Aspen Film unites audiences from Colorado and beyond with talented international filmmakers, both emerging and established, during the annual Aspen Shortsfest, April 5-10, 2011. Some 80 shorts from around the globe will screen at Aspen’s historic Wheeler Opera House and the Crystal Theatre in Carbondale.
Recently named by indieWIRE as one of the world’s top-50 leading film festivals, Aspen Shortsfest is widely recognized as a premier North American showcase for short film and video, including documentary, animation, and live action. For two decades the festival has celebrated the work and creators of a visual medium that is largely unavailable to general audiences.
Aspen Shortsfest’s centerpiece is the juried International Competition, which may qualify award winners for Oscar eligibility. The lineup includes premieres as well as award-winners from the international festival circuit.
“More than just sharing stories, the films in this year’s International Competition transport us into worlds,” says Aspen Film Program Director George Eldred. “Sometimes these worlds are identifiable places on the globe; often they are in imaginative alternate universes. Each program’s ticket is a passport to a whirlwind tour of the fertile and unpredictable creativity of today’s new filmmakers.”
Tickets will go one sale March 14 and will be available at the Wheeler Opera House box office and American National Bank in Carbondale, and through aspenshowtix.com. The full program guide will be online at aspenfilm.org on March 4.
Aspen Shortsfest 2011 is presented by Saab and is also sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, Colorado Creative Industries, the City of Aspen, The Aspen Times, American National Bank, Hotel Jerome, Sky Hotel, and Aspen Public Radio, with special support provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
About Aspen Film
Established in 1979, Aspen Film is one of Colorado’s most active film arts organizations, presenting dynamic programs and featured guest artists throughout the year. Internationally recognized, Aspen Film organizes a major film event in every season, along with an extensive education program: Aspen Filmfest, Academy Screenings, Aspen Shortsfest, and Film Educates. With a mission to enlighten, enrich, educate, and entertain through film, Aspen Film stimulates thought, encourages dialogue, and broadens understanding of our world and ourselves through the diverse spectrum of ideas presented by filmmakers worldwide. To learn more, visit aspenfilm.org.