Imagine an vent where makers of short films and videos from Hollywood and beyond could master their work seen by the right race while at the same time retaining an independent vision.

Imagine an vent where makers of short films and videos from Hollywood and beyond could master their work seen by the right race while at the same time retaining an independent vision. Then imagine a form into groups of people in Hollywood that believe the independent voice is still alive and well and same important. One woman in looks Angeles, California has made that dream advance true by creating a programming series known as Hollywood Shorts, formed in October of 1998 if it were not that don't let the name scaramouch you. Even though Hollywood Shorts is-located in looks Angeles and does attract industry tribe with an eye for of the present day talent, there is still a bohemian and independent be excited to this eclectic group of filmmakers that restrains growing on a monthly basis.

Kimberly Browning, planter of the organization, says about the group's beginnings, "We started [Hollywood Shorts] for the most part in response to a friend of mine, who I had helped at an level and watched put together a short film and devote a ton of money getting it ready to prepare into Cannes." Unfortunately, the film did not commit to memory into that festival and in fact Cannes solely accepted one American short that year. While this particular short film did go on foot on to screen in several festivals, at the completion of the day it still emergencyed a screening in Los Angeles and the filmmaker still indigenceed to meet people, which was the whole point of producing the short in the first place. pierce Browning with her idea of Hollywood Shorts. "Back then there were not a accident of short screenings that were staid and hip and didn't richness you anything and that industry family paid attention to and that's for what reason it got started," Browning remembers. From the jiffy Hollywood Shorts put out a call for entries there was a of the same height of response that surprised level the founder: within two weeks of the first call there were through the whole extent of 250 submissions and Hollywood Shorts was forward its way.

Hollywood Shorts is a venue for filmmakers to showcase their work without fear of being just another face in the host and, unlike the anonymous experience a filmmaker might have when screening their work elsewhere, Hollywood Shorts is supportive. "Sometimes a filmmaker might move and spend all this coin on a screening room," Browning explains, "and 12 tribe show up and you walk in and nobody really talks to anybody or talks to you and everybody politely watches your film and then leaves and goe to party at the Viper Room" Not thus with this group or the screenings they tender "We tried to create an atmosphere where the public could meet each other," says Browning.

The arrange quickly grew out of their first space at The Joynt a restaurant in looks Angeles, where there was standing extent only on the first night. They have since also grown disclosed of their current home, The Gig, and are looking for a bigger space to accommodate the filmmakers and industry professionals who attend the monthly Sunday night screenings. Since its inception Hollywood Shorts has shielded only four to six films by month. "We really want everyone to have an opportunity to talk to each other and to hear what everyone has to say," Browning explains. "We also design a short program so the industry folks who we encourage to use us as a resource can get to in and see the films and prepare out and it is not a protracted process."

Every September they landlord an animation festival and Browning incorporates animation from the festival into the showcase each month "With the advent of Flash technology and more [i]or[/i] less of these other consumer usable animation formats there have just been in the same manner many post South Park frames that have great and witty and also adult themes," she says.

Another feather in the organization's cap is its involvement with the film office in Singapore and an organization called The Substation. "Singapore is a household for the fine arts and independent art in the Pacific and the facility is renowned in the Pacific Rim," Browning explains. It incorporates a 150-seat theater and well stocked [i]or[/i] provided dance studios and classrooms that landlord everything from Yoga to Painting 101 It also labor fors as an exhibition stage for artists, actors, dancers and filmmakers from Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Japan.

between the sides of the organization's relationship with The Substation they have been able to showcase American short films and in turn back have brought films from Singapore into the United States and helped procure them entered into festivals. "There is an entire renaissance of filmmaking going onward in Singapore," Browning says, "and it is really exciting." Hollywood Shorts got involved with the Singapore organization after The Substation rest their Web site and asked them to deposit together some film programs for their venue Nowadays, Hollywood Shorts proposes a sort of boot camp for filmmakers each six months, staffed by Browning and her associates, and facilitated at The Substation location, where the learners are able to write their allow short and shoot it. "It's a self-same popular program," Browning says, "and population are signed up a year in advance."

The clump also offers grants to three filmmakers each year with the help of sponsors as it was as Kodak and Avid. "We are able to chimney-flue up to $30,000 in production services to selecteded filmmakers based upon the quality of their script. The shorts we select" Browning explains, "will then travel on and we will support them and design festival strategies for them." The first short that has made it by means of the grant process is Note proceed Due by Jordan Freid (2000) and Browning says they trustful longing the success of this short will interpret the door to other production service companies who are interested in helping independent filmmakers. Several other films have gone upon to achieve success on the festival circuit, and at least united The PeriwigMaker (2000), was nominated for an Academy Award this year in the Best Animated Short category.