2001, Harry Returns                               2002, American Taliban                                   2003, Dale at the Comedy Fest
 

The Chicago Short Comedy Video and Film Festival (www.witsendshorts.com) was established in 1998 as a showcase for filmmakers of this form in the city.  For 2008, the festival has chosen to screen THE VENTRILOQUIST and TOM SKILLING MUST DIE.  Typically, there are two different screenings featuring somewhere around fifteen films and videos.  The fest will be held in July 17 & 18 at the Music Box Theater.  "The Ventriloquist" will screen at 7:00 on Thursday July 17, and "Skilling" will screen at 7:00 on Friday July 18.

As one of the foremost practitioners of the funny short form video locally, the Geniuses first sent a submission to the festival in 1999.   However, our bits, including Taxi Driving Miss Daisy, were rejected because they used footage of copyrighted material (specifically Taxi Driver and Driving Miss Daisy).  The following year, the festival organizers forgot to send us an entry form, and we missed the deadline.  Oooops.  However, in 2001 the festival screened HARRY RETURNS, a two minute sketch where Harry Caray returns from the grave to criticize his statue in front of Wrigley Field.  The video did so well that I redid Harry Returns on 16mm film, and this version has been broadcast on Image Union on Ch. 11 and the Chicago Film Office Short Film Showcase on Ch. 25.  In 2002, the festival showed AMERICAN TALIBAN, a sitcom parody featuring John Walker Lindh and his parents.  The crowd did not seem up for jokes about terrorism, and it appeared to scare more than amuse them.  The films that did well at that screening were of the kinder and gentler variety.  In 2003, KAFKO THE CLOWN, a bit that envisions author Franz Kafka as an entertainer for children, was shown at 8:00.  At 10:00, SCARED STRAIGHT OFF MARRIAGE, a parody of the documentary Scared Straight where husbands tell marriage horror stories to a recently engaged fellow, was shown.  The sketch got a tremendous response leading me to believe there are some troubled relationships out there.  Scared Straight Off Marriage can also be seen on the Cherry Bomb dvd and was broadcast on Orlando's CBS affiliate.  In 2004 our bit THE BALL HAWK, about an obsessed fan trying to catch a home run outside Wrigley Field, was screened and received a nice reception.  2005's selection was ANGUISH, a tragic tale of a man slowly going mad because telemarketers have stopped calling.  In 2006, THE MOTORMAN was included as part of the festivities.  In 2007, no WGIF sketch was picked.  All the submissions were deemed "too extreme."  The festival does not always get it right.  Two of the "extreme" bits (AN INCONVENIENT BUSH and MICK AND KEITH'S PHONE CALL) are two of the most popular things we have on You Tube.  The fest also rejected THE STEVE BARTMAN STORY which is another You Tube favorite.

The festival is a great outlet to see what local filmmakers have been up to.  With any format like this (including our own show), the quality of the material can be hit and miss, but every show I have seen has been better than the vast majority of Hollywood comedies.  The worst festival kicks the asses of Death to Smoochy, Joe Dirt, Bruce Almighty and the stuff the unholy trio of Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, and Rob Schneider come up with.  For more information about the festival you can go to their website at www.witsendshorts.com.   Come on out and support the goofy arts.
 

  
 
  2003, Scared Straight Off Marriage                            2003, Kafko the Clown                                2004, The Ball Hawk