LIVE from Ipswich, it’s Suffolk Shorts!

Can you believe it? The event we’ve all been waiting for is finally here!

I joined the team at Suffolk Shorts in October 2019. At the time, it was twelve months to their first film festival. I was so excited. I had the opportunity to interview a selection of our brilliant judges, from David Morrissey to Sophie Fiennes. Then disaster struck… lockdown after lockdown after lockdown (you remember, right?).

Being separated from friends and loved ones sucked big time, but I had the opportunity to watch loads of the fantastic shorts that were submitted to the festival. I didn’t have to take up a new hobby, like making friends out of felt, to pass the time. Instead, I got to watch a myriad of shorts, submitted from 28 countries!

Now (and I can hardly believe it!) the box office is open! You can purchase tickets from Ipswich Film Theatre to come and see a load of excellent short films. From a provocative digital drag queen (in the documentary programme) to a dog that goes to space (in the animation programme), Suffolk Shorts has it all.

The saying goes ‘it’s not the winning that counts…’ BUT it is super exciting to find out who has won. I wish all the nominees the best of luck. It’s nerve-wracking to put yourself out there and have your work scrutinised, but all the selected films prove that shorts are an art form in their own right. And to any disbeliever, why don’t you come along and have your mind changed?

The Suffolk Shorts film festival promises to be a joyous event, bringing people together over a shared love of short film, and I for one can’t wait to be there.

Written by Hebe Dobson-Mouawad