The Shorts Renaissance
- Rita Osei
- Sep 5, 2022
- 2 min read
The BFI’s short film fund, the Uncertain Kingdom short film fund. The best short film festivals in the World 2022, as crowned by MovieMaker magazine: Aspen, Clermont-Ferrard, Palm Springs, Holly Shorts and Kyiv to name a handful of twenty listed. Short films are centre stage at film festivals around the world from 225 Film Club to Aesthetica to S.O.U.L Film Festival and Martha’s Vineyard. Shorts are a glowing part of the filmmaking landscape, with some projects enjoying direct financial and cryptocurrency returns through screening fees paid by film and television platforms.
Sometimes seen as a stepping stone to features, and a seed of delight which can spring into more action, shorts are in fact a unique proposition in their own right. They enable their creators to speak in a way which can resonate for years to come. Bolder than some features and more experimental, shorts are available to consume quickly. A life changing viewing experience can be had in 15 minutes or less.
On May 25th 2022, the 2nd anniversary marking the death of George Floyd, Sky Documentaries launched a £500,000 UK shorts fund. Screen Ireland's Focus Shorts Fund awards up to €50,000 each to 4 aspiring talents per year, and now in its 3rd edition Women X Film Festival in Darlington celebrates shorts made by female identifying and non binary filmmakers which “challenge the narrative set by mainstream media”.
In 2021 when I began my voluntary role as Jury Chair of BAFTA’s British Short Film Award, it fuelled a return to writing in short form for me and while my long form projects progressed to the next stage of gestation. I wrote two short films, a short play and some short stories. Short is sweet, short happens now, and in many cases short leads to longevity.
*Winners of the 4th 225 Film Club announced. Plus reviews of the films screened at the BFI on Friday 9 December 2022.
*Winners of the 5th 225 Film Club announced. Plus reviews of the films screened at the BFI on Thursday 26 October 2023.
*Winners of the 6th 225 Film Club announced. Plus reviews of the films screened at the BFI on Friday 5 December 2024.
*Winners of the 7th 225 Film Club announced. Plus reviews of the films screened at the BFI on Friday 6 December 2025.
© Rita Osei
September 5th, 2022
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