Duana C. Butler
This past January, Reel 13 celebrated the 1st anniversary of what has been an amazing journey in building a platform for an interactive community of movie lovers and filmmakers alike. The station took great strides to launch a new way of linking the online and broadcast experience of celebrating film and stimulating a lively discourse. I am very excited about the relaunch of the Reel 13 site, which as you will see in an earlier post by Daniel Ross (Web Producer), improves upon its functionality and its support of audience engagement.
As Curator/Producer of Reel 13 Shorts, I have been privileged to be a part of this process. My work on this program is fueled by close to twenty years of working within the independent film community as a curator/producer/director/arts administrator. My work is also supported by my undying passion for all things cinema.
Curating Reel 13 Shorts has provided me with the opportunity to put a spotlight on the oft-neglected short form of film. Often times, I believe that folk forget that, just like the disciplines of poetry and short stories, short filmmaking is a craft unto itself. There are filmmakers who do not aspire to feature filmmaking but to create short films. For these makers, the short form is not a calling card for Hollywood or a stepping stone to that of feature films. And as Reel 13 Shorts has proven, there exists a vast community of shorts makers world-wide who need more opportunities for their work to reach wider audiences.
The magic of Reel 13 is that not only do these films reach huge audiences through the technological advances of the Internet, but there is also the opportunity for these films to achieve a coveted broadcast slot that connects to even larger audiences. This program has also allowed movie lovers who don’t attend film festivals and screenings (where most of this work lives) to finally see films that have been inaccessible in the past.
Reel 13 Shorts has presented the work of a diverse community of cinematic storytellers. To date, approximately 800 shorts submissions have been received. 151 shorts have been shown online. 58 winning shorts have been broadcast as part of the weekly Reel 13 lineup on Saturday evenings.
The work of students has been showcased in great numbers, with work coming from film schools including NYU, Columbia University, Columbia College, The New School, University of Arts/Philadelphia, Northwestern University, the New York Film Academy, Stanford University, Emerson, Vassar College (my own alma mater), Hunter College, Yale University, Duke University and Wesleyan University. The program has also presented a wealth of films by working independent filmmakers.
Submissions have come from our beloved New York City, as well as from across the nation. The weekly competition has also drawn interest internationally which has included submissions and the presentation of films from countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and Israel.
There is a movement afoot as makers spread the word and audiences build for the online and broadcast showcase. Help us celebrate the relaunch of the Reel 13 website by joining us at Reel 13. Get involved! Check out each week’s lineup of shorts and then vote for your favorite film. And participate in the conversation online and share your thoughts in the shorts comments sections. Then tune in on Saturday nights to view the winning short as well as the classic and indie features. Visit our new shorts library to see the range of filmmaking talent that has been shown this past year. There is something for everyone’s movie tastes. Also, filmmakers send in your work and join our incredibly talented alumni — which grows week by week.
The shorts voting poll closes at 5pm on Thursdays, and I will officially announce the winning film at this time in this blog. On Fridays, I will announce the new lineup of shorts and provide insight into the selection of each film. I will also post the broadcast times for the winning short that appears on Saturday evening. In this blog, I will report on happenings in the indie film scene, profile filmmakers and new works, and share my own love of cinema. This is a space to encourage further discourse as well. So I welcome your thoughts, questions and dialogue.
Filmmakers, submit your work! Movie lovers, tune in! Join us in building the Thirteen community of film lovers at Reel 13! And spread the word!
–Duana C. Butler, Curator, Reel 13 Shorts
