Rushes Soho Shorts

To quote the festival program...

 'Number 10. Number 10! Rushes Soho Shorts Festival (RSSF) has made it to its 10th magnificent year. Back in 1999, Mark Hewitt, then MD at Rushes commented, “This is only the start of things to come. We plan this to be an annual event in the Soho calendar. RSSF will only be a success if you enjoy it enough to want to come back next year and bring your friends!”

Well, that labour of love by Joce Capper and the Rushes festival team was evidently well received. You enjoyed it and you came back year after year, and suddenly here we are at number 10, with 20 film programmes and 30 events to choose from. To all newcomers, welcome. Enjoy, explore, there is much to see and only 10 days to fit it all in!

The more seasoned will find a few exciting changes. Our Titles/Idents Award has been rebranded as Broadcast Design Award. We’ll also be teaming up with Kodak to screen their 2008 nominees for Best Cinematography Award, the winner will be announced at our Awards Ceremony, along with an Audience Award that you can vote for at the Kodak screenings.

As well as the new additions you’ll find the old favourite events and guests, including Dazzle, straight 8, the Advertising Producers Association and a networking evening.

Returning for a second year, we have animation from Renderyard, shorts from FourDocs, winners from the Babelgum Online Film Festival and the scrumptious Jenny Hammerton presenting fashion tips from Hollywood goddesses. MAC Cosmetics’ Terry Barber has kindly agreed to lend a hand and, along with Jenny, will instruct you on every last eyebrow pluck and pencil twist during a Saturday brunchtime cosmetics masterclass. You’ll even be able to start the day off with a Mimosa – now, how Hollywood is that – at 11am!

To make it to the MAC masterclass you’ll have survived our Friday night 1980s frenzy, which kicks off with a performance and screening from the inspirational visual artist John Foxx. This will be followed by DJs, DayGlo socks and a choice of two late-night movies, complete with break-dancing and misguided dating. After a Saturday packed with seminars, a Simon & Schuster Q&A and a Tenderpixel Gallery Private View, we thought it would be nice to give you a rest.

Sunday brings a roast lunch and a ferocious horror double bill from Australia, followed by a wonderful collection of films from Down Under care of the SHORTS Film Festival. Yalumba vineyards have stepped in to ease your nerves, so join us for a little tipple to celebrate our very own Australia Day.

If you survive the weekend, the week ahead will be a synch, with daily competition screenings at 10am, the Film & Festivals Surgeries on editing, gaming, funding, science, sound and distribution at 1pm, and Shooting People’s The Future Of panels at 5pm. In between, you have guest programmes from HollyShorts, DepicT! and QuickFlick World, plus networking events.

You can guide yourself through all these activities with daily timetables downloadable from the website. If you have any questions or need tickets for something, always ask at the festival delegates’ desk at Curzon Soho. We’ll be there to help with everything we can. Or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .'