Not-So-Short on ShortsFest

April 6th, 2008 at 11:10am DrBill 180

AspenFilm's 17th Annual ShortsFest comes to a close today already. Wasn't really a short week but it was a quick week filled with great variety, creativity, humor and passion when it came to this festival's short Films. This was a more social ShortsFest for me somehow and I think that was a reflection of the nature of the films, i.e. encouraging conversation with friends and strangers and also of AspenFilm's evolving presence and awesome staff. I made some new friends this week, both local and visitors who I hope will return. I managed to work in six of the eight programs in my busy pre-off-season-travel-preparation week. I'll attempt a brief overview here.

Program One started out with three of eight films in that bunch still resonating with me. "It's my turn" from Turkey/Germany still makes me smile. "John & Karen", nails feminine and masculine essence in an animated reconciliation between a Penguin and Polar Bear. "Just one Hour" explores opportunistic tendencies. If approached by a stranger in a cafe with a provocative proposition . . . would you?

Later in Program Two, a local film, "The Last American Ski Bum - Bumps Jackson", made locals feel right at home and proud. In, "Cherries", a British film, schoolboys get an unexpected lesson about compulsory service to their country.

I missed Programs Three & Four on Thursday but had screened, "La Corona", in screening committee and found this Columbian women's prison beauty pageant documentary to be humorous and moving. Filmmakers are going to ever greater heights and take more and more risks in seeking the best way to portray whatever their passion.

Friday's Program Five brought us, "Taua" (War Party), a sensory-rich New Zealand film with a theme of initiation and, "Waves", a Romanian film that presents a challenge, temptation or integrity? Program Six was punctuated with my favorite film from the screening committee experience, "Spider", a double-punch shocker!

ShortsFest began and ended strongly with Program Seven's personal highlight and the most moving film of the festival for me, "Come Back to Sudan", a follow-up to last year's FilmFest documentary, "The Lost Boys." Program Eight's "Life's Hard", Romanian twist on a car-jacking proves that sometimes justice does prevail in perfect irony.

Yes, you would have been inspired, moved or shocked by many if not all of the sixty-some films screened here this week, but unfortunately the commercial market for short films in the US is still at a fledgling stage. If you didn't or don't catch these at a film festival, you probably will miss the privilege. Online access is growing but I think that you need to be very persistent and patient in your search. All the more reason to keep AspenFilm's events on your calendar each year and aspenfilm.org in your browser favorites.

BRAVO AspenFilm for another and perhaps most successful international yet hometown film event and celebration of the art of film!

Coming up, SummerFILMS June 22-August 17, 2008 and AspenFilm's FilmFest September 24-September 28, 2008. For other educational film related endeavors, check out www.aspenfilm.org.

See you at the movies . . .
DrBill

Entry Filed under: Movies, Aspen, Colorado, The West, United Post