Short sf films 2010 (1–10 minutes duration)

This project initially developed out of my ‘discovery’ of the short sf film Pumzi (2009) by Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu. I saw an off-hand comment about the film on a blog, pursued the lead and eventually acquired a copy of the film. But the incident left me wondering, if I only learned of this film by chance, then how many others are there out there? The short answer is: a great deal.

Through searches on a number of sites, I have been able to catalogue 851 short sf films released in the year 2010. These short films range from 1 minute to 60 minutes in length. The decision to cut off at 60 minutes is rather arbitrary; nevertheless, that length differentiates them from full-length features. The increase in the number of short sf films released each year has been dramatic. According to my research, the previous year saw 649 short sf films, while 2005 saw 167. The year 2000 saw 64 short sf films, while 1995 saw 29 and 1990 just 17. In 1984, there were just six.

The inclusion of 1984, the year of the introduction of the Apple Macintosh computer, is not accidental. Obviously, one of the leading factors in the meteoric rise in the creation and release of short films has been technological advances, primarily the personal computer. In the past, very few people had access to, or could afford access to, analogue cameras, film and editing equipment. Film editing software for the personal computer has made filmmaking much more accessible to the average individual. Similarly, digital video cameras have become significantly smaller and cheaper. At the same time, the quality of the cameras and, therefore, the quality of the images, have improved.

Also significant are the ubiquity of the internet and the development of high speed access. In the past, even if someone had the equipment to make a short film, distribution was another obstacle. Personal video recorders and players made distribution more accessible, but even so, obtaining, dubbing and distributing the tapes remained expensive. Now, countless sites exist for individuals to post their films. Certainly, free sites are one avenue: YouTube, Vimeo, the Internet Movie Database and Your Indie Movie are a few of the most popular options. For-profit models also exist, including Amazon, which will host the film and collect payment for any copies that are downloaded. Other sites are dedicated to a particular company. For example, in 2010, the Philips Corporation ran a short film contest, called Parallel Lines, the results of which can be viewed online. As another example, FutureStates.tv, now in its second season, is a project by the Independent Television Service, in conjunction with Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which commissions filmmakers to contribute short films, all of which are sf.

Related to such technological innovations is the emergence of film schools and programmes. Many of the 851 films are student projects, often thesis projects. While film schools were once limited to those with access to equipment, these programmes have also benefited from the reduction in cost of equipment. Now, many high schools and grade schools are also teaching film to their students.

Another of the effects of available technologies has been a proliferation of short film festivals. Although some short film festivals date back many years (e.g. the Norwegian Short Film Festival was founded in 1978), nearly all of them have begun in the past 15 years, including the Los Angeles Short Film Festival (founded 1996), the Thai Short Film Festival (1997), Belo Horizonte International SFF (1998), the Bulgarian International SFF (2003), the NYC SFF (2004) and the European SFF (2004). In a festival that is not fixed to one location, the 48 Hour Film Project travels around the USA, offering a challenge to make films in 48 hours (several of which are represented in the list of 851). While some of these larger festivals offer specific sf and fantasy programming, these genres are only tangential to the festival. However, several short film festivals dedicated to sf and fantasy have also emerged. Sci-fi London, the London International Short Film Festival...