For three years now, KinoFF has been providing an incredible opportunity for anyone to create their first short film, regardless of their knowledge in the field of cinema, age, or place of residence. ShootShorts brings people together into creative teams and allows them to tell their unique stories, fulfilling their dreams. The project is supported by the British Council Estonia.

Photo: animated film "Techumanity", Dir. Maarika Rosenstein

The project began in August, and along the way, we lost many of those who had registered, as filmmaking is not the easiest endeavor, and not everyone can endure it. However, there are always brave individuals who, overcoming their fears and doubts, have produced and edited their first film. Participants were gently, and sometimes not so gently, guided by experienced mentors, including producers Natalja Matšenene and Andreas Dorošuk, as well as directors Anita Kremm and Vera Pirogova.

In the end, we received 25 short films and two teasers for future films. Among them were a music video, three animated films, one film in the Screenlife format, and two that utilized the Screenlife format. Additionally, there was a unique film in which Artificial Intelligence assisted in scriptwriting, generated images, and provided character voiceovers.

These films, whether in traditional format, personal, documentary, or artistic, were created with great love. The creators were not afraid to share their most intimate stories with the audience. They discussed the most important topics: friendship and family, love and death. They contemplated the concepts of kindness and justice, the essence of being human, and the world we will inhabit tomorrow.

Authors found partners in the project's chat, leading to films being created in co-production, with people from different countries working together on a single film. The creators received assistance from friends and industry professionals. There are unique films that whole families worked on together!

ShootShorts in Numbers:
Webinars: 23
Educational hours: approximately 40
Lecturers working in the Estonian film industry: 13
Mentors: 4
Total people working on the films: nearly 200
Youngest participant: 15 years old
Oldest participant: 59 years old
Total runtime of films: over 2 hours
Countries: Estonia, France, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Belarus, Spain, Israel, Germany, Bulgaria.
Project enthusiasts participating for the third consecutive year: 2
The majority of the films were created by first-time authors and teams!

"I've been coming to this project for three years, but it was only this year that I decided to shoot my first short film after being inspired by a pitching lecture." - Ekaterina Sharova, film "Never Stop Shooting."

"...the coolest thing for me is that this project is specifically designed for beginners, inexperienced individuals who want to engage in filmmaking... Only the boldest are capable of making such a choice." -* Svetlana Popova, film "D and S."*

"Amazing mentors and educators, super concise and practically applicable information, good discipline, and support on the path to creating a film." - Vladislav Popchenko, film "Verse."

Today, the films are being watched and evaluated by a professional jury, including Marina Khirv, winner of the OBJEKT: shorts 2022 project ("Every Day," 2022); director, animator, and illustrator Alexandra Shadrina ("Shtander, shtander, Katya!", 2023); sound engineer Dmitry Natalevich ("Yoyogi," 2022); editor of the Narva Radio 4 studio and host of "Narody vazhno" on ETV+ Mikhail Komashko; actress Tatiana Manevskaia ("Goodbye Soviet Union", 2020).

We wish good luck to all participants, patience, and creative inspiration! And you can become a part of the project next year and also make your first film. You can watch all the short films as part of KinoFF Industry Day on November 19th at 5:00 PM in the Geneva Concert Hall. The film's authors will be present at the event, and you can ask them about the project.

This is a significant event for aspiring filmmakers – to see their film on the big screen, and KinoFF provides such an opportunity. The three best films will be shown at Apollo Kino Narva on November 19th at 8:30 PM.

When we ask what participants didn't like about the project, they have only one answer: the deadlines are too short. But that's the essence of the project. To provide an opportunity to learn about the filmmaking process and create your first film in a short time.

We wish good luck to all participants, patience, and creative inspiration! And you can become a part of the project next year and make your first film too. Come and watch the best ShootShorts films and support the winners.