programme introduction
It is my view, and justly represented by the films in this year's festival, that the short film is more than a cinematic footnote to its younger offshoot the feature film. Indeed the short film provided the very source of experimentation at the birth of cinema in the work of Lumiere and Méliès.
This pioneering spirit of experimentation and adventurous filmmaking continues today whether it’s making work with new technologies or providing filmmakers with a creative space away from the increasingly formulaic constraints of the feature film.
The range of films in this year's programme demonstrates that the short film can surprise, bewilder, delight and provoke (sometimes all at the same time). In a packed five days you can journey through a myriad of lives from around the world and experience an exhilarating mix of styles and cinematic visions.
They may indeed be brief but I can assure you they will also be memorable encounters.
Mark Cosgrove, Creative Director
