All in all, it seems like a good time for movies to be short.

A proliferation of platforms - from the Internet to cell phones - makes it seem as if we might be living in a Golden Age for short films. Budding filmmakers can take advantage of numerous sites; viewers can spend hours watching films that range from woefully amateurish to hyper-slick.

On the surface, it looks as if everybody wins. Still, there are those who fret that increased opportunities for makers of short films don't necessarily correspond with an increase in quality. In short (if you'll pardon the pun), the short film may have reached a moment in which its very nature is up for grabs.

All the more reason to head to Aspen next week for some or all of Shortsfest, which runs from April 3 through April 8. Aside from offering an appealing environment for post-film relaxation, Shortsfest's well-selected clusters of films affirm the notion that cinematic creativity still flourishes.

"We try to give a lot of space to really serious-minded filmmakers rather than people who are making one-note films," said festival director Laura Thielen. "You see a lot of shorts on the Web, but they're mostly gag films. We have some gag films, but we also have films that deal with more complex ideas."

Thielen says she's not opposed to broad distribution of short films on varied platforms, but she shares the fear of those who worry that shorts may degenerate into cinematic shtick.

"My concern is that filmmakers are able to find the appropriate venue for their work, and that serious filmmakers aren't discouraged because the kind of films they make aren't intended for a tiny screen. "

She's right, of course. Some films simply don't make sense when viewed on a cell phone.

"I remember trying to watch foreign language shorts on the Web last year. I could hardly see the movie much less read the subtitles," said Thielen.

Although all festivals, to some extent, champion the independent spirit in films, Shortsfest may do more to promote such independence than most. The environment at Shortsfest mixes purity of intention and skilled expression in films which - because of their abbreviated length - tend to be insulated from the big-time commercial pressures that surround theatrical releases.

I served as a juror on last year's ShortsFest, and although I didn't have much contact with filmmakers, I did feel encouraged by the enthusiasm and dedication of those I encountered. I also was struck by the fact that not every maker of a short film is youthful. On occasion, an established professional will make a short to do some creative muscle flexing or to expand fields.

Last year, for example, a film called Do You Want the Elephant Music? won the jury prize for best documentary. It was directed by Leslie Dektor, a highly successful director of commercials.

Thielen says this year's program tends toward a heavy emphasis on films about improbable dreams.

• In Ousmane (from Senegal) a seven-year-old begs in the street, but has a transforming fascination with Santa Claus.

• The Fighting Cholitas is a 20-minute documentary about Bolivan women who wrestle professionally in their bowler hats and colorful, layered skirts. The dedication of these women, who otherwise might remain anonymous members of their communities, seems to embody the notion of unlikely ambition.

"We also have 15 animation pieces this year - including a puppet animated opera. I think we have films from every continent, except Antarctica."

Printed Rainbow, a 16-minute animated film by Indian director Gitanjali Rao, qualifies as a lovely look at a woman who finds a way to enter a world of beauty and warmth.

So if you're able, my advice is to head for the hills and open a door to a cinematic laboratory, 85 films from 30 countries. I'd be shocked if you don't find some intriguing big-screen achievements in some tantalizingly small packages.

A sampling of some of the directors who got a career boost at Aspen Shortsfest and some of the films for which they became known.

• John Curran, The Painted Veil

• Todd Field, In the Bedroom and Little Children

• Ryan Fleck, Half Nelson

• George Hickenlooper, The Man From Elysian Fields and Factory Girl

• Jason Reitman, Thank You for Smoking

If you go

• What: The 15th edition of Aspen Shortsfest

• Where: The Wheeler Opera House

• When: April 3-8

• Tickets: Wheeler Opera House box-office 1-970-920-5770 or www.wheeleroperahouse.com

• For full program: www.apsenfilm.org

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