This year, Houston media arts organization Aurora Picture Show will present a special online version of its popular annual Extremely Shorts Film Festival. Available to stream via Aurora’s website (aurorapictureshow.org) for one week, May 15-22, the hour-long program will feature new short films of all kinds (each under three minutes long), as well as an introduction from the program’s guest juror, Mexican artist and writer Miguel Calderón.
The program is free for viewers (though pay-what-you-can donations are encouraged), and you can vote online during that week for the cash-awarded Audience Choice film. Audience and Juror Awards will be announced on Sunday May 24, and the winning films will be featured in the “Satellites” section of Aurora’s website for encore viewing.
For the upcoming Extremely Shorts 2020 online program, 23 new shorts from across the country and around the world were selected from hundreds of submissions. The program includes films by Texas makers Gabriella Mykal (Dallas), Mark Nelson (Houston), Liz Rodda (Austin), Sarah Sudhoff (Houston), and Chris Wicker (Fort Worth).
Since 1998, Extremely Shorts has presented many hundreds of short films as well as hosting guest jurors, visiting filmmakers, and Houston audiences. This is the first time in its history that the festival’s public screenings and celebrations have not taken place, but, as Aurora Curator and the festival’s director, Mary Magsamen, says: “While we’re disappointed that we can’t gather together to share the festival experience, we’re really happy to present a special Extremely Shorts program online. We may not be able to connect physically, but we can connect virtually through this celebration of creative filmmaking. The program is sure to provoke and inspire.”
In addition to the Extremely Shorts 2020 online program, selected shorts from previous festivals will be highlighted on the Satellites section of Aurora’s website beginning May 10.
For more, please go here.
