With the world of filmmaking becoming more and more accessible, with time becoming more and more valuable, with festivals and the Internet providing more and more avenues of expression - the short film is taking its place in our cinematic psyche.

In each issue, Moving Pictures identifies five of the best. They've left us supremely entertained or profoundly informed, and we honor them with their place on MPM's The Short List:

Title: Emily's Song
Director: Frank Kelly & Thomas Kennedy
Cast: Jason Byrne, Shane Murray-Corcoran, Eric O'Brien
Synopsis: The story of Fintan and Ralph, two brothers who put their petty quarrels aside to help their father deal with his grief long after the death of their mother, Emily.
Festival Appearance:
- Heartland International Film Festival - Crystal Heart Award
- Moondance International Film Festival - Finalist
- Heart of Gold International Film Festival - Official Competition Selection
- Kerry Film Festival - Official Competition Selection
- Navan Film Festival - Official Competition Selection

Title: Kind of a Blur
Director: Jon Goldman
Cast: Sandra Oh, John Wright
Synopsis: Two lovers wake up after a crazy outdoor dance party in the mountains.  As they try to reconstruct a night neither of them can remember, a mix-up involving a cow turns into a romantic quandary for one embarrassed boyfriend... 
Festival Appearance:
- Santa Barbara International Film Festival
- Cinequest Film Festival
- Athens International Film and Video Festival - Honorable Mention, Narrative 
- Boston International Film Festival
- San Francisco International Festival of Short Films - Winner, Best Comedic Film

Title: Santa Baby
Director: David Widdicombe
Cast: Hardee T. Lineham, Jordan Todosey
Synopsis: Ten-year-old Amelia has fallen in love for the first time. The object of her affection? A department store Santa Claus. But when she discovers Santa doesn't return her affections, Amelia takes matters into her own hands.
Festival Appearance:
- Yorkton Short Film & Video Festival - Golden Sheaf Award, Best Female Performance
- Worldwide Short Film Festival - Winner of International Screenplay Competition.
- Seattle International Film Festival
- Rhode Island International Film Festival
- Los Angeles International Short Film Festivals

Title: Shade
Director: Kimberly Williams
Cast: Kimberly Williams, Patrick Dempsey, Philip Charles MacKenzie
Synopsis: Inspired by a real-life condition, "Shade" is the fictional story of Laura, a woman who has lived with a debilitating genetic defect that prevents her from ever seeing the sun. After living under the protection of darkness for thirty years, one sunny afternoon, Laura faces a choice that could cost her her life.
Festival Appearance:
- Heartland Film Festival - The Vision Award for Best Festival Short Film
- Sedona International. Film Festival - Director's Choice for Outstanding Directing and Acting
- Sonoma Valley Film Festival
- Moondance International Film Festival
- Nashville Film Festival

Title: Window
Director: Varda Hardy
Cast: Louis Gossett Jr., Robert Peters,  Cassandra Braden
Synopsis: Academy Award®-winner Louis Gossett Jr. and Robert Peters give moving performances as two ailing veterans.  Once a commanding officer, Ralph Stanley (Gossett)...desperate and angry, will do anything to get the bed by the window. 
Festival Appearance:
- Dam Short Film Festival - Finalist (Best Drama)
- Hollyshorts International Film Festival - Creative Screenwriting Magazine "Best Short Screenplay" Award
- Hamptons International Film Festival
- Santa Barbara International Film Festival 
- San Francisco Women's Film Festival