From the "On The Scene" Archives:

by Mark Rabinowitz

The 1998 Aspen Shortsfest kicks off this week, unspooling in the mountain resort community from April 1st through April 5th. One of the most respected short film festivals in the world, this year's edition boasts seven world premieres, five North American premieres and three U.S. premieres, not to mention this year's animated short Academy Award winner "Geri's Game" and Oscar nominee, "Redux Riding Hood" by Steve Moore.

Several noteworthy festival veterans will screen at this year's edition, including Elizabeth Schub's award-winning "Cuba 15," David Birdsell's "Phil Touches Flo," Michael Almereyda's award-winning adaptation of the D.H. Lawrence short story "The Rocking Horse Winner" and Amy Talkington's "Second Skin."

New this year is a jury that will screen the films during the fest, rather than beforehand, as in previous years. This year's jury is made up of "Split Screen" producer John Pierson, documentarian Jeffrey Friedman, producer/director Tina DeFeliciantonio and film critic Sheila Benson. Another addition to this year's fest is the program section, "Off Screen," featuring a panel discussion entitled "The Power of the Moving Image: Vision, Tools and Technique." In a prepared statement, festival executive Director Laura Thielen commented that "Whether it's music, dance or the visual arts, exploring the creative process is a significant part of Aspen's cultural legacy. We want to provide a similar forum for ideas for film because the creative spark for inspiration is just as important to us as the making and marketing of a film."

The festival screened over 800 films this year, and selected 56, drawing the lineup from 11 countries, including The United States, England, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria and Scotland.

[For more information about the fest, check out their web site at: www.aspenfilm.org. Tickets for the festival are on sale now, and for more information you can call: 970/920-5770]