This story was originally published by ArtsATL.
The smallest things are capable of rendering great power. A staccato note in a music score. The jab in boxing. A simple “yes” or “no.” And, in the world of cinema, the micro short film.
On March 22, the Limelight Theater on Decatur Street in downtown Atlanta will host the first Atlanta Micro Short Film Festival from the Atlanta Film Series, an organization of independent filmmakers, musicians and artists founded in 2002.
Each year, the group produces a series of five Atlanta film festivals. Alongside the new Atlanta Micro Short Film Festival, the series includes the Atlanta Documentary Film Festival — or Atlanta DocuFest — held each March and showcasing full-length documentaries produced around the globe; Atlanta Underground Film Festival, which includes feature-length films and shorts from indie filmmakers each August; Atlanta Shortsfest, held in June and showing films of 40 minutes or shorter; and Atlanta Horror Film Festival, held every October and showcasing the world’s top independent horror films.
Eric Panter, co-founder of the Atlanta Film Series, described Atlanta Micro Short Film Festival, the newest festival to join the mix: “For the first annual edition, we curated about half of the micro films that really stood out to us from other events we organize throughout the year.”
In all, the six-hour festival will screen 80 micro short films — all clocking in at under five minutes, not including credits.
“We’ll be presenting almost every genre of film imaginable, but each selection has to be memorable and has to be shorter than six minutes,” Panter said.
When asked if it’s difficult to find enough micro shorts to warrant the festival’s 6 p.m. to midnight booking of the Limelight Theater, the co-founder gave a resounding no.
“We have seen the rise of really short films over the last 21 years,” he said. “What was once a time length mostly reserved for animated shorts and music videos has evolved to include short narrative and documentary projects as well.”
Credit: Courtesy of Micro Short Film Festival
Credit: Courtesy of Micro Short Film Festival
In the world of micro shorts, ultra short does not mean ultra cheap in terms of production spend.
“Some of the selections have enormous budgets, [and] there are films with some notable talent,” Panter said. “And many of them have already won awards at festivals worldwide.”
He added that a small number of selections to be shown at the festival come from first-time filmmakers whose work was strong enough to strike a chord with festival organizers. But every micro short,, whether produced on a big budget by experienced filmmakers or on a shoestring by beginners, seeks an audience. Atlanta’s version of a festival for these micro films is helping lead the charge.
“There are only a handful of micro short film festivals around the country right now,” Panter noted. “But with the dominion of social media and 15-second videos, we can be sure there will be more micro shorts coming our way.”
This year’s festival will announce film winners culled from among all 80 films by an expert panel of judges selected by the Atlanta Film Series. For the Atlanta Micro Short Film Festival’s first year, there was no criteria for filmmakers to follow other than the total run-time limit of under six minutes. In the future, though, this could change.
“I really hope we can add a filmmaker challenge to the festival at some point, where filmmakers create work specifically for the festival under certain criteria we set,” Panter said.
“One thing is for sure,” he added. “Brevity is the soul of wit.”
Following the Atlanta Micro Short Film Festival’s virgin year at the Limelight Theater on March 22, the 19th annual Atlanta DocuFest takes over the venue March 23-24.
FILM PREVIEW
Atlanta Micro Short Film Festival
6 p.m. March 22. $13-$20 plus ticketing fee. (Tickets purchased for the Micro Short fest also give guests free entry to Atlanta Docufest on March 23-24.) Limelight Theater, 349 Decatur St. SE, Atlanta. atlantafilmseries
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Carol Badaracco Padgett is an Atlanta freelance writer who specializes in film and television coverage. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, her work has appeared in publications nationwide.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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