Aspen Film’s Shortsfest starts Tuesday. The film festival screens nearly 70 films, all with a running time of 40 minutes or less. The event also includes panels and filmmaker Q-and-As.
In addition to daily conversations with filmmakers, Shortsfest will host a discussion with programmers from several prestigious festivals about how they curate lineups, and a panel aimed at newer filmmakers about marketing and distributing films.
A feature-length movie will be shown for the first time in the festival’s history. “Short Term 12” is based on an award-winning film previously screened at Shortsfest. Filmmaker Destin Cretton, who was just tapped to direct a new Marvel movie, will discuss adapting the short film to a feature.
Susan Wrubel, the executive director of Aspen Film, says the festival offers a chance to see the raw material of future Oscar contenders.
"I grew up in the feature-film world, and I think about what the award-winners are going to be, but those films are born out of a lot of the films that come from Shortsfest," she said.
Shortsfest runs through Sunday, with screenings at both the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen and Crystal Theatre in Carbondale.
