No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsArts and CultureSan José hosts international short film fest

San José hosts international short film fest

See also: UCR students race toward cinematic glory in only 48 hours

Film buffs, prepare yourselves: over the next week, as a wave of “shnit International Shortfilmfestival” events unfold in cities all over the world, San José will be the only host city in Central America, and will offer four days of the best short films from around the world.

The festivities kick off today Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. with an inauguration ceremony at Cine Magaly in eastern San José, followed by a party, and will continue with different events until Oct. 11 (check out the whole program here).

The Shortfilmfestival started 13 years ago in Bern, Switzerland, and has since spread to other cities. The festival will be held simultaneously in this year’s chosen cities, or “playgrounds,” which are: Buenos Aires (Argentina), Moscow (Russia), Cape Town (South Africa), Bangkok (Thailand), Cairo (Egypt), Kyoto (Japan), and San José, which became a shnit playground in 2011. Here, activities are organized by the deleFoco Audiovisual Group. The 12 days of the international program include five during which films are presented at the eight “playgrounds,” five during which a selection of the best films are screened at movie theaters around the globe, and a final two days when the winners of the festival are presented at the “Grand Finale” in New York.


The competition includes international and national categories; all contenders were selected by the artistic direction in Bern, Switzerland. This year’s international jury includes the Costa Rican filmmaker Neto Villalobos, known for his latest film, “Por las plumas.”

Recommended: 5 questions for a Costa Rican filmmaker – ‘I’m hungry to make movies’

“What I think is the value of Costa Rica being part of the shnit is that it is another window for national production, not only for people here to watch short films from all around the world, but also for people in other countries to watch Costa Rican short films,” Villalobos said.

In the San José iteration, a national category, “Made in Costa Rica,” will feature twelve Costa Rican films that will compete for the people’s choice award and a jury’s choice award. The fim selected by the jury will represent Costa Rica at next’s year International Playground Favorites. The jury is made up of directors Alexandra Latishev and Iván Porras, and photography director Fernando Montero. Among the short films selected are “La Cacería,” by Erick Pérez; “Pique Tico,” by Pablo Solís; “Zafiro,” by Andre Robert; and “Por Delante,” by Jorge M. Rodrigo.

This year’s festival also includes two new events. The first, “Peeping shnit,” is a selection of the best erotic short films, and will take place Oct. 8 at 10:30 p.m. “Playground Favorites 2014,” a selection of the best films from last year’s festival, including the Costa Rican film “Funeral,” by Alejandro Bonilla, will be screened Oct. 9 at 4:30 p.m.

In addition to screenings, the festiva will offer parties and workshops for attendants: today’s inaugural party will be held at El Observatorio, across from Cine Magaly, and the same location will host the second party on Oct. 9 honoring national talent after the “Made in Costa Rica” presentation. The official party to mark the end of the San José festivities will take place at the Hoxton, in San Pedro.

Participants will also have the opportunity to learn about audiovisuals with two workshops, “From the idea to the script” with Ariel Escalante y Gustavo Fallas, in Oct. 8 at 9 a.m., and “Implementation of ‘After Effects’ in audiovisuals” with Sergio Castro, Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. There will also be a lecture, “The post-production secrets of ‘Adobe’,” with professor Leonardo Fallas, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. Both workshops and the talk will be held at Veritas University in southeastern San José. Both workshops and the talk are free activities, but require registration before the event.

Find more information about the festival and workshops at the shnit Website, or call 2224-4696.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Defeats Nicaragua 4-1 in World Cup Push

Costa Rica delivered a strong performance last night, defeating Nicaragua 4-1 in their Concacaf World Cup qualifier at the National Stadium. The result marks...

Heavy Rains in Costa Rica Cause Severe Flooding

Costa Rica faces another tough week as persistent heavy rains pound our country, leading to widespread flooding, landslides, and disrupted lives. This October, the...

Costa Rica Sport Fishing Industry Pushes 2026 Presidential Candidates

Leaders from Costa Rica’s tourism and sport fishing industry gathered last week to push for stronger marine policies, pressing presidential hopefuls to commit to...

Costa Rica Faces Calls to Strengthen Shark Protection Enforcement

Costa Rica faces growing pressure from environmental experts and lawyers to tighten enforcement of laws protecting endangered sharks. Recent court rulings have highlighted gaps...

Trump Says He Will End US Aid to Colombia as Tensions Spike

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday accused his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, of tolerating drug production and announced he would end “large-scale payments...

JetBlue Flash Sale: Fort Lauderdale to Liberia Flights Ends Today

Those looking for a deal on airfare and eyeing a trip between Florida and Costa Rica now have a chance to get one with...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica