About the Program:

Shortcuts® is a Vision Entertainment Inc. presentation and is produced by Larry Russo. Russo was originally inspired to create a televised short film showcase back in 1993, after producing some short films and realizing the limited distribution venues here in the United States. He was then invited to a screening of The Asbury Short Film Festival by its director, Doug LeClaire, where it was revealed how much untapped talent existed in the realm of the short film.

Russo scouted the film festivals of Toronto, Sundance and Clemont-Ferrand, the Independent Feature Project Market and the Asbury Short Film Festival for works to feature in the series. This "best of the festivals" collection comprises award winning comedies, dramas and animations. The quirky format of the show includes enlightening interviews with the film makers and light-hearted introductions & comedy sketches by our host, comedian Louis CK.

Larry Russo graduated from New York University's Film & Business Schools in 1986. He worked at Aaron Russo Entertainment (Producer of Trading Places, The Rose & Teachers) until 1990 and New Line Cinema Distribution until 1991 when he met Bob Gosse, Whitney Ransick, Chris Walsh and Larry Meistrich. They, along with other filmmakers, founded the original Shooting Gallery production studio in downtown New York.

While at the Shooting Gallery, Larry produced the forerunner of Shortcuts, called "shortTV", also featuring a collection of short films and their directors. In 1994 Mr. Russo left the Shooting Gallery and, along with other projects, worked to bring Shortcuts to fruition. During this time he also served as a program supervisor at the Asbury Short Film Festival, a panelist at the Toronto Short Film Festival, a selection committee member of the Shorts International Film festival (at Sony Lincoln Center theaters) a judge at NY/Caroline's "Funny Shorts" festival hosted by Jeffrey Ross and Bill Plympton as well as being a judge at the first annual Woodstock Film Festival in upstate New York.

Mr. Russo is currently in production of the documentary "Ladino Looking Glass" which deals with the vanishing culture of the sephardic communities of Greece, Yugoslavia & Turkey and is completing post production on his own short film called "Times Square Transfer".

ShortCuts is distributed by www.aptvs.org