Hot Shorts to give filmmakers a leg-up

VADODARA: Wannabe filmmakers are getting a boost with city-based Hot Shorts offering them funds and promotional support. What started as a competition for short filmmakers organized by a group of city-based film enthusiasts will soon become a brand.
Youngsters striving for a career in film direction and making of short, corporate and social awareness films and documentaries will get much needed encouragement.Moreover, the group will organize workshops, inviting prominent filmmakers for interactive sessions and conduct film appreciation activities.
"After getting good response from two short film competitions, we decided to create a platform for filmmakers from our state. Hot Shorts was a small initiative but now it will be grooming budding filmmakers. We will fund them, promote them and take them to international film fests," says Neeraj Joshi who started Hot Shorts two years ago.
The group has been invited to showcase its films at Gujarat University and Surat. The best films will be screened. This year, Brain Drain' made by Aakash Maheriya from Ahmedabad won the best film award. I Believe I Can Fly' made by a homemaker from Vadodara, Vidhi Parikh, was judged second best film out of 31 entries screened on Sunday.
Joshi plans to build a video library of over 3,000 films consisting of short and feature films from world cinema. "As part of the film appreciation exercise, we will have filmmakers teaching students to criticize, analyze and appreciate films. Those who want to see good films can rent them from our library," adds Joshi.
The next big plan of Hot Shorts is to host a national level animation and short film competition.