Short and sweet
Giving Short Indies the time they deserve: A better way to watch films and partywith their makers
- Calen Slain (Director of "Lost and Found Shop")
- 5SecondFilms.com, an internet sketch comedy group
- Cast of "Lambs" joined by "Super 8" star Ryan Lee
- J.J. Castillo and Joe Nicolosi (Director of "Mario" and "#Zombies: Followers ofthe Dead")
Austin is filled to the brim with amazing film festivals, talented filmmakers and studios constantly churning out internationally successful movies. It's no wonder this city is also host to such a film-centric event as Short Indies.
Short Indies is a short independent film screening event founded by J.J. Castillo, a local director/editor around town. Castillo came up with the idea for a sit down interview show with short films and their makers a few years ago. The idea developed into an event that encompasses everything film-related, shines a real spotlight on the filmmakers and doubles as a party for film nerds.
“I realized at festival screenings how rushed everything felt for short films,” Castillo said. “They showed anywhere from eight or more films back to back, which made it hard to go to the bathroom, or grab a beer, but more upsetting was the 'firing squad' style Q and A's conducted at the end of each short film screening.”
“After being around over a year, we've had a bit of everything: narrative, documentary, animation, claymation, experimental.... We just want reactions, watery eyes, loud laughs, screams and eye rolls.”
Castillo set out to host a short film screening that actually focused on each separate filmmaker, one at a time.
The first Short Indies premiered November 2010 with this format and has since grown and developed into a splendid film smorgasbord. In addition to the short films and director Q&A, Short Indies also features a full bar, thanks to the event's venue The ND, and “video filler intermissions” between films.
Castillo opted to defy the typical film festival format for shorts screenings with these “10 minutes or so of downtime for people to mingle, grab drinks or food,” all while still playing videos on the screen. “Be it famous music videos, locally made ones, viral videos, experimental videos, foreign commercials and anything awesome or absurd,” Castillo listed off, “people love it, some even say it's their favorite part.”
Though the casual atmosphere and flowing booze may feel like a party, Short Indies is truly fixated on showcasing the creations of talented individuals and having their artistic visions shared.
“I'd say that programming the show is the most fun,” Castillo said. “It's like putting together a really cool mix tap.” Filmmakers submit links and DVDs to Castillo, and the selection process begins, though shorts have also been selected from festival screenings and online.
“As far as the films we pick, they run the gamut,” Castillo said. “After being around over a year, we've had a bit of everything: narrative, documentary, animation, claymation, experimental.... We just want reactions, watery eyes, loud laughs, screams and eye rolls.”
On top of the selection of local films, Short Indies likes to feature one short film by a filmmaker not from Austin by pre-taping a Skype interview with them. Because of the Skype interviews, they have been able to screen films coming out of Los Angeles, New York, the United Kingdom and more, featuring actors from MadTV, SNL, Weeds and more.
Short Indies has also been able to collaborate with other film projects including 5SecondFilms and screenwriter Caroline Thompson's (Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas) series “Small and Creepy Films.”
The rest of the Short Indies staff double duty as producers with Castillo, he said, on top of their regular roles: Matt Hardesty (cameraman), Olga Maystruk (graphic designer), Teresa May Nichta (host) and Brian Brown (tech). Nichta, an actress, who recently joined the team as host, has improved the ebb and flow of the event, allowing Castillo to facilitate audience questions, while she interviews filmmakers on stage.
Since Nichta's arrival, she has also been working with Castillo on taking Short Indies on the road for events around the U.S.
For now, Austin is the only city able to enjoy the event.
April 16 films and filmmakers:
“Sobre La Estepa” by Ty Roberts: In the middle of the Patagonian steppe, two gauchos stumble upon a murder and must decipher the fate of the last man standing. A double-cross unfolds and the culprit must choose between the life of his friend and his own freedom.
“Various Shorts” by Hello Optimism: A sketch comedy group from Austin, their shorts are odd, racy, bizarre and hilarious.
“Love in 5 Acts” by Gaia Bonsignore: Gaia crafts a strong short story about the perils of being in love, while following the guidelines of Dogme 95 filmmaking.
“Powerpoint” by Keller R. Davis: Obsession can strangle even the best of us. For Christopher, that one thing is Microsoft Powerpoint, because clip art speaks louder than words.
“Dr. Breakfast” by Stephen Neary: One day at breakfast, a man's soul busts out of his eyeball. Neary crafts a great animation that is half Ren and Stimpy, half Wonder Showzen, which is impressive in addition to the fact that he drew the majority of the short by hand while commuting on the New York subway.
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The upcoming Short Indies is taking place at The ND April 16. Doors open at 7 p.m. Films start at 7:30. Free beer for the first hour. $5 cover.
For more information, visit the Short Indies website.