By Hubert VigillaStaff Writer
The short film is a much-ignored art form — rarely, if ever, arethey shown at commercial megaplexes playing on eight screens in DolbyDigital surround sound alongside blockbusters like “Charlie’sAngels.”
Instead, they are usually found at intimate film festivalsspecifically
designed for the medium that usually goes unnoticed by the casualfilm goer.
Thanks to SDSU’s own professor/filmmaker-in-residence Jack Ofield,the short film has been given a highly accessible means of reaching awider audience: Television.
Ofield is the producer of the critically-acclaimed, EmmyAward-winning show “The Short List,” which launches its fifth seasonthis Sunday.
The half-hour show is produced here on campus by The ProductionCenter for Documentary and Drama in association with the KodakWorldwide Independent Emerging Filmmakers Program and Cox Channel 4.
“The Short List” showcases and welcomes international short filmsof all genres.
“All over the world, filmmakers are telling stories and ideas –and they’re doing it in under 30 minutes, proving again that less ismore,” Ofield said.
“They’re making short films, an art form as distinct from featurefilms as the short story is from the novel, the haiku from the verse,the anecdote from the monologue.”
Ofield, who has been championing the short film and its creatorsfor many years, began showcasing short films on television with theanthology show “1st Frames,” which ran from 1992 to 1994. The showpioneered the presentation of short films on television andeventually grew from six local shows to 26 international programs.
Ofield has also programmed international shorts in New York, wherehe is currently collaborating with Firewater Films. Recently, Ofieldreturned from the L’Alternativa Festival for Independent Cinema inBarcelona, Spain, where he served as a panelist and showcasedhighlights from “The Short List.” This outing was one of many inwhich Ofield discussed the art form of the short film and how to workwithin the tight time structure to tell a compelling story.
The films seen on “The Short List” are found at short filmfestivals worldwide or submitted by filmmakers for consideration.Acording to Ofield, selecting films for the show is a laboriousprocess.
“Generally speaking, to find a couple of good films, it’snecessary to look at dozens and dozens,” he said. “The result isintensive review that goes on year-round at ‘The Short List’ todevelop the anthology.
“The best short films are succinct, highly visual, often havesurprise, and always feature great performances, cinematography,sound design, scripts and editing.”
The short film submissions range anywhere from 30 seconds to about19 minutes. There are no limits on year of production or entry fees,but the submitted films must be completed with all rights cleared forbroadcast.
Along with the works of international filmmakers, SDSU shorts arethrown into the mix. SDSU alumna Kati Behumi Davis had her shortdocu-comedy “In Between” featured on “The Short List,” as well as atKodak’s American Pavilion at Cannes last May where it was wellreceived.
Other campus filmmakers have received honors as a result of havingbeen on the series. Filmmakers whose work is featured on “The ShortList,” aside from getting wider exposure via television, also havethe opportunity of getting funds for their next project. Kodak awardsfive $2,000 product grants each season to selected filmmakers.
Last season’s recipients of Kodak’s product grants were SharonWu’s “Stampede,” an animated short created by using hand-carvedrubber stamps; Geoffrey Cawthorn’s “Philosophy,” a New Zealand shortin which a man hitches a ride with Beezlebub himself; Nicolas Klein’s”Road Test,” a French short where a driving instructor, whileteaching a nervous new driver, spots his wife with another man; PjotrSapegin’s “One Day a Man Bought a House,” a Norwegian animated shortabout a man who finds an unlikely mate in his home; and SeanMcGuire’s “The Good Son,” a short from Northern Ireland about a sonwho cares for his Alzheimer’s-stricken father.
“These outstanding films are representative of the breadth andoriginality we look for,” Ofield said.
“The Short List” can be seen at 9 p.m. every Sunday and Thursdayon Cox Channel 4 and is also broadcast nationally on PBS. For moreinformation about “The Short List” and for submission guidelines, youcan visit www.theshortlist.cc, call (619) 594-6902, fax(619)462-8266, or e-mail ShortList@mail.sdsu.edu.
