*Guest Editor's note: This article has been updated to include comments from Mary Daniel, Chairman of the Brookfield Arts Commission.

The Brookfield Film Festival (BFF) packed The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts (TBTA) Saturday for their third annual film festival, “Shorts & to the Point.” The one-day event drew over 300 attendees.

Last year's festival had two showings and this year a third was added to accommodate the large number of attendees.

Eleven short films were shown at TBTA, many of which won numerous awards. God of Love was a crowd favorite and won a gold medal at the NYU Student Academy Awards in 2010.

The film is a comedy about a love-struck vocalist and dart expert trying to win the affection of his female band-mate, the drummer, who is in love with the guitar player. At one of their lounge shows a box of love-inducing darts appears. The love darts make the person fall in love with the first person they see after they have been pricked.

The diversity of films included a cartoon short entitled Let’s Pollute. The 1950s style animation is a satire that shows the waste and pollution as a result of consumerism. The short has been nominated for an Oscar and won the Silver SplFFy in the animated short film category at the Spokane International Film Festival.

Another award winner was Push Bike, which won the Best Short Film Award at the Paris Sexy International Film Festival. The film follows the humdrum life of a mother and wife who is dissatisfied in her marriage. When two teenagers at the local pool steal her clothing she must ride home on her bicycle wrapped in nothing but a shower curtain. She meets a stranger along with way who adds a little excitement to her passionless life.

Members of the BFF chose the collection of films. BFF volunteers and Mary Daniel, chairwoman of the Brookfield Arts Commission, ran the event.  Volunteer Laura Schiavi said what makes the BFF unique in comparison to other local film festivals is its simplicity.

Schiavi said, “You don’t have to choose [from dozens of films] because we choose the films for you.”

"I'm thrilled to see people's growing interest in the short films and their desire to make it to the Brookfield event in particular. It's such a pleasure for all the organizers and volunteers to see crowds of attendees enjoying not only the films, but also the delicious food, wine-bar and mingling during the intermission. It's a great feeling when the arts bring people together like this,” Schiavi said.

Mary Daniel said she was pleased with the turnout and the quality of films presented.

"Our intention was to create a program that is representative of the best of the current crop of short films.  What is consistent about this genre of film art is the way a good short film immediately captures your attention, then puts you through an emotional gauntlet that leads you to an outcome that is frequently surprising," Daniel said.

Sandi and Jim Forman of Bethel also returned this year after attending last year's festival and enjoying the collection of films shown.  

“The film festival is wonderful. It is a fine collection of films with diverse stylism, '' Forman said.

"I would like to say on behalf of the members of the Brookfield Arts Commission, The Friends of the Arts of Brookfield, Inc. and The Brookfield Film Festival Committee, thank you to everyone who supported our festival.  We look forward to next year," Daniel said.