Summer is a Great Time for Shorts

by Leslie Fields-Cruz

Perhaps it is because I was born at the beginning of summer, but I just love this season! One of my favorite summer recreations is checking out films featured in the annual PBS Short Film Festival, which for 2022 began on Mon., July 11, and continues through Fri., July 22.

The films featured in the festival are selected from submissions entered by National Multicultural Alliance organizations as well as by local PBS member stations from across the country. As such, this is perhaps the most culturally and topically diverse assortment of films that you will see presented via public media under one banner. All the films are available to stream on demand, and at the end of the festival, jurors will select one film to receive the Juried Prize.

I hope you will join me in binging shorts from this year’s festival. If nothing else, please be sure to watch the two BPM-submitted films: The First Monument and Ma’s House (both films are described in this month’s newsletter) and give those filmmakers a shout out for their outstanding work.

Happy Summer!

— Fields-Cruz is the executive director of Black Public Media