Show Me Shorts is here
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Festival Director Gina Dellabarca talks about the nationwide upcoming Show Me Shorts Film Festival.
It's year five of the festival, did you ever envisage
that it would get this far?
We hoped that the festival would grow and establish
itself. It was hard to imagine exactly what shape it would take
though. Show Me Shorts evolves every year with new locations added
and extra components like the StarNow.com Short Film Seminars. It's
very much a market driven event, so we listen to what people want
to see and try to provide that.
What's the competition been like for 2010?
We had a large increase in entries this year, which has
certainly put the pressure on. It's great for film lovers because
it means more to choose from, better quality and diversity. The
judges are going to have a hard time of it selecting the award
winners this year though.
How hard does it get to select the short films?
Choosing films for the programme is always a pleasure and
a privilege. There are some amazingly talented artists out there
using the medium of film to tell engaging stories about all kinds
of things. The programme comes together in stages, with the Show Me
Shorts team enjoying some heated debate while they pitch their
favourites to each other in the final weeks. We hope the final
selection reflects the very best of current short filmmaking in NZ
and Australia. That is certainly our goal.
Give us a sneak preview of what we can expect this
year.
Oh all right then! If you come along to one or more of
the six sessions in the festival this year you will see a mixture
of films around one theme. These might include a gothic vampire
thriller, feature disgruntled elves from Santa's workshop, be set
in an apocalyptic wasteland, or feature a cute-as-a-button 6yr old
who will one day grow up to steal a woman's husband and ruin her
life! Whichever session you choose, you will be guaranteed a range
of fresh exciting films.
Does the level of talent out there continue to
surprise?
No it's a boring talentless wasteland out there. We are
really sick of the same old films every year. Boy meets girl, boy
strangles girl with her own pajamas. Girl comes back as a zombie
and slaughters entire human race as revenge... with an ice-cream
scoop. Seriously, I can't think of an art-form that is more
creatively inspired right now. Short films are the playground of
inventive mad geniuses.
What's the shortest short this year and what's it
about?
Well it's not all about length, it's the size of your
idea that counts... and how you um, use it. Our films range from 3
minutes to 18 minutes this year. The shortest is an animated comedy
about a girl auditioning for a play who is upstaged by another kid
dressed as a maggot.
What's the longest short this year and what's it
about?
The 18 minute film is a suburban comedy about two
couples, set in the sexy 70s with a backdrop of free love,
friendship, family and fondue.
Do you think the festivals success is down to the fact most
people feel they can make a short film?
I put the continued success of Show Me Shorts down to the
fact that people love movies, but in this day and age they also
have short attention spans. The films in our programme generally
have high production values because they have to look good up on a
huge cinema screen. They are the kinds that remind people making
films is a craft and a vocation, not just a hobby.
What's the most consistently surprising thing when you
receive the initial entries?
Often the first few films that come in blow me away and I
fall in love with them. I'm always nervous when I screen those for
the rest of the team because I really want the team to love them
too.
Have you ever been tempted to try making something?
We are primarily film lovers, film appreciators and film
cheerleaders. The team and I have made a few short promo videos to
promote the festival and our call for entries. They are neither
particularly well crafted nor representational of the level of
quality of the films actually in Show Me Shorts, but rather capture
the energy and spirit of the festival.
You're expanding the locations this festivals seen on this
year - why?
The festival has taken on a life of its own. It expands
every year, and this one is no exception. Usually the cinemas
approach us, so we just try to support them and shape the sessions
at each location to work for the slightly different audiences in
each place. Whitianga for example always screens in early January
to take advantage of the summer holiday-makers.
