New Oscar Connections for SIFF

SIFF 2009 runs May 21 through June 14. One notable change for the festival, announced earlier this month, concerns short films. (The image above is from Giving Thanks, seen at SIFF '08.) SIFF will henceforth be deemed an Academy Awards ® qualifying festival, meaning that, according to press release:

"As a qualifying festival of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, short films that receive Best Narrative short film and Best Animation short film awards at SIFF may qualify to enter the Short Films category of the Academy Awards ® for the concurrent season without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules."

In plain English, filmmakers can henceforth save the expense of four-walling their short flicks in New York and L.A. (i.e., paying a theater to run them for a week) by instead seeking entry at SIFF (and other film fests). Provided, of course, the film is good enough to include in the fest, as determined by SIFF programmers. All of which should help the quality of short films at SIFF this summer.