DC Shorts “Best of the Fest” Lives Up To Its Name
| Roy Maurer, DC Scene Contributer For a form that is often underappreciated, underrepresented, and frankly, sheer torture to the viewer most of the time, the short films shown at the DC Shorts “Best of the Fest” showcase February 8-9 at the Goethe-Institute in Washington D.C. destroyed stereotype, found love from an admiring audience, and were really good. |  |
 This writer, who has spent some time in the short film production trenches himself, was pleased, charmed, moved, and pleased again with the 20 films showcased from the DC Shorts 2007 Film Festival, which ran last September at the E Street Cinema.For the 2007 fest, DC Shorts reviewed more than 500 entries from around the globe. 89 shorts were selected for screenings, with each show featuring an average of ten short films. Since a major focus of the event is the inclusion of filmmakers, many of the films were represented by the more than 100 filmmakers in attendanceThe films shown at the “Best of the Fest” were selected as the cream of the crop by peer filmmakers, audience members and Jon Gann, the director of the DC Shorts Film Festival . They were the award winners from the 2007 fest in categories like Best Local Film (Signage, Rick Hammerly), Best First Time Filmmaker (4 Conversations about Love, Jessica Townsend), Female Director (The Barrows, Tori Garrett), Family Film (The Little Gorilla, Harry Kellerman), and Filmmakers’ Choice (The Wine Bar, Christian Remde).Many of the films have already gone on to play numerous festivals, theaters, and television broadcasts around the world.“I know there are people in D.C. that want to see this stuff, and it’s nice to be able to present it,” Gann said. “The first festival was such a success, that I didn’t know what to do with it. And then I thought, I should start showing these films more often. Not only is it a fundraiser for us, but it’s something to do in the dead of winter when there’s nothing else going on, and keeps audiences remembering us and what we do.”All shows were sold out, and the packed house was treated to a variety of films that ranged from the comical to the bizarre to deeply moving personal films about love, violence, courage, and perception.Jessica Townsend’s 4 Conversations about Love is a smartly written and deftly acted film suffused with the burdens of reality and poignancy. Jonathan Browning’s The Job, and Chip Franklin’s The Money Shot had the crowd laughing uproariously, as each took the audience to a new place by passing through familiar territory. Ian Cook’s The Bleeder was disturbing and intense, the kind of film Paul Thomas Anderson might have conceived if he was making shorts. Finally, Simon Ellis’s Soft is one of the best short films that I have ever seen, displaying a raw, intense, truth rarely seen in any cinema. As a viewer, I was captivated; as a filmmaker I was in awe.Submissions are open for the DC Shorts Film Festival 2008. Check out www.dcshorts.com for more information.Because of the overwhelming response to the showcase, there may be an encore presentation in April.“There is such a thirst for film in D.C.,” Gann said. “If I could put on a showcase every month, I would.” |
