Short films are a rising phenomenon and this year's Berlin Film Festival could set the standard in its 2011 Berlinale Shorts program.

The prestigious event is Europe s leading film festival with a large movie market like AFM and a huge international presence.

Every year the Hollywood elite and European filmmakers descend on Berlin to soak in the atmosphere and watch innovative movies.

Short films have become more mainstream thanks to the internet, and festivals are beginning to give more light to these up and coming talents.

The Berlin Film Festival this year will include short films that are up to 30 minutes long. This has not been a popular format for TV distribution but it is a different story on the internet.

Will youtube and other platforms like Joost give short films more importance?

Berlinale Shorts 2011

Maike Mia Hhne is curating the Berlinale Shorts and heading the section in 2011. This is an interview extract from the Berlin Film festival about this year s selection:

There are different ways of bundling the films together thematically, for example. Or when one film builds upon another. But I play with these structures, insert breaks, try to make compositions, by tapping into the emotions of the films. We don't select the individual films based on a big theme and then assemble the programme. Still, there is always a logic, no matter how divergent the content and formal approach of each film is. It is good to watch the films together. It leaves a unique impression. This year the most interesting question is how the shorter films will be integrated so that they don t go under between the many half-hour films. The mix has got to be right.

The Berlin Film Festival takes place this February 10th-2oth 2011