Kerala witnessed many short film festivals in the recent times. Interestingly, organisers of these fests reveal that when they conducted the same fests a few years back, the number of entries was not even half of what they got this year. Now, they are having a hard time selecting the short films from the innumerable entries. So what has led to this sudden surge of interest in this genre? Kochi Times explores...

Anyone can be a short film maker

There was a time when making a film was a faraway fantasy for most film fanatics, regardless of their talent. But there is nothing stopping an aspiring filmmaker from making a short film of their own today. From IT engineers to students, short film makers can be anyone. But the medium is no longer just a time pass for amateurs. Time and money are increasingly being dedicated to short film festivals to showcase the best among them to the public.

An independent genre

Short films have always had a niche, although only now that it became so popular, says Lijin Jose, a feature filmmaker who still makes short films. A refreshing trend today is that several youngsters are approaching short films very seriously, he adds. “People are beginning to realise that it’s a genre by itself, different from feature films, and the numerous film festivals are providing a space for such forms of cinema.”

All you need is a mobile phone

The revolution in technology is undoubtedly the reason for the sudden popularity of short films. Say Arunesh, a short filmmaker, “You can shoot a film with just a mobile camera now, no lighting is required.

There is no need of film rolls either, and editing software is available at your fingertips. In fact, making a short film is less expensive now than it was 10 years ago,” he recalls. A free platform in the form of Youtube makes the creation easily accessible to the public, without the hassles of release, and the makers receive instant appreciation from viewers.

Coupled with that, the decreasing attention spans of people in general have also made the genre popular, according to Srinivasan, a film enthusiast. “From cricket to films, everything is getting shorter in duration,” he says.

A platform for experimentation

Srinivas says short films are the best possible genre for experimentation. “They are the only medium through which certain subjects can be explored – environment and several other socio political issues. At times, they even take up subjects which filmmakers don’t dare to examine as there is no Censor Board breathing down one’s neck," he says.