Introduction

Short films are more popular than ever before. Many countries now have a regular short film program on television, shorts appear in almost every major international film festival and hundreds of festivals specifically dedicated to short films are appearing all around the world.

What is a short film?

The ISFC defines a short film to be any film or video production under sixty minutes of length.

Who makes short films?

The short film genre is as old as the art of Cinematography itself, and yet it attracts a young and enthusiastic audience at the forefront of the film industry. These are people who appreciate the fundamental qualities of the short film: brief, dynamic and exciting.

Although for many the short film is a training ground for feature filmmaking, shorts are not merely the domain for students. Many professional film-makers continue to make short films throughout their career: Hal Hartley, Mike Leigh, Aki Kaurismäki, Jan Troell to name but a few.

Shorts are the most accessible form of cinematic storytelling: they can be made on any gauge of film or video and they are by their very nature, free from the commercial constraints of feature films.

International Short Film Conference

The ISFC has been in existence since 1970 as non-profit association for the promotion of the short film. Since that time, interest in shorts has grown dramatically and the ISFC now includes over sixty members from all over the world.

The ISFC is the only international organisation in the world seeking to unite the global short film community. Since its early days, the ISFC has extended its activities considerably, but the basic idea remains the same as at its inception:

"To enable the different players in the short film world to work together and share their experience in an informal, non-political and flexible atmosphere."

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