The biggest and best things happen in the the biggest little state, and this Thanksgiving weekend is no different. AS220 will hosting the 11th Annual Short Short Story Film Festival on Friday, November 25.
The festival, presented by MergingArts Productions, focuses on short films with runtimes of six minutes or less and will screen two full programs of films from 22 different countries. Also in the mix will be several world premieres, according to event co-organizer Paul Elsnau.
“I think that what makes our festival unique is that we have all the films competing against similar films, while larger festivals often have a more ‘apples and oranges’ type of format. We also have audience judging and a jury and film interview radio show called SpoilerAlert Radio that see all the films and judges them, allowing the filmmakers more of an equal footing. We’re also a bit unusual in that we don’t charge a submission fee and with that, more filmmakers in the US are willing to submit.”
The two programs for the festival are Heartstrings, which focuses on films with a more poignant and emotional nature, and Headtrip, which shows the more experimental and bizarre films. The two programs showcase dozens of films tightly sequenced in under 90 minutes, each with a distinct tone, yet wide-ranging styles and topics.
Along with the film screenings, DJ Madame B will mix soundscapes before screenings to a backdrop of a slideshow introducing the festival filmmakers, and a small reception after the final screening, with global sounds by DJ Madame B, concludes the event.
The festival will run from 2pm through 11pm, Saturday at the AS220 Black Box Theatre, Empire St, PVD. For more information about the festival, the films being screened and for tickets, visit the MergingArts website at mergingartsproductions.com
