Sundance Offers Curated Selection Of Short Films On New Website

Each year, the program at the Sundance Film Festival includes dozens of short films from both established names in the film world and up-and-coming directors. Now, on a new website, Sundance has hand-picked a selection of those shorts and offered them for free. The film festival has launched Shorts on SundanceTV, where the best films from previous years are available through a simply-designed portal.

The site’s main attraction is a library of short films curated by Sundance programmer Michael Plante. Plante’s choices are filled with notable names. For example, I’m A Mitzvah, which first premiered during the 2014 edition of Sundance, stars actor Ben Schwartz of Parks and Rec fame. Una Hora Por Favora, from 2012, is directed by Transparent’s Jill Soloway.

For movie buffs who crave work from relative unknowns, a selection of “Contest Shorts” spotlights lesser-known filmmakers from around the world. Still photos from individual shorts are also available.

By launching its own online video portal, Sundance adds its name to the list of platforms distributing high-quality short film content. Tribeca Film Festival has embraced the online video community through programs like Tribeca N.O.W., white distributors like Vimeo On Demand, Netflix, and YouTube have housed Oscar-nominated short films. Shorts on SundanceTV’s selection will be of the utmost quality, and the best part is that it is completely free.

According to a press release, five more films will be added to the Shorts on SundanceTV catalog next month.