Short Movies, short history part 3…

There are several cinematography expressions that get overlooked and not celebrated. Shorts sometime unfairly suffer from this “rapid look” and erratic type of attention. This is partly due to the way shorts are often used, more like a training camp before going to make full feature films. However, short films are still a powerful form of art extremely relevant and artistically sound because of the unique combination of strong narrative and the need of synthesis. Short movies cover an important role and cultural function for aspiring cine-entusiasts at all levels. They encompass experimentation and development within their own specific artistic style of “compressed narrative”.

In Italy, when it comes to the problematic of the shorts (“cortometraggio“), they share similar life that ties also into lack of adequate distribution. Perhaps, a feature not unusual in the international panorama though, definitely present in the “bel paese” back garden. Cortometraggi (Shorts) derive the name from the length of the film used (corto), also known as “metraggio”. This, for full length movies, usually amounts to several thousand meters.

Since the 1980s, that can be set as the reference date for Italy’s renovate interest in the production of shorts, several beautiful gems could be picked like: Drimage (1981) filmed by Silvio Soldini, La guerra appena finita (1983) by Francesca Archibugi, Mario Martone’s Dialoghi di Alphaville (1987), Storie metropolitane (1989) by Marco Bechis, Guido Manuli’s Incubus, (1993), Eros Puglielli’s Il pranzo onirico (1996), Racconto d’inverno by Cristina Catalani, Sei quello che mangi (2002) by Stefano Russo, Adele (2005) by Andrea Fazzini, La Preda (2006) by Francesco Apice, Il gioco (2009) by Adriano Giannini.  

CFI

Short Movies, short history part 2…

Jean-Luc Godard once said that “all you need for a movie is a gun and a girl”, some might agree… Well we don’t, and year on year KaleidoShorts has shown many outstanding more reasons to enjoy the moving picture. Check this wonderful postr on Godard for more info).

KaleidoShorts is another event organised by the no profit organisation Italian Nights like forthcoming FluidCity, TeatroShorts, the Italian Jazz Festival and many theme nights that focus on a form of art associated with one of its most interesting interpreters or social-cultural debates.

Going back to Godard, one of the founding members of the Nouvelle Vague, the extravagant, unconventional director has filmed several short movies like “La Paresse” (Sloth in 1961), ”Il Nuovo Mondo (The New World in 1962), Reportage sur Orly (Reporting on Orly in 1964), “Anticipation, ou: l’amour en l’an 2000″ (Anticipation: or Love in the Year 2000, in 1967), and many more. The latter, is one of six segments directed by as many directors. It is a french comedy about the oldest profession through the ages.

His first ever movie like for all directors was a short. A story about the construction of a dam, “Opérion béton” filmed in 1954. It was followed only in 1959 by his first full-length film, “A bout de souffle” (Breathless) – link.

Historically, the most important short of Godard was ”Une histoire d’eau” (The Story of Water, 1961). The relevance comes from the short being co-directed with François Truffaut, the other legend of the New Wave movement in cinema. The Story of Water in its 18 minute represent everything that is the French Nouvelle Vague. It takes apart elements from American Film Noir and Italian Neorealism giving to these a typical French nouvelle view (http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x17caj_godard-une-histoire-d-eau_creation).

CFI

Short Movies, short history part 1…

“Short subjects” was the term used instead of short movies when these first appeared in theatres at the beginning of the century, usually before or after the main feature films. However, with full length movies productions increasing and the arrival of television, short movies declined as they made no financial sense anymore. In fact, with time short films became the training arena for aspiring film makers.

We could say that, if short films had a life cycle then it is one that started as a commercial medium, died, and then reinvented itself as a pedestal for young filmmakers to exhibit their talent. Short movies were also used for experimentation. This still sets this form of visual art a part from their “extended-feature-film” brothers. There are less corporate restrictions on what story to tell and how to tell the story. Not only, especially in Europe, short movies have acquired their own status and are now cinema and, a form of art expression in their own right.

Festival of short movies have flourished since the 1980s and us, Italian Nights, for the 5th consecutive year are paying tribute with our special Festival-way to the art of Cinema and the short movie form of visual expression.

CFI

In the making of KFF V, 2010

Hi, Here we go again, the engine is moving forward and we have already received a few beautiful shorts!

Following our tradition, this year as well, there will be a few surprises for our public. Stay in touch and if you attended last year feel welcome to send your comments.

KS

KaleidoShorts V, 2010

Italian Nights announces:

Call for Short Films entries to the 5th edition of KaleidoShort Films Festival.

The final evening of our amazing event will be held in a prestigious venue in central London. To submit your entries refer to the Italian Nights website.

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