About

The history of cinema began as an experiment. Film pioneers explored the possibilities of a new medium with short clips of fighting kangaroos or workers leaving a factory. Today, short film is an art form, the prime source of innovation for film and filmmaking, and the main form of media expression of our time.

Out of a lack of critical and journalistic debate on short films, Talking Shorts was founded in 2020 by Anne Gaschütz, Daniel Hadenius-Ebner, Emilia Mazik, Niels Putman and Enrico Vannucci. As an online film magazine dedicated to short films, Talking Shorts aims to create a broader discourse about the art form. The platform has been widely supported by a vast range of (short) film festivals and industry partners since its initiation. Our work and publications are closely connected to the (European) film festival landscape.

Since 2023, Talking Shorts is the official outlet of the European Network for Film Discourse (The END)—which consists of six unique and diverse European film festivals: Filmfest Dresden (DE), Vienna Shorts (AT), Lago Film Fest (IT), FeKK – Ljubljana International Short Film Festival (SI), Kortfilmfestival Leuven (BE) and Vilnius International Short Film Festival (LT)—and is funded by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme of the European Union.

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Short films are key to cinematic innovation. Because of their brevity, they allow filmmakers to react to the world around them more instinctively and showcase a stunning range of artistic expressions. Talking Shorts produces film criticism to legitimise this often overlooked art form, bringing to light what has been hidden or forgotten. We are committed to the whole range of filmmaking categories, whether experimental, animation, narrative, documentary, or hybrid.

The history of the art form is the beating heart of the magazine, and the form, genre, and grammar of cinema are vital to each text. We aim to foster a space for a diverse pool of writers to experiment and grow together. Humanist values and a historical lens are key to our editorial line and commissioning process.

We strive to produce universally readable content that can inspire, cultivate, and educate a broad range of audiences, from students and scholars to non-cinephile readers, in an attempt to connect filmmakers, audiences, festival organisers, and a young generation of film lovers who might not yet know what short films are or can do.