Some of you may recall that last year I wrote about Filminute, the International One-Minute Film Festival.  Founded in 2006 by Canadian filmmaker John Ketchum, the festival has been increasing in popularity; last year’s submissions came from 60 different countries and attracted audiences from 94 countries.

What I find so fascinating about the festival’s entries, is the ability of some filmmakers, no matter their heritage or country of origin, to technically tell a story in 60 seconds and do so in such a way that is not only memorable, but simultaneously transcends culture and celebrates the human universals.

An international jury reviews the 25 shortlisted films awarding a “Best Filminute”, as well as five “Jury Commendations”.  This year, the jury is made up of 5 individuals who represent an impressive array of cultures and business fields: Hillman Curtis (designer, author, filmmaker), Kamila Shamsie (award-winning Pakistani novelist), Tham Khai Meng (Worldwide Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather), Pamela Bienzobas (journalist and Chilean film critic/FIPRESCI member), and Stefan Sagmeister (author, TED presenter and award-winning graphic designer and typographer).

With September now upon us, this year’s festival is in full swing. So, in the spirit, here are my favorites:

The Black Hole – Phil Sansom & Olly Williams (UK) – I love stories with a twist; and this one definitely has one…and brings new meaning to definition of Karma.

Drop Dead – Elena Wen (US) – an interesting, animated take on death amongst many cultures and beliefs.

Five Foot Ten – Matthew Taylor (Canada) – an horrific 60 seconds.

Silences – George M. Thomas (India) – the spoken word? Unnecessary. The power of editing, silence and, ultimately, love.

My absolute favorite?  How Do You Do – Gabriel Achim (Romania) – I admit I’m a fan of brilliant comedic timing and editing combined with pitch-perfect use of scoring/music; Achim makes use of all these and takes the most banal question to the extreme…I laughed out loud.

Can you vote? Yes…and organizers encourage it. One of this year’s entries will be the recipient of the “People’s Choice.”  You have until September 30 to cast your vote online; you can also post comments on the films you watch.  Jury commendations will be announced October 8.  To watch all of the Filminute films, click here. You can also follow them on Twitter (@Filminute).