Tallahassee’s very own cinematic celebration happens later this month. This is the 6th year for the Tally Shorts Film Festival.
Heading up the marketing for the occasion is Mark Bauer, who noted this is a bit different from those festivals that concentrate on the longer kinds of movies.
“We focus on the short films so we don’t have any of the feature-length films. So these are 25 minutes or less, but that’s what we really love about it. It’s like a buffet of film; you get a little bit of everything and leave really satisfied,” Bauer said.
Festival Program Director Carlos Miranda explained exactly what Bauer meant by the term “buffet.”
“We have a lot of dramas,” he began. “We have a great animation groups this year – bigger than last year – we also have a children’s block and we usually have a very good selection from that area. And we have a lot of international films this year.”
That international film component, said Miranda, has become a major part of the festival.
“Last year we had 156 films from all over the world from 46 countries. And this year we have 36 countries now and we have 111 films internationally out of the 322 selections we’ve received so far.”
Ultimately, the festival committee received a total of 382 films, of which 89 made the final cut. Bottom line, said Bauer, a totally different experience than what you’ll find at the standard Cineplex.
“That’s what is so great about Tally Shorts Film Festival is you get to see cinema you’re not going to see anywhere else and they’re gems. They’re beautiful films.”
New this year is the festival’s first-ever panel discussion entitled “The Importance of Short Films”. It’s set for the evening of Friday, January 26th starting at 5:30. There will also be several filmmakers on hand to chat informally about their work. All taking place through Saturday the 27th. Bauer said the complete schedule along with tickets can be found at: www.tallyshorts.com.
“Get an all-fest pass you can take advantage of that, see as many films as you’d like, go to the after parties and the film maker meet-and-greet,” he urged. “Meet the filmmakers who are coming from all over the world. It’s a great bargain.”
It’s all happening, said Miranda, at Tallahassee’s Challenger Learning Center.
“Right in downtown and it’s a nice location. They’ve always been good to us. Great parking and food nearby.”
Not to mention they have some of the best popcorn in town.
