Short films... in the mail

Over the last year or so, I've been reading about, watching, and making short films. I once thought the short film was akin to a sketch, a study leading to a larger finished film - which was to be viewed in the context of a larger body of work.

My impression of the short film has changed.

Alas, I have sadly overlooked many wonderful filmmakers/ artists/ and films due to the generally less seen and less screened work which is usually difficult for theaters, even small art-house establishments, to book. Most short films are exhibited within a programmed group of films - and are extremely short run in any one location. Count yourself lucky if a short film screens more than once in your hometown.

Perhaps the short film is gaining ground with mainstream cinema audiences due to the outpouring of DVD extra's.

Besides the now ubiquitous online video sites, (once independent Youtube), other organisations now offer interested viewers short film collections on DVD, and in monthly screening programs. At my previous residence in Tucson, Arizona we enjoyed more than one microcinema event each month (microcinema refering to any public film screening dedicated to indepedent films, and alternative to the mainstream theater industry. usually organized in a non-profit vein). The Loft Cinema holds a short film contest each month, and the folks at Tucsonfilm.com present their Tucson Shortfest, a program of international and local shortfilms, once every few months.

There is however an undiscovered diamond, in the Columbus rough, called The Journal of Short Film. A collection of 10 short films on DVD available quarterly by mail. The JSF accepts submissions from filmmakers all over the world, listing more than 50 filmmakers and 8 different countries at it's recent one-year anniversary. The JSF is doing what only a handful of other organizations are even trying to do, and with gusto. Now, of course, in the wide world of indiefilm, shortfilm, and film/video art - the JSF is not breaking much ground. Since the JSF has no connect to a larger organization, festival, or event as of yet - it stands alone in it's singular interest of publishing works of short film for the benefit of the filmmakers and the viewers alone.

Check them out, The Journal of Short Film, as the price is just right for those of us on limited budgets. Karl Mechem is doing great things through his Journal of Short Film, and his rough little diamond is gaining exposure all over the place.

The JSF recently published it's 5th collection, including some wonderful films by Peter Sillen, Sara Zia Ebrahimi, Phillip Hastings, Jen Schneider and others.