Small Is Beautiful, As The Short Short Story Film Festival Returns To The Smallest State

You don’t need ninety minutes or more to tell a compelling story. You don’t even need nine. The Short Short Story Film Festival highlights some of the world’s best short-short independent films, all of which tell a story in under six minutes. The festival is produced right here in Rhode Island, and the ninth edition screens at AS220 in Providence on Saturday, November 28th.

Co-organizer and creative director Toni Pennacchia explains, “This year’s programs feature a strong balance of animation and live action. It’s a bit unusual to mix the styles, but for us, it’s about the story, not the medium per se. It’s a small festival of small films, but it’s still world-class quality.”

Given her two decades of experience as a local radio DJ, Pennacchia is very sensitive to the flow of programming. “I feel this is one of the more overlooked areas in film festivals,” she explains. “It’s not enough to just assemble a bunch of films – you really want the films to make sense together, where each film leads to the next, as if you’re bringing the audience along on a journey.”

Make that two journeys, as the festival has two separate and unique programs, each with a distinctive mood, in vignettes that blend seamlessly as a whole package.

The Heartstrings program, which screens at 3:00 pm and again at 7:00 pm, explores poignant themes like the fragility of human bonds, the nature of mortality, and the struggle for self-acceptance.

The Headtrip program, screening at 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm, presents skewed tales of unforeseen outcomes, satires lampooning human weaknesses, and forays into the surreal.

The festival includes audience voting for both programs, with DJ Madame B mixing soundscapes between and after screenings. A reception following the final screening will conclude the festivities.

MergingArts Productions is an organization dedicated to cultural programming encompassing film, music, visual arts, technology and media. AS220 envisions a just world where all people can realize their full creative potential.

Heartstrings program screens at 3:00 pm and again at 7:00 pm

Headtrip program, screens at 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm

Admission for the entire day is $10.