NYC Shorts

Three years ago, my friends David and Jamie mentioned over dinner that they were starting a film festival. I remember it well. We were all griping about post film school life when they just came out with it.

Honestly, I thought they were crazy. We were busy trying to get our films out in the world. Why in the world would you want to get in the business of creating a film festival?

Sure they had a great argument. They had seen it for themselves. After creating shorts that won festival awards all over the world, other than our Columbia Grad Showcase, their films had a hard time getting seen in New York.

So instead of griping about it, they did something about it.

What I admire most about this endeavor is that they truly created this festival as a vehicle for artists all over the world to show their work. It is not simply a means for promoting their own work. So far they have not even shown their own films (and you guys are missing out!)

I’ve been a juror for NYC Shorts for all three years of the festival’s existence. I started out doing docs and have changed genres every year (comedies, foreign films). What I am always amazed by are the growing number of entries and the quality of the work.

The selection process is that each juror, 18 in total, watches 25 films. We pick our top three and a smaller jury of three makes the final picks. Some of my friends are jurors and every year at opening night we compare notes to see whose films have made it in -- as if who we are as jurors has anything to do with the films that come our way. One friend and fellow juror has never had a film that she has watched get in. Most years I get one or two.

This year I am coming to the festival like any of you. I have not seen any of the films in this year’s program because none of mine made it in -- thankfully, one of my friend's films did -- and I could not be more excited. All I can think is that if my shorts did not get in, they must have a really, really, exciting batch featured in this year's festival. (Ok, I’ve seen: The Danish Poet, winner of the best animated short at the Academy Awards last year and one of the most moving shorts I’ve ever seen. It’s playing in the children’s lineup and I really recommend it.)

So you should join me at this great festival beginning Wednesday (Oct. 24th) and going until Saturday afternoon. The NYC Shorts crew run a classy night and they are getting more press and bigger each year.

Oh, and one last plug: if you have kids, their children’s afternoon is always well regarded.

(Cross Posted on Engine Feed)