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We usually call any film under 40 minutes
a short film, but all short films differ in production quality,
length, style, genre, subject matter, etc.In other words, there
are no precise guidelines for what defines a "short film". The
films presented in a typical program of the Short Shorts Film
Festival range in length 1 to 25 minutes. Our selections include
comedies, dramas, suspense films, animated films, documentaries,experimental
films, and heart-warming films. The common denominator of all
"short films" is that that they express a director's creativity,
energy and style in a very limited time. This intense concentration
of talent is what makes short film such a fascinating and unique
form of entertainment.
A major Hollywood producer is impressed
by a young director's short film. The director gets the phone
call. The director goes to Hollywood for a feature film deal...
So goes the American Dream in the world of Short Films. Just
as painters and photographers rely on their portfolios to showcase
their talent, young film directors usually make short films
not only to express their unique ideas, but also to demonstrate
their filmmaking style and technique. The filmmaking process
can be a grueling ordeal for young filmmakers. Renting camera
equipment, hiring actors and crew or- convincing them to volunteer
their services--and scheduling shoots under the most frugal
time and budget constraints are daunting challenges in themselves.
To endure the experience and come out with a great film is an
admirable feat. But even then a filmmaker's work is not complete.
If the film is going to attract any attention it has to be submitted
to festivals all over the world, to Hollywood agents, and to
film distributors.
Particularly in Hollywood, it is common
knowledge that the next generation of cinema's elite directors
and producers are among the talented short filmmakers of today.
They max out their credit cards, beg and borrow to make a short
in the hope that they might be rewarded by a phone call from
major producer. That's what happened to a USC student named
George Lucas when his short film "THX 1138 4EB" caught attention
in the industry. This year's feature filmmaker, Jane Campion,
winner of Cannes Grand-Prix ("Piano") also started from making
short films. We are delighted to be able to introduce two of
her early films in this year's programs.
The short film is perhaps the perfect
fusion of art and entertainment because filmmakers must satisfy
both callings if their shorts are to serve as portfolios. The
intense competition in the Hollywood film industry drives the
high quality of American short films. Every year more and more
film festivals feature short film programs. Since its first
edition in 1999, the American Short Shorts Film Festival has
served as an outlet for this pure form of entertainment in Japan,
screening shorts at public venues on its national tour and broadcasting
shorts on satellite television. The popularity of short films
is on the rise, and we hope that an ever-growing Japanese audience
will be enchanted with the world of short films.
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