On today's episode I have the founder and presenter of SHORTS and the Oscar nominated ShortsTV program, Carter Pilcher!

SHORTS is celebrating their 20th Anniversary this year, and prior to SHORTS presenting the Oscar nominated short film screenings, there was no way for the general public to view the nominated short films. Since the series was launched, it has become a massive hit, selling out theaters across the country before the nominees are even announced. 

On top of celebrating 20 years of SHORTS, I also had Carter on the show to talk about an issue at hand as two of the nominated filmmakers are currently not allowed to travel to the US for the ceremony due to the fact that they are from Iran. Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, the filmmakers behind "In the Shadow of the Cypress" have struggled to obtain Visas from the State Department. 

I talked with Carter about how SHORTS came about, the demand around the world for the program, the impact short films have on the viewing communities, and how all of us can try and help make it possible for Hossein and Shirin from "In the Shadow of the Cypress" to attend the Oscars and celebrate their incredible achievement. 

A huge Thank You to Carter for taking the time to join me. Please follow SHORTS on www.onthemicpodcast.com and most importantly, please click on the links to contact your Congressional representatives and Senators and encourage them to allow the Hossein and Shirin to attend the ceremony. 

Thank You, Carter!

Enjoy the episode!