Success of Missing a Note sets new precedent for short filmmakers

Actress Darcy Jacobs at the Birmingham Film Festival © Helen Young

It’s been an exciting few months since the release of short film “Missing a Note” with multiple festival wins, and the production inspiring other filmmakers to share their unique stories with new audiences.

“Missing a Note” was theatrically released both in the U.S. and the U.K. earlier this year and played alongside the feature film adaptation of popular TV series Downton Abbey.

First-time short film director Beth Moran shot the film in just 3 days, and wanted to raise awareness of the condition of dementia in the storyline, involving a young aspiring singer who gets the chance to perform in front of a retired, world famous opera legend (who happens to be suffering from the condition, with memory lapses).

Receiving critical praise upon its release in the U.K., the film played for 1 week in Los Angeles and has since been submitted to additional international film festivals.

For many independent filmmakers, getting a theatrical distribution for a short film is challenging. The success of “Missing a Note” and the subsequent media and public interest in the film shows how relevant it is for cinemas to include shorts in their programs - and why it is so important for filmmakers to consider distributing their short films in theaters so that they can reach new audiences.

“Missing a Note” is a crowdfunded short film, and was produced by award-winning independent film production company Fact Not Fiction Films in the U.K. Its release follows the world premiere of their controversial documentary “Everybody Flies” earlier in September at the Raindance Film Festival.

Are you planning on shooting a short film or have you secured a theatrical distribution? Share your opinion with us: @filminetwork