The films are shorter than most commercial film trailers -- shorter even than most credit sequences and television commercials.

For the annual FilmOne Fest, that's a plus.

At this Atlantic Highlands tradition, entering its fourth year on July 21, every movie is less than two minutes long.

"It's a real challenge to tell a story or make someone feel something in 60 seconds or under two minutes," said Robert O'Connor, the FilmOne Fest's co-director. "It's amazing what can be done in that amount of time."

"Plus," he adds, "If you don't like one, the next one's coming soon."

Very soon.

It's an alternative in another way, too -- no exorbitant ticket prices. The festival is free, and so is the popcorn, courtesy of a local Whole Foods. It could be quite a bargain, considering that the FilmOne Fest has attracted filmmakers from all over the world.

"We've gotten submissions from Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan, Denmark, Canada -- we even got one from Cyprus," O'Connor said -- though plenty of submissions came from New Jersey, too.

From about 70 entries, 57 films will screen at the festival (though only 54 of those films will be screened on the 21st; three more will screen at the next day's award reception due to adult content. The award winners will also get a repeat showing at that time). Many of them are created by amateurs.

"Most anyone these days can shoot super-short films," O'Connor said. "It opens up the field a bit to amateurs and innovation, I would say."

Innovation -- more than dialogue, characters, or any of the traditional trappings of films -- is the hallmark of these movies. O'Connor describes some pieces as almost like living paintings.

In one past submission, for instance, a director shot "Scenes from a Rooftop," using a tilt-shift camera to make his Norwegian city look like a model in miniature.

But more typical movie plots can exist within a few minutes -- including horror films.

In "Mockingbird," a man works at home while listening to a woman sing his infant to sleep through a baby monitor. Then his wife walks through the front door - and the man realizes, in horror, that the woman upstairs isn't the mother.

As the couple runs to their baby's room, the camera focuses on the monitor. The lullaby changes to screams.

"All within two minutes!" O'Connor marvels. "It's amazing what people can do."

The festival starts at 7 p.m. at the Atlantic Highlands Marina. Last year, the marina reached capacity, with more than a thousand in attendance; to get a good seat, it couldn't hurt to get there early, especially since the films will be preceded by a fair with clowns, music, food and more.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket (or snag a "premium" seat for $10). Parking is free. If it's rainy or overly windy, the festival will be held at the Charles Hesse Parish Hall, at 55 South Ave.

An award reception will be held at the Stauss Mansion the following day, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The mansion is located at 27 Prospect Circle.

FilmOne Fest

Where: Atlantic Highlands Marina, 2 Simon Lake Ave., Atlantic Highlands

When: Saturday from 7 to 10:30 p.m.

How much: Free. Call (732) 737-7160 or visit filmeonefest.org.

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