Jury President Statement
Marbelle
Regardless of the genres, themes or styles which pique personal tastes, few would question the power of cinema to tap into our deepest emotions as it submerges us in a wealth of experience outside of our own. However, when it comes to running times, diminutive sibling the short film often gets overlooked. Ignored by many and dismissed by others (who should know better) as simply the training wheels for 'proper' filmmaking, the format despite its increasing prevalence is still woefully overlooked. However, those of us who make short films our everyday business, who eat, breathe and sleep the form, have long known that this is the cinematic canvas where innovation thrives. Rather than being a hindrance, the infamously low budgets of bootstrapped shorts productions frequently act as a catalyst for filmmakers to turn their passions into action in an arena where the external forces of compromise exert the least pressure. Here is where new generations of filmmakers forge career spanning relationships with collaborators while exploring new ideas. Where veteran practitioners return to stretch their creative muscles free from restriction. Where focus groups, studio notes and audience demographics hold no sway. It is the breeding ground of bold visions, birthing innovative techniques which are developed, honed and deployed in the service of absorbing narratives. As such, short films should be widely celebrated, not as effective stepping stones to larger ventures - although the best of them routinely fill that purpose - but as pieces of boundary pushing art to be admired in their own right.
Grand Prix 2020
Congratulations to Wetransfer and their WePresent programme who entered this inspirational and moving film. WePresent supports artistes to profile and showcase amazing stories.
For the full information on 2020 Gold winners click here; https://kinsalesharks.awardsengine.com/winners/2020/short-film
2020 Jurors
