Palm Springs Short Fest Earns Worldwide Accolades

More than 50 countries represented at 20th annual

Gloria Greer Social Scene

 

Nearly 20,000 fans attended the 2014 Palm Springs International ShortFest Film Festival at the Camelot Theatre. At least one-third of the attendees were filmmakers – the largest amount ever gathered in its 20-year history.

With 56 countries represented, top jury winning films came from China, Poland, New Zealand and Hong Kong. USA films received the majority of audience favorite honors at the award presentations on the festival’s closing night.

Included in the seven days of whirlwind screenings were seminars, round table discussions, master classes and nightly parties. The festival opened with Make 'Em Laugh, a series of amusing short films screened after introductions from Harold Matzner, chairman of the board of directors of the Palm Springs International Film Society; Darryl Macdonald, executive director, and Kathleen McInnis, festival director. Matzner referred to the festival as a “seven-day learning experience.”

Not only is Short Fest one of the top five film events worldwide, but also it has the largest film market in the world.

This edition offered 3,000 short films – each available for viewing daily during the festival. Of the 3,000 films submitted, 320 were selected for official festival screenings at the Camelot Theatre. An example of the quality of films selected – 97 short films featured in past Palm Springs Short Fests have received Academy Award nominations.