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Short But Sweet: Embrace the power of the short film.

Screenshot 2017-01-31 08.22.50 copyAs the Academy Awards creep nearer, movie-lovers strive to check off as many films as possible from the list of nominations. But, as easy as it is to convince people to see the latest contender for “Best Picture,” only a small fraction of that audience will choose to watch the Oscar-nominated short films.

It’s not that they’re bad films—they’re specifically chosen as the “best of the best.” But, for some reason, audiences have a hard time swallowing the idea of coming to their local cinema and watching a measly bunch of shorts.

Why? A lot of the time, the problem is over-availability.

“There are too many options,” said Nicholas Mason, founding director of the Manhattan Short Film Festival. “[Younger people] don’t like to leave their beds, so they’ll find a way to see films on the Internet.”

And with YouTube and Facebook videos and the like, there’s plenty of quick, easy content to watch without going to a theater. So, festivals have tried combatting this idea with the simple premise: If you make it exclusive, they will come. But this leads to the opposite problem—under-availability. Many short films are not available online due to distribution clauses as they vie for nominations, and, so largely remain unseen by the public. So, really, the shorts that have been deemed “the best” by various festivals across the world are the ones that no one ends up seeing—except for those steady few who see these hidden gems for what they are.

So what, then, are they? What is the motivation to pay to watch a short film, and what makes it just as wonderful as a feature-length film?

First, a short film is often the way that filmmakers break into the business. Let’s just look at the Oscar shorts as an example. Many filmmakers who won an Academy Award for their short films went on to make feature films that we know and love today. In 2005, Martin McDonagh won for his short, “Six Shooter,” and went on to make great films like “In Bruges” and “Seven Psychopaths.” Andrea Arnold won in 2004 for her short, “Wasp,” and has since made “Fish Tank” and “American Honey.” Anders Thomas Jensen, whose writing work includes films like “After the Wedding” and “Brothers,” won in 1998 for his short, “Election Night.” Heck, Jim Henson was nominated back in 1965 for his short, “Time Piece”—and that was before he was widely known. Short films are a chance for up-and-coming filmmakers to strut their stuff.

But there’s more to it than just the whisperings of the next big auteur. There’s a magic to short films that is unique. In a feature-length film, filmmakers often take two hours to tell a story; you can go out to the lobby and buy popcorn and jump back in without missing too much detail. There’s more room for the filmmakers to focus on the details, but they’re still focusing on that one message. With shorts, it is vital to be succinct and to-the-point.

“I think there’s a directness and an honesty of vision [in] short films,” said Neal Block of Magnolia Pictures, who is in charge of theatrical distribution for the Oscar “Shorts.” “Filmmakers have much less time to make an impact, and, because of that, are compelled to find new ways to do so.”

This is the litmus test for a good storyteller—if you give filmmakers two hours, they can tell a story, no problem. But can they tell that same story in a matter of minutes?

But the real magic is how those few minutes can have such an impact on an audience.

“It’s like the power of a song,” said Mason. “Paul McCartney spoke about John Lennon’s song, ‘Give Peace a Chance,’ as what ended the Vietnam War. People gathered at the White House and sang. Someone wrote a five-minute song, and people marched.”

The same can be said for short films. They don’t take much time to watch, but the good ones leave a lasting impression. They may be short, but boy, can they knock you off your feet.

If you’re looking to see what all the fuss is about, the Oscar-nominated “Shorts” will be playing at Midtown Cinema starting Feb. 10, broken into four chunks: Live Action, Animated and two portions of Documentary shorts. Check it out. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

FEBRUARY SPECIAL EVENTS:

Oscar Winners Series
“Forrest Gump” (1994)
Saturday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m.

“Titanic” (1997)
Saturday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.

“Chicago” (2002) (3rd in the Burg)
Friday, Feb. 17, 9:30 p.m.

“Spotlight” (2015)
Saturday, Feb. 18, 7 p.m.

Dance on Screen

“Swan Lake”
Saturday, Feb. 5, 5 p.m.

Down in Front!

“Trog” (1970)
Friday, Feb. 10, 9:30 p.m.

Faulkner Honda Family Film Series

“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
Saturday, Feb. 11, 12 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 12, 12 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 13, 7 p.m.

National Theatre Live
“Amadeus”
Sunday, Feb. 19, 6 p.m.

Midtown Cinema Oscar Party
Feb. 26
Red carpet at 7 p.m.
Show starts at 8 p.m.

Author: Sammi Leigh Melville

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