Text by Bethany Rex
Short & Sweet is an acclaimed, travelling short-film event series - a unique, international community of film lovers who father for lively events of short films and socialising. This winter Short & Sweet returns to London.
Aesthetica spoke to Jack Robinson, London Coordinator of Short and Sweet, to find out more:
BR: Tell us a bit about Short & Sweet. What's the idea behind it?
JR: Founded by my wonderful friend Julia Stephenson in 2006 Short & Sweet has presented some of the most innovative short films, music videos and animations: old films, new films, from established directors to completely undiscovered talent. The intent is to inspire all who attend, expose the best talent and ultimately celebrate film. From its early incarnation as London’s only weekly short film experience, Short & Sweet now screens to packed houses in London, Toronto, Cape Town and soon in New York City.
BR: What is it that you look for in a short film?
JR: We start off with the general criteria: we don’t screen branded shorts and we prefer films under 15mins. From there on, films that are engaging visually or narratively and have something to say really stand out. We always have an open mind and are often surprised by the amazing work we get sent.
BR: How can filmmakers get their films involved with Short & Sweet?
JR: The best way is to email a viewable link to submit@shortandsweet.tv that will get the work in front of the film editors. We will let you know if your film has been selected for London, Toronto and/or Cape Town, then we will require a high res version of your film that you can upload to our ftp. We have also had some fantastic idents created for us by fans like this one by Big Red Button: http://vimeo.com/35504244 and another gem: http://vimeo.com/26144975. Again if filmmakers want to submit a Short & Sweet ident please see the brief on our website (www.shortandsweet.tv) and submit the finished ident to submit@shortandsweet.tv
BR: You launched in Toronto last year, have you got any plans to take the programme elsewhere?
JR: Short & Sweet Toronto is almost 1 year old and still Toronto's only weekly short film evening! Jordan Crute is doing a brilliant job over there, screening short films from international and local talent every Monday night at No One Writes to the Colonel. We are now running in London, Toronto and hosting a special Valentines Day event in Cape Town at The Dream Factory. Over the next couple of years, our mission is to continue to expand our global community. First stop: New York City! For all the info about our forthcoming events and to join our mailing list go to www.shortandweet.tv
BR: You screen Music Videos and Animation as well, what do you think these different forms offer a viewer?
JR: We screen music videos and short animations as well as live action shorts to offer variety and add balance to a program. Each are quite differed but work together really well. Films are selected to take audiences on a journey: creatively, personally and emotionally. We hope to leave audiences both inspired and awestruck.
BR: Are there any short films at the moment that we should look out for?
JR: There are always fantastic films out there that need to be seen. Come to Short & Sweet every Monday in March to catch our selection! We are once again working with BAFTA and screening some of their official short film selection for 2012. One of the films that our audience absolutely loved from our last series of events in August was Dad’s New Girlfriend by Clay Weiner: http://vimeo.com/23693622
Short & Sweet will take place over 4 consecutive Monday evenings at the Roxy Bar & Screen, winner of the best entertainment pub in the UK. 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th March Only. Doors open 6:30pm, films start 7:30pm. Tickets are £3 and selling fast.
www.wegottickets.com/shortandsweet
www.facebook.com/shortandsweetlondon
@shortandsweetUK
DO YOU MAKE SHORT FILM?
The Aesthetica Short Film (ASFF) 2012 is now open for entries! ASFF is an international film festival hosted by Aesthetica Magazine. We're looking for short films of up to 25 minutes for this year's festival, which takes place in the historic city of York, UK from 8 - 11 November.
Films from across a range of genres and styles will be showcased across 15 iconic locations in the city, and in addition to four days of screenings there will be a series of master classes, workshops and networking opportunities with leading industry figures.
The winner will receive £500 and screenings at a number of other UK festivals among other prizes, and the runner-up will receive £250. A shortlist of finalists will be included on the ASFF sampler DVD, which will be distributed with the December 2012 issue of Aesthetica Magazine. Finalists will also be included in an editorial feature in the magazine.
Entry is £15 and the deadline for submissions is 31 May 2012.
Visit www.asff.co.uk for more information and to submit today, or for the latest ASFF 2012 updates, follow us on Twitter: @asffest
