If you're out just about anywhere in metro Phoenix between January 15 and February 15 of 2015, pay attention to your surroundings. You just might find yourself unwittingly engaged with the Art By Chance Ultra Short Film Festival.
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Art By Chance is an international effort designed to convert spaces traditionally dominated by commercial advertising into a showcase for short films. When we say "spaces traditionally dominated by commercial advertising," we mean car dealerships, doctors offices, bars, airports, busstops, you name it. And when we say "short films," we mean really short. Like, no longer than 30 seconds, absolutely teeny tiny little films.
The festival, sponsored by Turkish Airlines, is in its fifth year and takes place in 200 cities in more than 20 different countries. The theme of this year's Art By Chance Films is "Discover."
A pretty prestigious panel of judges select the films that will be displayed as part of the event - Dick Cook, a film producer and former chairman at Disney Studios, Ryan Harrington, Vice president of Artist Programs for the Tribeca Film Festival, and Johanna Von Fischer, Director of the Independent British Film Awards, just to name a few. Throughout the course of the month, the public will be given the chance to vote online for their favorite film.
A very eclectic assortment of Phoenix locations will be participating in Art By Chance, including, but not limited to: Majerle's Sports Grill, Risas Dental & Braces, Trailhead Bike Cafe, a whole slew of car dealerships (Camelback Toyota, Camelback Ford, Showcase Honda, Courtesy Chevrolet), Park Avenue Blow Dry, and Arizona Eye Specialists. For a complete list of area locations, visit Art By Chance's website.