Many short film festivals simply present whole programmes of new work as showcases for the work and will maybe add a director retrospective or thematic programme as a second level of their programming strategy.

SHORTOMATIC has a slightly more complicated premise. We are a short film festival within a festival, so need to make a space for short film work in stiff competition with the features, documentaries, retrospectives, children's films which make up the rest of the festival experience. Each year at SHORTOMATIC we've reversed convention. We highlight the cultural agenda and draw attention to the newest work.