Amazing films, curated by acclaimed festivals: The streaming service THIS IS SHORTis back, better – and here to stay
After two seasons in 2021 and 2022, the streaming platform THIS IS SHORT is now back––and this time permanently. Curated by six European film festivals and operating as a year-round and globally available platform for short films, the service starts again on November 20, 2023 at thisisshort.com.
The collaborative project THIS IS SHORT originally kicked off on April 1, 2021, and thrilled film lovers from over 50 countries for three months in the midst of the pandemic. Entering its second round in the spring of 2022, the “online festival” eventually inspired this year-round follow-up project: a streaming service featuring fascinating films, curated by fabulous festivals.
“The new service is aimed at the curious and cinephiles, at arthouse and festival audiences, at those who make films and those who want to discover talent. It’s about great cinema in all its due brevity,” emphasize the festivals of the European Short Film Network (ESFN).“And it deliberately focuses on the short film format––which is and always has been the most important source of innovation for the art of film and filmmaking.”
THIS IS SHORT launches with just over 100 carefully selected films from around 30 countries on the main site as well as in the festival windows, and will regularly add new films in the coming weeks and months. The program is diverse, ranging from current affairs and award-winning films to retrospectives and holiday specials. In addition, the site will offer in-depth reviews of selected films in collaboration with partners; and the first two seasons resonate in the four winning films of the New Point Of View competition, which was dedicated to cinematic expression in the digital age.
All featured films are selected from the approximately 40.000 films submitted annually to all participating festivals, as well as from the festivals' archives. Submissions for THIS IS SHORT will not be accepted. The films will be screened without regional restrictions, if possible, and in their original version with English subtitles (as well as subtitles in other languages if available). After a two-week free trial period, the monthly subscription costs 4.99 euros, while the annual subscription is available for as little as 49.99 euros.
Who is behind it?
THIS IS SHORT is run by the EUROPEAN SHORT FILM NETWORK, co-financed by the EU audiovisual funding program MEDIA, developed in collaboration with the Dutch company ThisWayUp and designed by the Polish company Uniforma. The network currently includes six festivals: Vienna Shorts (AT), Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen (DE), Go Short Festival (NL), Short Waves Festival (PL), IndieLisboa (PT) and Uppsala Kortfilmfestival (SE). The site is organized as a non-profit and aims to support European and international short films and filmmakers.
THIS IS SHORT will be available worldwide starting November 20, 2023. From that date, the service will present an outstanding bouquet of short films on a completely rebuilt platform and offer the entire program for a monthly or annual subscription at thisisshort.com.
Watch extraordinary films, curated by exquisite festivals.
THIS IS SHORT – The Streaming Service of the European Short Film Network
Website
https://instagram.com/this_is_short
Facebook
https://facebook.com/thisisshortcom
Contacts
General requests: info(at)thisisshort.com
Communications / Press: lucasbbicudo(at)gmail.com
Oberhausen, 16 November 2023
Press contact Oberhausen: niewalda(at)kurzfilmtage.de