determined to be “better” than his father. When the boy becomes a young man, he finally learns a valuable lesson about hope, happiness, and, of course, giving.
Click here to watch this quiet, yet touching short film on our platform to get you primed for the holidays.
FirstGlance Short Film Online Contest
Alright, folks. We’re rounding third on this year’s FirstGlance contest. Take a look a some of the films you can vote for:
“Or So the Story Goes” is a webseries with a modern take on Hansel and Gretel. The two are bloggers who are willing to go too far for clicks and views. The series is directed by Theresa Labreglio.
In “Say Hello,” two childhood “friends” are reunited as adults when Alexis loses her silver spoon and is forced to bunk with awkward genius, Maggie. The series is produced by Rachel Reyes and directed by Brooke Elliott.
Director Masakatsu Higuchi presents a wonderfully lit, action-packed take on Red Riding Hood in “Wolf of Vengeance.” The witch has done wrong and heads will roll. Literally.
Director Erik Garcia stays with the fairytale theme when two friends must smoke their magic bong at a specific time to get back home from a strange land in “420 Bong Boys.” Yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like: comedy gold (that’s a Rumpelstiltskin joke).
In “Yo Soy Pedro,” a terrible misunderstanding causes a movie shoot to turn into an accidental alien abduction. Wait. What? Yes. You can thank director Jordan Inconstant.
You may remember when we spoke to the Miami Short Film Festival founding executive director, William Vela, to discuss short film and the goals of MsFF. Well, the 2016 festival contest winners are now etched in stone. If you weren’t able to make it to see these award-worthy short films, click here to see who won what and add them to your “must watch” list.
Speaking of “must watch,” there is a lot of conversation around the need for more Asian-American roles in films and television (see Dr. Strange and “Iron Fist“). But in reality, there is plenty of talent to choose from. Film School Shorts filmmakers can attest to it. Check out John Cody Kim’s tale of puppy perseverance during a zombie apocalypse in “Steadfast Stanley.”
Click here to see a playlist of 11 student films showcasing great up-and-coming Asian-American talent. There is also an Asian-Pacific-American focused short film competition sponsored by HBO.
Exciting stuff, good people.
Our Mission
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series, and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
what’s up, good people?! despite the presidential election and veterans day, short film news hasn’t slowed one bit.
Now that everyone is coming up for air after the election, there’s plenty of short film stuff to sink your teeth into.
Best-selling author Wally Lamb‘s digital novel, I’ll Take You There, will be released November 20 as an exclusive app for iPhone and iPad devices. Why does this matter to itsashort.com readers? Svetlana Cvetko is directing “Yours Sincerely, Lois Weber,” a short film that focuses on the silent film pioneer, who is also a pivotal character of Lamb’s novel. Elizabeth Banks will executive produce and star in the short film, proving that folks are stepping behind the camera and using short film as an expansion of their art.
They say laughter is the best medicine. “The Audition” is an easy pill to swallow from director Philece Sampler and producer/actor Rachel Reyes. These two film pharmacists use the comedic imagery of an acting audition to show a young woman, Rachel McMannus, work through her self-doubt as she chases her dreams.
What this short film brings to the (casting) table is a character who isn’t concerned with other candidates as much as her own existence. The enemy lies within. Take a look to see if she Rachel conquers her acting demons. Click here to watch.
FirstGlance Short Online Contest
It’s that time again. Time to choose the best short film submission from the 2016 FirstGlance Short Online Contest.
Still from “Aster and Sidney”
Zombie Apocalypse notwithstanding, “Aster and Sidney” captures the fear of two women surviving the collapse of modern civilization. Director Sean Temple has tensions running high between these two women and their relationship to their situation.
The writer/director team Kyle James Marr and Dean Tatulli concoct a story of four friends who go out for a few drinks, but the bar may not be visible on a normal GPS map. The black and white color scheme makes the plot more eerie.
Are you in the Atlanta, Georgia region? Do you have a healthy appetite for horror, despite Halloween’s distant image in your rearview? Welp, looky here…The Buried Alive Film Festival is right around the corner.
Take advantage of one more chance to see some thrills and some gore from November 16-20. Take a look at the shorts programs and let us know which were the best. Click the link to view the schedule.
And finally, in honor of the men and women who currently and previously served in the United States military, we’d like to acknowledge Veteran’s Day with a short film–“UFO Diary.”This sci-fi, action-comedy follows two World War II Army women as they navigate one of the most curious incidents in history. Take a look at director Jason Apuzzo’s complete short film here.
Our Mission
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series, and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
what’s up, good people?! Short film is an expression of how we view the world. seriously!
It goes without saying, but let’s say it anyway. Just to be sure. You voted. It doesn’t even need to be a question because you good people wouldn’t not vote. Because if you didn’t vote, any complaints would fall on deaf ears, so to speak:
Whew! Now that that’s out of the way, on to short film business.
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, you must watch the Sundance Short Film Challenge film, “Isabelle’s Garden.” Storytelling is a powerful practice that can literally change how we view and interact in the world. Jeffrey Palmer–an Indigenous, Kiowa filmmaker–presents a documentary that shows us how the medium of short film can captivate us and move us to change the world for the better.
Palmer gives us “an uplifting story of a community coming together in reciprocity through the hopes and dreams of a young Choctaw girl and her garden.” Check out the film below:
“Isabelle’s Garden” is one of 9 films from last year’s Challenge showcasing the talents of filmmakers from around the world and their take on how we can combat poverty and hunger. To watch the rest of the films, click here.
This Week’s Short
Still from short film “DNR”
This Week’s Short comes at an apt time considering Election Day and Veteran’s Day occur in the same week in November. “D.N.R.” is a psychological thriller that doesn’t shy away from issues including military PTSD and domestic violence. Dean suspects his wife Ester of infidelity, but discovers the plot is much thicker than he originally thought.
David Martyn Conley pulled out all the stops as director, writer, and lead in this short film to bring you a film dense with tension and suspense. You won’t want to miss this.
November is also a great month for international film festivals. The St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) has a great line up of short films for their shorts competition, from documentaries to animated short films officially sanctioned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In other words, the Oscars. ‘Nuff said.
If you’re in the St. Louis area, get yourself a ticket and let us know which was your favorite short. The festival is currently going and ends November 13.
Yes. Halloween is now over a week behind us, so this will be the final horror related short film news update for a while (at least until the next one). That said, filmgoers who love the Scream franchise will love what Shant Hamassian does with the unconventional horror short film, “Night of the Slasher.” All of the normal tropes are turned on their ear. A talent necessary when covering familiar ground, a la slasher flicks.
But don’t go upstairs to watch this one. Stay on the first floor. With the door open. And a fully-charged phone in hand.
Our Mission
Itsashort.com is a platform for filmmakers and creators the world over. We love the short film genre. Plus, we at itsashort.com want to introduce audiences to award-winning and award-nominated artists who create movies, web series and videos. Check out itsashort.com and subscribe for $2 a month to see the wonderful work of these creatives.
