Cassidy's short film success

Short films are so much more than the 'business card for aspiring directors' that they were once considered, according to multi-award winning Meath film maker Declan Cassidy. This month sees four of Cassidy's short films screening around the world with 'The Bouquet' to premiere in Rhode Island, USA, 'Wedding Planners' to screen in Transylvania and a four-film collection which also includes Irish Film Board funded shorts 'Veronique' and 'Whatever Turns You On' making up part of the inflight entertainment service of Etihad Airways. "I've had a huge response to the airline screenings," said Cassidy. "I've been contacted from Australia, Asia and the Middle East by people who've watched the shorts while travelling and the hits on my website have shot up." Cassidy, whose short Whatever Turns You On qualified for Oscar consideration in 2010, believes that short films are growing in relevance. "Young film makers are often advised that shorts are a way of getting attention so you can move on to bigger and better things. I don't think that's the case anymore," he explained. "With the small screen revolution of phones such as the new iPhone with its 16:9 screen, more and more people are watching content on the move and short films provide ideal content for this." According to the film maker, the nature of short films is also shifting. "I've sat through many a session of short films at various festivals around the world and I've seen the popularity of light hearted comedies grow in recent years," said Cassidy who travels to Romania this month where he sits on the feature film jury panel in the Comedy Cluj festival. "I suspect it's because of the gloomy economic situation around the world. People need cheering up." Several of Cassidy's short films - including "The Bouquet" and "Wedding Planners" can now be seen online at www.shortsireland.com