For some, the short film seems to pose a pointless dilemma. Is it an art form, or is its purpose to serve as a ‘calling card’, demonstrating the filmmaker’s ability to later make a ‘proper’ (feature) film or to work on television or in advertising?

That view seems to me to misunderstand the role which shorts by young filmmakers play in the wider economy of film production. Of course they serve as useful on-the-job training for emerging filmmakers, but they also herald the new talent vital for any industry.

For example in Terence Davies’ first short films, the Trilogy, we can see his approach to filmmaking, his preoccupations and an unmistakable cinematic talent. Peter Greenaway, a special guest of the Festival this year, announced himself as a filmmaker of rare originality with a series of superbly imagined and realised short films. In both cases their shorts eloquently demonstrated that here was a filmmaker with a voice and a vision.

Similarly with Swedish filmmaker, Jens Jonsson, who was the subject of a retrospective in Cork in 2006. His special talent was brought to our attention by his shorts being a fixture at Cork’s and other festivals for many years. In The King Of Ping Pong, screening in this year’s programme, we can see how successfully he has made the transition to films of longer duration. Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor’s feature debut, Helen, is an extension of their Civic Life series of shorts, all of which are screening in Cork this year.

The point is that while short films may precede the longer work of a director, they are part of a continuum of artistic expression. It is gratifying to have Irish filmmakers, Paddy Jolley, Ken Wardrop, Barry Dignam and others back in Cork with new shorts, and exciting to come across the work of Michael Fortune who, in a few short years, has emerged as a director of original and inventive cinematic work, gleaning cinematic treasures from the everyday, from family life, from community.

Another example is Damien O’Donnell who made 35 Aside in 1995. It did not win an award in Cork that year but seemed to win awards at every festival in which it subsequently screened. It established his reputation as ‘a filmmaker to watch’, and 35 Aside was directly responsible for him being asked to direct the hugely successful feature East Is East. This year Damien is back with a new short film, hot off the editing desk.

John Porter has been making short films all his life – on Super8mm. It’s his métier, to the extent that he is commonly known as John ‘Super8’ Porter. Not for him the ‘career path’ leading from shorts to features.

There is no doubt in our minds that shorts ARE an art form. Year after year we see undeniable proof of that assertion. Some filmmakers continue to express their art in the short form, others continue their artistic expression in feature length work. Art is art. We are very excited by the selection of shorts on offer this year, an astonishing 45 programmes in all! We welcome all our filmmaker guests enthusiastically. We also welcome guests from funding agencies, international festivals, buyers and programmers from France, Germany, the US, Finland, England, the Netherlands and Portugal; the latter group primarily looking for Irish shorts of quality for their festivals.

We are in no doubt that the art of the short film is stronger than ever. And we are equally confident that in Cork this year we have a cornucopia of exceptional work. It’s a vintage year for shorts.

   

Corona Cork Film Festival Jury Awards

Best Irish Short Film Best International Short Film Prix UIP Cork for Best European Short Film Claire Lynch Award for Best First-time Irish Director of a Short Film ‘Made In Cork’ Award for Best Short Film Youth Jury Award for Best International Short Film Gradam Gael Linn for Best Short Film in the Irish Language Award of The Festival for Best Short Film OutLook Award for Best LBGT Short Film Audience Award for Best Irish Short Film Audience award for Best International Short Film We gratefully acknowledge the support and assistance of all our sponsors.