By now, you might not need an introduction anymore as to what a short film is. What started out as a by-product of technology getting more convenient and accessible, is now evolving into a serious medium of expression for newbies as well as experienced filmmakers; a medium offering so vast a creative space, that anybody with a message, an opinion, a thought, a statement, a story, an abstract idea, or even plain non-seriousness about them can come out of their closet and express themselves.

Where it scores is it’s not bound by any rules as in whether the theme needs to be conventional, commercial or non-political; or the people making them necessarily having ‘filmi’ background or education, or scouting for resources and finances, and so on, which is so often attached to the traditional, so to say, style of film making. All you need is a video recorder, be that even in your mobile phone. And off you start rolling. Your friends can be the protagonists, the streets and living room your sets, and a decently operable pc your editing tool.

The very flexibility it offers is evident in the way short films are now made and produced and even marketed. From being in the fringes, from being used by some select few to break away from the norms, it is now gaining more acceptability, but still remaining very much avant garde. LA shortfests, The Manhattan Shorts, NY shorts, Tropfest (Australia), CFC (Canadian Film Centre) Worldwide short film festival are some of the coolest and popular festivals worldwide which are celebrating this new format of storytelling. The production values are getting slick, established actors are keenly trying their hands, media houses and film distribution companies are looking to make and market their own, advertisements and short films are wonderfully crossing over (to take the case of BMW shorts – a series of 7 short films directed by directors like Guy Ritchie, John Woo, Ang Lee, Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu, etc. all featuring different beamers), and at the same time social issues getting addressed more boldly through films with specific messages. 

Much closer, we in India are also catching up to the idea of short films. Though it’s still far away from gaining popular reference, believers have started making efforts to capture popular imagination in this direction. Filmbooth is one such endeavour, which aims at bringing together short film from all across the country and giving the short film-makes a single platform for showcasing their creation. Scheduled to be held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi from 19th to 21st December, this short film festival aims at not just providing a screening space and a larger set of audience for the film-makers but the opportunity to interact with noted personalities from film, media and entertainment space, and a chance to win recognition and much needed support.

Apart from movies selected for participation, the festival will also screen short movies made by renowned film-makers, including special short movies made on AIDS by the A-listers - Mira Nair, Farhan Akhtar, Vishal Bhardwaj and Santosh Sivan. To add substance to the jury panel, Filmbooth have roped in as jurists such eminent names as Santosh Desai (MD & CEO, Future Brands), Vanita Kohli Khandekar (noted Media Consultant), Lushin Dubey (prominent theatre personality), Saloni Puri (Film Critic) and Meenu Chopra (Co-founder, i-Congo) among others.

Filmbooth is the first such event organized by 'Forum for Films', a community formed by a group of short film enthusiasts, which aims at supporting & promoting short film making in the country. Apart from organizing Filmbooth, the Forum also allows budding film-makers to upload their short films on their website and provides a chance for a larger audience to hear their voice.

So this December, Filmbooth shall play host to a new form of creative expression and film-making eco-system. There wont be any dance numbers or tobacco company sponsored glittering sets, but what will be there is confluence of young and old, amateurs and experts, students and professionals, film-makers and audience - all sharing a single passion for idea sharing and cinema, and a new style of expression of both.