The development of the internet over the last couple of decades has created a world where information can be spread farther and farther, faster and faster. While the debate on shortening attention spans continues, one positive result is the rise of the short film. Although short films have been a part of cinema since its birth, the feature has long dominated the field. Dedicated to honoring the underdog of film, The Short Film Awards, known as The SOFIES, will hold its third annual event December 9, 10, and 11, 2016 at Symphony Space, Broadway, NY. Film Matters’s intern, Lydia Plantamura interviews SOFIE founder, Cindy Birch, about the award ceremony and the importance of recognizing “giants” among short subject works.
Lydia Plantamura: I understand this will be the Third Annual Short Film Awards in December. How have the SOFIES developed and grown over the past couple of years?
Cindy Birch: Since our first year, submissions for SOFIE Award consideration have continued to increase. The number of countries represented by those submissions have also increased. Last year, short films from over forty countries were submitted. This year, we’re expecting that number to grow to over fifty countries, at least. Filmmakers come from across the globe, and we have grown to full attendance at the annual awards event. This year, we have expanded from just a one-day awards ceremony, to also include two full days of screenings of the 2016 SOFIE-nominated short films. We’re so excited for everyone to now have the opportunity to view these amazing shorts before the winners are announced at the awards ceremony. Plus, the filmmakers (some who travel very far, some who are coming to New York for the very first time) will now have three days to network and connect with other super talented filmmakers and powerbrokers in the film and entertainment industries.
LP: Why did the organizers of the event feel the need for an award ceremony dedicated to the short film?
CB: My team and I have always been short film lovers. We have always respected the fact that just as much creativity, amazing talent and skills, and so much hard work goes into making these mini film masterpieces. One day, I saw a short online. There were beautiful, happy children dancing and singing right into the camera. I caught myself smiling very hard. Then, words flashed across the screen, explaining that by the time the film project was completed, most of those smiling, dancing, singing children had succumbed to HIV/AIDS. In those short few minutes, I had felt great joy, horrible shock, and immense grief. It was powerful. That short film had taken me on a journey and awakened something inside of me. It inspired me. It motivated me to create The Short Film Awards, because in this fast-paced world with much shorter attention spans, short films have great potential to teach, uplift and transform lives around the world—and that deserves to be honored!
LP: What sets the SOFIES apart from other film contests, awards, and festivals?
CB: The Short Film Awards, affectionately known as The SOFIES—so named for our beautiful and impressive award statuette, SOFIE—honors and focuses solely on short films. It is an exciting and fun, but serious and prestigious event for short filmmakers. Everything we do is with the short filmmaker in mind, from the inexpensive submission fees to the care and thoughtfulness that designed and produces the SOFIE Awards. Through our film and entertainment connections and our partnerships with other orgs, like the NYC Filmmakers and The Newark International Film Festival, The SOFIES promote the importance and value of the unique art form that is the short film. We enable the short filmmaker to receive greater exposure and accolades to encourage and support future projects and continued career success.
LP: How many submissions do you receive each year?
CB: Each year, our submissions have increased. From 2014 to 2015, submissions increased over 120 percent, to over 700 entries. This year, we are on track to see a significant increase again.
LP: Once the films have been selected, is there a way for interested audiences to view the nominees before the award ceremony?
CB: In the first two years, there was no formal way for film lovers to view the full versions of SOFIE-nominated films. If the short was available online, we would link to it in our social media posts, leading up to the awards event. At the awards ceremony, we show thirty-second clips of each nominated film. However, this year, we have added two full days of screenings at the Symphony Space in New York to allow audiences to enjoy all of the 2016 SOFIE-nominated short films, in whole.
LP: How are the judges selected?
CB: SOFIE nominees are chosen by a special Review Committee of film lovers with extensive experience in filmmaking. Then, the nominated films are passed on to a Final Judging panel, comprising accomplished powerbrokers in film and entertainment. These Final Judges are invited because of their expert film knowledge and positions of power in film and entertainment. That provides The SOFIES with the best decisions and also puts the filmmakers’ work in front of people who can help further their careers.
LP: What do the judges look for when selecting the winners?
CB: Of course, the focus is different according to the category being judged (Best Actor versus Best Editing, for example). However, in general, there must be a strong story and strong tech work, meaning lighting, sound, et cetera. The unique creativity of each short film is considered; interesting, unusual camera shots that make sense; set design and costumes; the technology or a special theory used.
LP: One of the SOFIE missions is “To generate revenue for Short Filmmakers to recoup production costs, as well as to aid in the production of future short films.” How have The SOFIES been able to accomplish this?
CB: We are working on that part of our mission, as we foster and build partnerships. One way is through a deal we brokered with GFNTV.com, an online video network with over one million active viewers already. Our SOFIE TV page is currently under construction. Once it has launched, featured filmmakers will receive a percentage of revenue made from ad dollars. We are also developing sponsorship deals to provide cash prizes to filmmakers, along with our SOFIE Award. As an org, The Short Film Awards also keeps in touch with our nominees and winners. We want to stay abreast of their projects and careers, so we can connect them with others looking for the talent and skills they offer.
LP: I noticed that the Documentary Short Film category requires the film to be less than thirty-one minutes, while all other categories (Narrative, Dramatic, Comedic, and Animated) must be under twenty-one minutes. Why is this?
CB: We noticed that on average, short documentaries tend to be a little longer than the other genres. So, we thought it important to adjust for that. We don’t want a great short doc to go unnoticed due to a few minutes.
LP: How does the category “Best Short Film from the Vault” work?
CB: As I stated before, my team and I have long been short film lovers and respecters of the art form. However, The Short Film Awards has only been in full operation for three years. That means that too many award-worthy short films have not received their due. So, the Best Short Film from the Vault category was created to allow those older short films a chance in the spotlight.
Want to check out last year’s winners? Many of their videos are linked on the SOFIE website at http://www.theshortfilmawards.com/
Author Biography
Lydia Plantamura has served on the editorial board for Film Matters magazine and is currently working as an intern. A recent graduate, she studied creative writing and film studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. As a nontraditional student, she returned to school after taking a three-year break to travel. She fell in love with Hawaii, where she spent the majority of her educational hiatus, living on the island of Maui.
