Face to Face with... Jack Robinson

Short & Sweet began as London’s only weekly short film festival back in 2006 and now it returns to the capital for three exclusive nights of short film screenings in August showcasing the work of new and established directors. Having also made a recent appearance at Cannt in June, London coordinator Jack Robinson tells us how a small weekly programme has evolved into an international ambassador for the medium.

Tell us a bit more about Short & Sweet and its London return…

We’re back, but only for three exclusive nights (Monday 8, 15, 22 August) at The Phoenix on Cavendish Square, W1.

Short & Sweet was run by one of my dearest Friends Julia Stephenson every single week for the past five years. To this day I still have no idea how she managed it all so often and for free. But due to that Short & Sweet now has an unrivalled database of some of the best shorts.

Julia is now setting up Short & Sweet in Cape Town, which has been an incredible success, getting an audience of about 400 people every week. Toronto is now also up and running with Jordan Crute heading that up and soon she’ll be off to conquer Australia and India.

What that has meant though is that us Londoners were abandoned and I couldn't let that happen so I decided to do my best to pick up where Julia left off, which is no easy feat if you know the passion and enthusiasm she brought to the sessions.

As usual we won’t be limiting ourselves and will be showing old and new films, from established directors to breaking talent. It’s three fantastic nights of unbranded short films, music videos and short animations from around the globe. Curated and presented as a completely unique experience where people can come and meet the filmmakers, socialise and have a few drinks.

And how did the Cannt event go?

It was fantastic. Matt Stafford put the evening together as part of the Cannt events and invited Short & Sweet to curate and present an evening. If anything the night cemented the fact that there is big demand for Short & Sweet’s return. No one does and no one can programme like we do! Admittedly the original plan of having an outside screening fell through due to the wet English weather but we managed to find refuge at The Queen of Hoxton.

Was it always in the plans to develop into an international programme?

Absolutely. Julia has always thought of Short & Sweet as a global experience. We share films done by filmmakers from all over the world and they are right at the centre of what we do. Creating a network where we are able to access and share ?lms to the widest audience is an awesome opportunity.

How important/relevant is the short form medium in today’s industry?

People want bite size information and short films provide that. The way in which people watch and share films and visual information has and is changing significantly which has an effect on the sort of information people engage with. Short film is universal. This medium is powerful – it brings a message that can be visually understood by people all over the world. It taps into universal emotions and experiences. It reaches out to people of all ages, cultures and professions in a succinct way. And that's why it's Short & Sweet. Short & Sweet is not only about a film night – it’s about building a community, bringing people together. It's a family!

And audiences come away inspired by what they’ve seen you say?

Over the years we’ve been proud to witness the positive influence that the short films shown at Short & Sweet have had on so many people. Individuals have been inspired to explore their own creativity and rediscover their hidden passions. We are all entitled to our own opinions – we don't expect everyone to like every film that we show every night, but we hope that at least one film from the selection touches you and leaves you with some food for thought.

And how inspiring is it to see that for you personally?

So far Short & Sweet has been a wonderful journey. It’s a huge amount of work, and sometimes the lack of funds can bring you down, but hearing about what these films have meant to the audiences and being able to offer the filmmakers a platform to show their work is very rewarding. Watching someone like David Wilson grow from his first film we screened - Moray McLaren – We got Time - to subsequently getting signed and the exciting new work he produces is wonderful to see.

What’s the best short film you’ve seen recently?

Ah that’s unfair. I’m going to be a bit of a politician and say... We've seen many 'best' short films – we don't single out any film at Short & Sweet... The ones we show are all our favourites!

Where will the programme be in five more years?

Short & Sweet hopes to spread the short film love all over the world. It's a big dream and we need financial help to make it happen, but anything is possible. Personally I would love to see a global network of short film experiences where we can share and get involved in this fantastic medium.

If you would like to get involved and support the vision please email either myself or Julia.

Tickets are available for August's events for just £3 or go to the Facebook page.