A Short Look at 2014

If you're here, you no doubt already know that I like short films. Hell, I even earn much of my living out of them.

In my current role as Executive Editor of Cineuropa Shorts, I have put together a look at the Best Shorts of 2014 in which the various great and good of the European short film scene choose their best short films of the past year.  HERE IT IS for your perusal

This little exercise was something that I suggested last year in response to the numerous 'Best Of' lists that spring up at this time of year. Inevitably, there would be loads of lists of features (of which I contributed to quite a few) but they would nary be a word said about shorts. So I decided to suggest a poll of favourite shorts and - lo and behold - some people went for it.

In many ways, these kind of lists are reductive. I had to limit the participants to five films and only those of European origin. So it meant that the brilliant US film A MILLION MILES AWAY had to be missed out and I probably had many people umming and ahhing about what to choose. There are so many good shorts - ones that are good for many different reasons - and it seems almost an exercise in masochism to choose an almost arbitrary list.

Yet, we're still in a situation where shorts don't get as much coverage as they deserve and any list such as this not only allows us working in the short film world to engage in a bit of dialogue as well as giving some more exposure to some great films. Perhaps 'Best Of' is the wrong word...? The 'Shorts That Struck a Chord in 2014' perhaps?

Still, I hope it makes some people think about shorts and want to check them out (and to do that all I can suggest is that people check out their film festivals - and if they don't bring the films, demand to know why!).

As for choices. Adrian Sitaru's Arta is just a great work and the others I chose really resonated with me though - to be honest - there are many, many more that would have worked for me. It did become clear that I have lagged behind in my Animation and Experimental watching. Something that I hope to rectify in 2015.

So here's to shorts in 2014 and  a great deal more good ones in 2015