What is a short film?
A short film is basically any film that is too short to be considered a feature film. There are no set boundaries on this, however, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science defines a short film as an “original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits”.
Why do short films exist?
Many people think that budgeting issues are why most short films are created, and while it’s true that budget issues can be the cause of some short films, there are many other factors that influence the decision to create one. Most short films are created to give filmmakers an opportunity to express themselves, display their talent, and develop filmmaking skills; to experiment or to provide a stepping stone to a career in film and television. The key advantage to making a short is learning the filmmaking process on a project of manageable scale. If the work turns out well, shorts can be entered into any of the hundreds of national and international film festivals. These provide validation for your filmmaking skills and opportunities to meet people who can further your career. 
Why should you watch short films?
The market for short films has traditionally been limited, with the industry dominated by features. However, over the years, with improvements to technology we have seen the development of a myriad of platforms in which audiences can consume shorter forms of content. As internet speeds get faster and screen resolutions get better, the successful delivery of short films via the web becomes much more realistic. The short film seems perfectly tailor-made for our quick and fast-paced digital era. People can watch shorts whenever they have five minutes to spare, while surfing the web at night, on a lunch break or even on their commute to work. Short film streaming platforms such as Argo, allows the audience to consume these shorts with ease. The accessibility of this type of content is extremely appealing to a world that is so fast paced. Technology aside if you generally have a love for film, then there is no reason you shouldn’t be watching short films. Shorts are an art in themselves. There is a beauty in being able to tell a story in such a short amount of time, stripping out all of the less important elements of a story and cramming in the fundamental ones, while keeping the story functional. 
As a result of this, short films are usually short, sharp and straight to the point. We see a number of features try to compact many complex twists and turns to fill in 2 hours, for shorts, often only one twist or climax is needed. Story types and genres between feature films and shorts are extremely similar, but with shorts you can always get away with a little more. You can show things or subjects that they wouldn’t dare show in theatre or leave the end stories wide open. Audiences love the unexpected, when watching a short film, you’re normally going in knowing very little or nothing at all. You don’t know the director nor the actors, you don’t even know if you like it, but the thrill of knowing that maybe you landed on a hidden gem is what makes it exciting.
Where can I watch?
Short films are becoming more and more accessible, whether that is through well known streaming sites such as Vimeo and Youtube or other up and coming apps such as Argo. The downfall with the larger sites is the sheer scale of content within them. You may find yourself sifting through video after video with no real direction or personal selection options given to you. Added to this, anyone can upload to these sites, meaning more often than not, there is a lot of poor quality content. An app like Argo, cuts all these corners for you. Argo streams a diverse selection of short films curated by renowned film professionals, film festivals, media brands and filmmakers from around the world. You are certain to find the highest calibre of short films, available for you to watch anywhere at any time.
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