Sundance Festival 2010 Short Film Jury Prizes and Hope for New Filmmakers

There are many film festivals throughout not only the United States, but also around the world.The Sundance Film Festival in Utah, founded by Robert Redford is probably the most well known. However, just about every state now has a film festival. In fact, most states have several festivals.

In Rhode Island, the one of greatest note is the Rhode Island International Film Festival, founded about ten years ago. It has the distinction of being one of the few qualifying festivals for the Best Short Oscar, as well as recommending musical scores to be considered for Oscars.

While the Oscars are yet to be awarded, Sundance today announced the Awards for its Short Films Jury Prizes. To see a detailed list of those awards go to the Global Film Village.

I am part of the Rhode Island Film Collaborative, a non-profit that helps independent filmmakers find the resources to get their films made. We see many independent filmmakers struggling to complete their projects, hoping for a chance to show their work. We always recommend starting with a short film .

The film short (usually under 30 minutes) is a popular format for budget and time constraints. Since many truly independent filmmakers are "weekend warriors" and hold down Monday through Friday day jobs, they must do most of their filmmaking on the weekends.

A short film can usually be shot and edited over a few weekends. Attempting to do a full-length feature that way would likely take up to two years. A filmmaker also has to shoot when his cast and crew are available.

It is heartening to hear Robert Redford announce a return to the "roots" of Sundance. It was originally established to give true independents, the filmmakers with little or no budget, a chance to showcase their work. Because technology has become more available and less expensive, just about anyone with a passion for film can put together a project.

Rhode Island is a small state. This year, several entries were sent to Sundance from people in our state, and one was chosen to be screened. In addition, a screenwriter from our state was chosen to participate in the Sundance Writer's Workshop.

Most festivals have these "sidebar" workshops - Screenwriting, Directing, Lighting, etc. - to assist filmmakers advance their skills, provide networking opportunities and encourage collaboration among those in the industry.

These inroads should be heartening for others struggling to get notice for their own film projects. Work hard, keep improving your skills, and by all means, enter the film festival of your choice. You may be surprised by your success.