100 Words Film Festival.

Shorts, an original film under 40 minutes, used to be a widely popular type of movie widely shown in conjunction with a major feature film in the early years of cinema. But with the extravagance of movie making these days both in terms of length, money and special effects, shorts have been relegated to the margins – a format for indie filmmakers and low budgets. The 100 Words Film Festival is adding a new dimension to the short, challenging filmmakers to tell a compelling story in 100 words or less and prove the power of concise storytelling.

This is the inaugural year of the 100 Words Film Festival, founded by Scott Galloway of Susie Films. Happening on November 22nd at 7:30 p.m. in McGlohon Theater, the Festival will showcase local and national filmmaking talent with 30 world premiere films by 20 professionals and 10 students in a variety of genres, from horror to documentary. Tickets are $10 and available online.

Spirit Square, home of McGlohon Theater.

This is not just a re-evaluation of the short, but a challenge to the film industry to democratize entry into filmmaking by lowering the financial threshold and to revitalize the importance of screenwriting. As founder Scott Galloway puts it, “Screenwriting is the only original process in filmmaking. Everything else is interpretation. Yet despite its foundational importance, we meet young and new filmmakers every day who amaze us with their technical skills but lag in their storytelling ability.”

The 100-word format also appeals to our fast-paced, Twitter-obsessed culture, which is hungry for quality short-format content. “This festival challenges its filmmakers to embrace one of the golden rules of screenwriting: make every word count. In turn, its audiences are rewarded with thought-provoking films that never waste your time,” says Anna Christopher, director and writer.

The festival will be judged by Lawrence Toppman of the Charlotte Observer; Tim Ross, veteran actor; and Matt Brunson, former film editor at Creative Loafing. Every entry will receive an IMDB credit. Winners will receive a cash prize, as well as a personal consultation with Ken Eisen, owner of Shadow Distribution, responsible for such acclaimed films as “Weather Underground” and “Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.”