Short Attention Span Theater

Most people are afraid of film festivals, and with good reason. The prospect of sitting through a two-hour experimental feature, shot with a cell phone, wherein a group of Swedish-speaking professors debates the existence of God, is all too likely. And that's what's great about the MSFF, also known as the Miami Short Film Festival, which is celebrating it’s sixth year. As the name suggests, the films are short, so if one stinks, at least it will be over by the time you get back from the bathroom.

Of course, some films represent the future of cinema, like 1975 by young Mexican director Fausto Terán, or Aquarium by Rob Meyer, who is doing a better Wes Anderson impersonation than Wes Anderson. Also of note is Ray Griggs's Lucifer, an eight-minute CGI film that cost $3.5 million to make. Is it the next Lord of the Rings or the Iraq War of short filmmaking? You decide. The festival is being presented in conjunction with Yahoo! Telemundo, and opens tonight at 7 with screenings and a reception at the Miami Science Museum. It runs through Sunday, December 2, with some showings at the University of Miami's Bill Cosford Cinema.
Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2007