Pithy Party

Because they’re antithetical to our moviegoing comfort zone of 20 minutes of previews and a 100-minute feature, short films require a special sort of patience that has nothing to do with time and everything with a different way of seeing. For those with the right kind of eyes, the payoff can be extraordinary, and we expect quick-witted brilliance (including the long-awaited answer to the question, “Does bubble wrap feel pain?”) from the likes of exalted short-subject specialists Leor Baum, Neil Ira Needleman, Sarah Breidenbach, Arthur Metcalf, and Sam Lembeck, whose works are showcased in Selected Shorts 2009.

Sun., Jan. 25, 1 p.m., 2009