I think I speak for many when I say this, we entered 2021 with hope and renewed determination to not only move past COVID, but make up for what we lost in 2020. In too many ways, that did not happen. Yet, I cannot truly say that we did not grow. Our organisation and the vibrant community of which we are so blessed to be part of, became increasingly resilient.
This past year we have seen incredible films, had the pleasure of crossing paths with passionate, innovative filmmakers, and grown in ways that we had not expected. Some things went according to plan too, which we are so grateful for, under the circumstances. There is no denying that we fell short of our own expectations due to the prolonged and ongoing pandemic. Many plans had to be rescheduled, shelved indefinitely, and some had to be dropped altogether. We had to constantly adapt to an ever-changing landscape, while ensuring the health and wellbeing of our own members. We took days off, reduced work hours: the priority was our wellbeing.
And even when challenging circumstances were to be found everywhere, we were also met with support from the community. Increasingly, old friends and associates reached out. New collaborations found success. The last two years have continued to throw reliable friends and unexpected kindness our way. We have nothing but gratitude for you.
2021 also saw the successful run of the second edition of the Short Of The Year awards. We hope to introduce new additions in the successive editions, and learn from the glitches we encountered. Besides this, we introduced our Hall of Fame for those staggering films which score the full 5 with our writers, as well as our Short Film TV, where you can livestream short films and trailers 24×7. By the end of 2021, we launched the beta version of our community platform. And the most significant of all, we launched our all-online Indie Shorts Mag Short Film Festival!
Throughout 2021, we focused our efforts on improving not just the quality of our service to the community, but also raising the standards of our publication. Entering 2022, we have planned ways in which to give back to the community that has been the foundation of our existence and growth. Our priority here is to double down on our efforts to increase the visibility of filmmakers and works from marginalized groups. If there has been a lag, it is an inexcusable one. We intend to do better.
As we take stock of everything that has happened in the world, gratitude fills my heart for the support and success we have seen. Yet, it has not been an easy year for most of us. The scars will be felt for years to come, and there is little I can say in counter to that. All that we can hope for now is gradual healing and continued resilience. Here’s to a new year, with love, hope, gratitude, and kindness.
Happy new year and stay tuned for more updates!
