Short Shorts 2009

Bord Scannán na hÉireann/The Irish Film Board has announced its call for submissions for the next round of the Short Shorts scheme. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 8th 2009.

Short Shorts funds up to seven, 3-5 minute films and aims to encourage the making of ultra short films which are innovative, provocative or in some way risky and rule-breaking. The scheme was modified last year so that the films have to conform to a particular genre each year.

The theme for this years short films, whether live action or animated is ‘Films with No Dialogue'. This does not mean silent films, but rather films where the soundtrack can contain anything except audible dialogue. The Mr Bean television series is a good example of this type of genre. It is hoped that having the shorts packaged together under this specific genre will allow the IFB to market the Short Shorts more effectively internationally.

The Short Shorts scheme has been funding short films for a number of years. Some of the more recent successes include Declan Cassidy's Whatever Turns You On which picked up the Best Film awards at the Florence Film Festival in Italy and Filmstock Film Festival in Britain last November. Atlantic, directed by Conor Ferguson, starring Liam Cunningham which was released in cinemas nationwide in front of the feature film 32A last year while the short horror film Shapes directed by Alan Brennan, starring Mark Huberman was officially selected for the renowned Palm Springs International Film Festival 2008.

The successful short films will premiere at the Cork Film Festival in October.

Further information on how to apply is available on the web site.