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Guest Post: "The Shorts Report"

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When Biz Books asked The Shorts Report to bloggity blog up their site, it occurred to this Shorts Reporter that the timing couldn’t be more perfect. Afterall, it was just a year ago that The Shorts Report was born.

My name is Kellie Ann Benz and in 2008 I made my third short film, Awkward. I made Awkward with my own money, knowing it wasn’t government funding-attractive. When it started getting into festivals from Quebec to England, I knew it was money was well spent. Then it got invited to the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France. Boo-ya!

There I was in France, at the Cannes of short film festivals – one of only 3 other English language Canadian films – representin’ for my county at home. Unlike North America, France treats the short film as a marketable entity. Their eight day long festival and five day long market energetically reflected the international fervour for quality short films.

My favourite little medium which on my continent is treated like a training vehicle was, in France, a career worthy master craft that people could make a living from.

I returned home with a fire for short films burning so bright in my belly that no amount of apathy could douse it. Taking a gander around I noticed that we here in Canada spend millions every year on the production of short films, yet we still treat the medium like its practise.

The first of April 2009, The Shorts Report went live. My main focus was on Canadian made short films and the festivals in Canada that were programming them. The benefit of being your own publisher is you can jump at news other outlets are ignoring. Within months I was signed up for more newsletters, newsfeeds, site subscriptions and blogs than I’d ever even known existed.

By August, the sweet order of Festivals in Canada – Montreal in August, Toronto in September, Vancouver in October – bore coverage that begged for a title. Festada became the umbrella under which all announcements of programmed Canadian shorts came out one after the other. This allowed a quick reference for which films were accepting multiple invitations.

Shorts films Dance Macabre, (now a Genie Nominee), The Armoire, Chili & Cheese: A Condiment Rift, La Vie Commence, Out in the Deep Blue Sea, Runaway, The Spine, Ten for Grandpa, Funky Prairie Boy joined Awkward on the festival circuit on a pretty regular basis.

By August, I was lucky enough to be invited by Sandy Gow at the Vancouver International Film Festival to help program their return to International shorts, and to moderate a lively panel at their trade forum regarding the medium. Nate Weinstein from Youtube and Tina Santamauro from NY’s Atom.com joined the conversation about the future of online distribution.

By November, the National Screen Institute showed their generosity by ordering up a monthly column about the medium of short films.

It seemed the little medium was starting to be heard.

Despite my many posts about funding sources, web series and distribution, the most popular posts remain the festival programming announcements. No surprise, as getting that letter is akin to being invited into a coveted club. You’re special, you’re unique and we want you.

As the year comes around the bend, I can tell you now that The Shorts Report will remain in place for as long as I can keep running it. A sponsor would be lovely, but until the right one comes along, I’ll keep the integrity of the site alive.

So thank you Biz Books for giving this Shorts Reporter a chance to reflect on this last first year, a year that has been worth every single second!

Posted on March 30, 2010.
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