SHORTS COLUMN | Short Film Superstars of 2007
by Kim Adelman (December 19, 2007)
A scene from Jason Schwartzman's "Hotel Chevalier." Image courtesy of Fox Searchlight.
2007 has been a very good year for short film viewers. Not only did the festival circuit deliver another amazing crop of winning films, every exhibition format offered up something remarkable to watch. Two hundred movie theaters nationwide unspooled Paris-themed shorts directed by the Coen Brothers and other A-list directors. Network television debuted a short filmmaking competition during prime time. iTunes allowed almost half a million people to download a Wes Anderson mini-movie for free. And 35 million viewers clicked on Funnyordie.com to see Will Ferrell get upstaged by a two-year old. For those who may have missed these shorts the first time around, here is a round up of the superstars of the past twelve months. On the Festival Circuit ”Everything Will Be Ok” - Animator Don Hertzfeldt is officially working at the top of his game. His previous Academy Award nomination for “Rejected” (2000) served notice that Hertzfeldt was a force to reckon with. Then his latest 17-minute opus was given the grand jury award for best short film at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Those who haven’t had the privilege to see Hertzeldt’s amazing animated saga of one man’s questionable health and welfare can order the DVD from the filmmaker’s website, www.bitterfilms.com. ”Freeheld” - The fact that Cynthia Wade‘s short is 38 minutes long and yet still managed to get such festival play in 2007 is a testament to how gripping a documentary about love, death, and a grassroots fight for justice can be. This look at a plainspoken New Jersey policewoman dying of cancer who wants her same-sex partner to receive her pension benefits is captivating from first moment to last. Having racked up prizes all along the festival circuit, the doc is currently on the short list for Academy Award consideration. Let’s hope we see Ms. Wade in 2008 accepting a trophy on Oscar night. ”Tanghi Argentini” - This Belgium delight from director Guido Thys continues to win praise from both juries and audiences at festivals worldwide. Having first called attention to itself at Clermont-Ferrand with a one-two punch of Audience Award and Best Comedy, the story of a mild-mannered office worker who wants to learn how to dance dominated shortfests all year long. Many will be shocked if “Tanghi Argentini” isn’t one of the names read when the Academy reveals its live action short nominations next month.
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AFI Fest
AFI Fest '09
Chipotle Mexican Grill to Award a Filmmaker $2000, April 4, 2010 during the ECOtainment Awards at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills.
THAT FILMMAKER COULD BE YOU! GOING GREEN FILM FESTIVAL'S motto: REthink. REplenish. REcommit. This is the only festival of its kind to focus exclusively on green filmmaking, from production to content! ALL GENRES ARE WELCOME! Prizes include: $2000 from Chipotle, Hybrid Bikes, Tree Planted in Your Name, Fuji Film, Movie Magic Suite Software, Showbiz Software, Super 8 Production Facilities and much more! Hurry and beat the NOVEMBER 30th deadline! www.GoingGreenFilmFestival.com |
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help a filmmaker win $10,000, watch and rate the shorts at http://www.delta.com/flyinmovies (last year’s winner was Phillip Van’s “High Maintenance” which swept the fest circuit winning many prizes and a student academy award)
also some fun, on the fly shorts at http://www.genart.org/artinmotion (one starring Matthew Lillard)