Imminent shnit!

Only thrilling, entertaining and high-quality films find their way into the shnit programme. Genre is trivial - the only criteria: that a film is simply "shnittingly shnitly"! In other words, mind-blowing.

Selected from 5000 entries from all corners of the globe, some 200-odd films will screen over the festival weekend, in the city at The Labia and the Grand Daddy Hotel, and this year in a collaboration with Rocking the Daisies.

Audience choice

The shnit-Open international competition presents jury awards in three international categories, plus national awards in each host country, and an international audience prize. A highlight is the Realtime Competition, the real-time short film production competition taking place over the course of the festival weekend. Three Cape Town filmmakers, three homegrown films, filmed over the course of the festival weekend in collaboration with some of Cape Town's top creative artists and in partnership with some of Cape Town's premiere industry facilities. One theme, with hundreds of possible interpretations: Cape of Storms. The films premiere at Sunday night's Awards Ceremony, where the audience chooses its winner, live and in real time.

Out of competition, shnit presents a number of curated film programmes (from animation to experiment, frightfest to peepshow, and more), and 2011 will see a bigger, bolder and more extensive Kaapse Bobotie programme, showcasing a full spectrum of Cape Town's filmic output, including a focus on music videos.

Shnit at RTD will be a mix of the best in international and local shorts and music videos. Conceptual, visual, striking, heart warming, entertaining, amusing and arousing, the shnit screening venue at Daisies will be a full film experience around the clock, something new to add to the music, comedy and good times that Daisies already offers.

Beyond the popcorn and the silver screen

But shnit would not be shnit without a world beyond the popcorn and the silver screen. The cinematic experience is a doorway into shnit expanded, a playground in front of, beside and behind the screen, incorporating music, art, collaboration, discussion and expression. Daily shnit videologs shared among host cities and live crossings between countries make it a global exchange of culture - not a collection of individual festivals, but one festival in many cities.

Tickets are available at The Labia Theatre. Prices are from R30 for single screenings to R180 for full festival passes.

To keep up to date on shnit programmes, go to www.shnit.org and www.facebook.com/shnit.org