Returning for its fourth year, Greenhorn Short Film Festival is bigger and better than ever before. Now being held over three days from 16–18 November, Greenhorn has moved to the newly opened Arthouse Crouch End, a dynamic cross arts cinema venue. This year’s Festival sees a host of screenings, panel discussions, special live events, workshops and chances for filmmakers and audiences to mingle and meet.

As well as old favourites such as a one-on-one script feedback sessions and the Young Greenhorn Film Award, this year’s festival sees the introduction of some exciting new events. Expect a ton more film, a specialist animation programme with live puppetry from Flabbergast Theatre and a collaboration with the Crafternoon Cabaret Club. Greenhorn 2014 promises to be a truly diverse celebration of filmmaking and creative talent!

‘Greenhorn is stimulating, original, healthily anarchic and sharp as a row of needles. In short, a breath of fresh air’ – Mike Leigh, Greenhorn Patron.

Once again, the Greenhorn Selection offers a lucky-dip of new films from skilfully crafted animations to makeshift shorts with original narratives and often-accidental genius. Christian Schlaeffer’s shadow-cast playtime in ‘The Dewberry Empire’ makes a return to the screen (you can read our London Film Festival review here) contrasting Charlotte Goessens’s more humorous mock-adverting game in ‘Gender Twist’. Jack Wormell’s ‘A Comprehensive Survey of Historical Plaques in Shoreditch, East London’ wins the award for the longest film title, but also charms the viewer with it’s playfully comic timing. ‘North London Book of The Dead’ by Jake Lushington is a humorous story of loss and acceptance, while SSC favourite ‘The Hedgehog’ by Chris Lee & Paul Storrie adds a melancholic touch to the programme.

There are fleeting moments with foxes in Andrew Brand’s ‘Exercise’ in the Lite Lunch programme, giraffes doing gymnastics in Nicolas Deveaux’s ‘5 métres 80′ and a serious dose of déjà vu in ’Our Name is Michael Morgan’ by Maurice Caldera. But the most exiting part of the festival is looking to be the Animation Freakatorium, a selection of films followed on by a live puppetry performance! Among the mix are this year’s RCA graduates Sarina Nihei with ‘Small People With Hats’ and Sophie Koko Gate with ‘Half Wet’, a peculiarly philosophical exploration mixed with romantic run-ins. A personal favourite is ‘Fear & Delight’, the classical-come-contemporary kaleidoscopic music video for The Correspondents by Naren Wilks. Alongside Felix Colgrave’s ‘The Elephant’s Garden’ and ‘The Devil in the Room’ by Carla MacKinnon, you can expect to find a healthy dose of psychedelia and surrealism on screen throughout. If you like the weird and wonderful, this one is definitely for you.

Alongside a many others, this year’s programmes make up a delightful journey of new talent. A festival without pretence, Greenhorn is filled to the brim with quirky characters and touching tales, guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Whether you’re looking to scout out some of the newest filmmakers to the scene, experience something refreshingly different for a film festival or just enjoy a relaxing evening of shorts – make sure you get yourself along to Greenhorn.

Tickets for Greenhorn Short Film Festival ’14 can be booked via their website or through the Arthouse Crouch End. For for information, follow the festival on Facebook to keep up to date.

Originally published at shortsightedcinema.com on November 11, 2014.