Minimalen is an annual, independent short film event, covering new international releases and retrospectives as well as premiere screenings of new International, Nordic and Norwegian shorts. Over five days in late January each year, Minimalen screens more than 200 shorts, roughly divided in two sections: International, Nordic and Norwegian competitions, and retrospectives/focus/special programmes. The Nordic section offers a convenient way for foreigners to be updated on the state of shorts in the whole region.
Over the years Minimalen has refined its main objective into finding new ways to use the film as a medium. This often means independent productions with a free spirit attitude to filmmaking and an emphasis on images and film language more than words. The ideal filmmaker should be on a constant quest to find the right form for each story. Not that they necessarily need to tell a story, but basically, each film should have its own fingerprint; a uniqueness which goes far beyond the constant re-telling of the same storyline as in the contemporary film industry. The small gems of up to 15 minutes; fiction or animation films told by experimental means. Not necessarily artistically ground breaking or technically perfect; but with a conformity of form and contents. These are the films that Minimalen are looking for; and this is what sets us a apart from many festivals.