American Short Shorts Film Festival 2000

Those of you who came to last year's American Short Shorts Film Festival know that what sets the short apart from feature film isn't merely its length. As a matter of fact, there really isn't a strict rule that governs the length of a short. Generally, a film that is less than 30 minutes in length is considered a short, but as this year's selection of films shows, a short can be as long as from 37 minutes like the documentary 'The Personals' or as short as 55 seconds like 'Seventeen Seconds to Sophie'. The genres of this year's films are as varied as their lengths. Whether you're interested in comedy, suspense, drama, or animation--we've got it all !



	In order to understand what a short is and how it differs from other formats, one should know why anyone makes a short in the first place. Just as illustrators and photographers build portfolios to showcase their talent, a director makes a short film to showcase his. A short film is a carefully constructed, highly concentrated demonstration of filmmaker's skills and creativity. The director needs no words to describe his work- his film will do all the talking. -Some directors will use their shorts as stepping stones towards success in Hollywood. George Lucas, whose shorts were presented in last year's festival, made his short 'THX 1138 4EB' while still a student at USC's film school. The film caught the attention of Francis Ford Coppola , which led to Lucas's debut in the majors. Other big name directors like Spielberg and Tarantino also made their start in shorts.



	But shorts are not only a proving ground for new talent. A short can be sheer entertainment for entertainment's sake. Or a short can also be a pilot for a long feature. But the short is always an art form made with the greatest of hopes and the smallest of budgets. Some shorts are no less impressive than major Hollywood films. They capture the audience's-attention and tell a moving story in less time than it takes for a feature's opening credits to roll. In America, shorts have always been a popular category in many film festivals. Short film first made waves in Japan last year when American Short Shorts introduced Japanese audiences to the format. This year the festival will bring short film to five cities in Japan. Look out feature film, the short has arrived!