Giving Thought: Short films for a changed world
Allison Alexander/Courtesy photo
Can your thinking be shifted in under 20 minutes? The team behind Aspen Shortfest at Aspen Film believes it can.
Aspen Film, a 44-year-old non-profit, will kick off its 33rd Shortsfest on April 2 at the historic Wheeler Opera House. This Oscar-qualifying festival invites community members and industry members to 10 programs comprising 70 films over the course of a week.
Through its over 25-year-old FilmEducates department, Aspen Film offers year-round educational programming for students and teachers from Aspen to Parachute. These far-reaching, free programs are especially activated around the organization’s major festivals, such as Shortsfest and its fall Filmfest.
During Shortsfest, Aspen Film’s FilmEducates provides educational opportunities to schools throughout our region through its Voices in Film Youth Forum. Programs are offered at no charge and aim to engage students and educators in conversations around a selection of age-appropriate films.
This year’s Voices in Film Youth Forum incorporates a wide variety of youth-focused programming and events during Shortsfest. The forum highlights and celebrates FilmEducate’s key educational programs: Making Movies Matter, Filmmakers to the Classroom, Young Filmmaker Labs, Students to the Festival, and Youth Jury.
The week kicks off with a special in-school event at Glenwood High School featuring a selection of festival films and includes a film made by a young Colorado filmmaker from the Youth Documentary Academy. The interactive program is hosted by youth with a filmmaker Q&A. The event is broadcast live through a partnership with GrassRoots Television, so that students and teachers who cannot attend in person may participate remotely.
Students and educators can also obtain free passes to Shortsfest. For those unable to attend in person, FilmEducates offers a digital library of short films that can be streamed, along with curriculum and conversation guides to support teachers in sharing films in their classrooms.
“The majority of these programs are offered at no charge and aim to promote cultural understanding, stimulate critical thinking with thoughtful conversation, and deepen the appreciation for one of the most powerful forms of creative expression,” said Regna Frank-Jones, head of Education Development and Programs at Aspen Film.
Because of their length, short films are particularly accessible in school settings. Many filmmakers begin exploring film as a medium through short films. Through its programming, FilmEducates offers opportunities for students to engage with film in a variety of ways that support their participation in the arts by removing barriers.
Frank-Jones said, “We believe in the importance of mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration, which stokes the fire of enthusiasm around the power of film to impact the world positively. We promote cross-cultural, cross-generational, and cross-disciplinary opportunities to learn and connect with others, making our youth and community stronger.”
While students and youth benefit from the educational programming, so do filmmakers.
“Teaching a class and an assembly over our week at Aspen Shortsfest was one of the more rewarding parts of the trip. Visiting with students while with Daniel, the subject of our film, was edifying for us, and I hope for the class. It was great watching the kids interact and ask questions of Daniel — some that I wouldn’t have expected — and was a unique experience to be able to see what the students were taking away from our film,” said Michael Minahan, a filmmaker, after last year’s Shortsfest.
“Education is a two-way street; it’s not just us educating students. We need to learn from young people and also curate experiences that open up their world-views,” Frank-Jones said. “When we empower our youth, we change the world … And I think the medium of film is so accessible and impactful.”
Film is a form of storytelling. In our fast-paced world, where attention spans are shrinking, short films offer opportunities to capture an audience’s attention and share a perspective or lesson quickly and impactfully. This has the potential to change hearts and minds and open up conversation.
Bringing youth voices and audiences into this medium can potentially change the lives of students and our broader community, one short at a time. Philanthropic support allows Aspen Film to offer these programs broadly to our community, helping to ensure the future of film is diverse, inclusive, and accessible.
Allison Alexander is the director strategic partnerships and communication at Aspen Community Foundation. ACF with the support of its donors works with a number of non-profits in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. Throughout the year, we will work to highlight non-profits in the region.
Allison Alexander is the Director Strategic Partnerships and Communication at Aspen Community Foundation. ACF with the support of its donors works with a number of nonprofits in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. Throughout the year, we will work to highlight nonprofits in the region.
