Fresh from the UK:
Clever, creative shorts ~ the 2010 BTAA winners
from Television, the Web and Cinema.  
Join us for a fast-paced evening of funny and often touching vignettes offering great variety and creative content that will keep you guessing.
 
The British Television Advertising Awards (BTAA) Program is a juried collection of the best made-in-the-UK adverts and Public Service Announcements for television, cinema and the Web. With common themes of misdirection, reverse psychology, a bit of sex and a lot of humor, the 2010 program is highly creative and entertaining.
 
Why do thousands of people turn out to see the BTAA program when it screens in New York, Los Angeles and a handful of other cities? "It's got something for everyone," says Dean Otto, assistant curator for film and video at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, where last year 20,000 patrons attended more than 50 sold-out screenings. "Anglophiles love it for a different look at British culture. But filmgoers in general are interested because of its variety."
 
When describing the BTAA program's inaugural run at the Detroit Film Theatre, director Elliott Wilhelm said it best: "... in England, TV commercials have long been treated with respect, probably because so many of them treat their viewers with respect. In fact for decades, the BTAA have been among the most prestigious prizes British filmmakers vie for. Established directors, such as Ridley Scott and Alan Parker cut their teeth by selling products with imagination, wit and visual brilliance."
 
Mr. Wilhelm went on to say, "Part of the fun of this program of British Television Awards is to figure out, while you are watching these little movies, just exactly what product and message they're trying to get across. And very often, you don't know until the very end."
 
Through our annual Oscar Shorts, ShortsFest and LunaFest programs over the years, Cincinnati World Cinema audiences have come to know and enjoy short films. They especially appreciate the variety and quality content, which are also key elements of the BTAA program, along, of course, with an ample dose of unqiuely British humor.
 
Most important, the creative BTAA ads and powerful PSAs tell stories - they are literally little movies - often with much longer run times than their American counterparts. To complete the connection between the BTAA and CWC short film programs, both Oscar winning shorts this year (animation and live action) were made by filmmakers working in advertising organizations.
 
This synergy is quite logical: the current worldwide financial situation, combined with the intense competition for screen time, dictates that filmmakers (especially in the short and documentary genres) derive subsistance from other sources. Overall quality benefits when filmmakers working in the media arts/advertising sectors can apply their skills, creative and production tools and resources to private projects destined for the big screen.
 
A prime local example comes to mind - the talented folks at Mirepoix Pictures labor at commercial/industrial efforts and in turn are able to make outstanding short films for public consumption. And speaking of local connections, our friends with P&G will be pleased to know that a Procter UK spot for Head and Shoulders is included in the BTAA lineup.