I Want to Believe

Aliens, Ghosts, and Ideas to Save the Film Industry

Author

Jason Sondhi
July 28, 2023

A whistle-blower testifies to Congress that the cover-up is real! Aliens exist! I want to belieeeeeeevvvvee!!!

Seriously, as an old-school X-Files superfan, the recent mainstream march to “wait…maybe we aren’t alone?” has been surreal. If true, it is the biggest news of our lifetimes, but I’m not going to let the enormity of the prospect stop me from putting some cheeky content out on the internet. Onwards and upwards!

🪐 Shortverse Collections

A shorts collection about aliens among us! Some come in peace, some with violence in their (multiple?) hearts, but this playlist leans into the silly, weird, and kitschy side of UFOs.

If Aliens have come to visit us, it is quite likely that Fantasia is their favorite film festival. The gigantic genre fest is happening right now and our Senior Programmer, Chelsea Lupkin, is on hand to scout talent and serve as a mentor at Frontières, the festival’s famous co-production market. For Shortverse we pulled together a selection of award-winners and notable selections from the past 10 years for your viewing enjoyment.

📅 This Week on Short of the Week

Importance of Sound w/ David Kamp

Sound Designer, Composer, and Sound Artist David Kamp joins us to discuss the role sound plays in a successful short film.

Appreciation by Tomisin Adepeju

An African Pentecostal Pastor questions everything she believes after a life-changing event.

I Have No Legs, and I Must Run by Yue Li

The arrival of a talented new member of his team plants the seeds of jealousy in the mind of an aging athlete.

Don't Go Where I Can't Find You by Rioghnach Ni Ghrioghair

As a composer uses music to connect with the ghost of her dead lover, her mind starts to spiral into chaos.

Monday saw the second edition of the “Importance Of…” Q&A series, where Rob talks with exciting short film talents that specialize in the myriad of important roles related to filmmaking other than “director”. Legendary sound guru David Kamp is highlighted this time out and it is a lot of fun.

The rest of the week was a real treat featuring heavyweight shorts that will be in contention for the best releases of the year. While a bit older, having starred on the festival circuit in 2019, Appreciation from Tomisin Adepeju left an indelible mark on Rob at the time, and when the opportunity to share it on S/W he pounced, declaring it to be “filmmaking of the highest quality.”

Then, Céline writes about the most recent from Yue Li, a gripping drama about an athlete whose body is failing them. Winner of the top prize at BFI London and a Special Mention at Palm Springs, we lend our voice in support of the hype.

Finally, Céline takes on what was on my personal shortlist of favorite films from last year, the extraordinary gothic horror Don’t Go Where I Can’t Find You from the Irish talent Rioghnach Ni Ghrioghair. A celebrated composer is haunted by her dead lover, the film is a sensorial delight of image and sound.

Go deeper into the world of shorts by joining our Discord community! Share your work, get advice, ask support questions, and hang out with talented creatives from around the world.

🎟 Coming soon that we’re excited about…

Échale Ganas: The Villa’s Tacos Story | Shortverse

Against the backdrop of COVID-19 and the gentrification in his neighborhood, Victor Villa, a young Latino community leader, must persevere to keep his backyard street taco business afloat.

From Shirley He, an MFA candidate in Stanford’s acclaimed Doc program, the film is simultaneously a snapshot of our recent Covid past, an inspiring profile of a rising entrepreneur, and an insightful peek into the business and culture around Los Angeles’ famous food trucks. Set to drop on August 1st!

🔍 Someone you should follow…

Julia Kennelly

Having developed a reputation as a rising star producer with projects like Oscar-winner “The Neighbor’s Window”, Kennelly also proved herself a talented director when “Marcy Learns Something New” featured on Short of the Week.

This week we’re pleased to learn that Kennelly has been offered a spot in Sundance’s prestigious Producers Lab where she will work to adapt another S/W-featured short, “Clare”, into a feature. Congrats Julia!

📖 Stuff We’re Paying Attention To

More Barbie?! I know, but I still haven’t seen it (going this afternoon) and I just love Dawn and Jocelyn who are turning into in-demand commercial directors, like with this Barbie spot for Google.

Welcome to the New No Film School (Version 3!) - NoFilmSchool has been a good internet friend of ours, so we want to congratulate them on their revamped website!

The Winner is Always the Loser on ‘Project Greenlight’ - Scott Tobias of The Reveal on the latest season of the filmmaking-as-reality-tv competition show which is once again courting controversy.

Vimeo CEO to Take Over Tubi - A bit belated of news, but Anjali Sud, the architect of Vimeo’s strategic shift which successfully led the company to an IPO, stepped down from the company earlier this month. She is now set to take the reins at Tubi, a major player in the growing FAST (Free, Ad-Supported TV) market.

SAG waivers mean more opportunity for filmmaking outside the system. - Indiewire’s Eric Kohn addresses the idea that’s been front of my mind since the strike — will the labor conflict present an opportunity to shift more of the business away from the major studios, networks, and streamers?

Your Brand is Barbie - Meanwhile, S/W-investor Michael Sugar thinks the solution to the industry’s problems is more corporate money—just not from the entertainment companies. Instead, he suggests that major brands across sectors should stop merely advertising against hit programming and actively co-create it, helping turn their advertising budget into a “profit center rather than a pure expense.”

How to Do Great Work - We’ll leave with this essay from Paul Graham which resonated with Andy a lot, calling it “one of the best essays I've ever read on creativity…”