ArtsEtc.

WI shorts (Wisconsin Film Festival)

Because they seldom receive wide release, short films are often ignored by popular audiences. But, despite their lack of notoriety, the producers of these films display a vast amount of talent in a small amount of time. The Wisconsin Film Festival will highlight a host of talented Wisconsinite film crafters this Saturday with the exhibition of Wisconsin Student Short Films, a series of student-produced short films, at the Monona Terrace Convention Center.

Beginning at 2 p.m., 11 films will be screened as one part of the Wisconsin’s Own program. These range in length from UW-Madison student John Soat’s “The Moral” at a brief one minute to the 23-minute “Dante” from Connor Owens. The entire program, however, clocks in at a little over two hours.

The films range in style and genre, and include a vampire tale (“The Shadow of the Night”), comedies (“Spin Cycle,” “Farmer John”), an animated piece (“Them’s Trying Times to Be a Canine”), and a documentary depicting a tragic medical case (“I Have a Sister”). But perhaps the most intriguing of these shorts is the aforementioned film “The Moral.” Soat’s film travels through the psyche of an attractive young woman using stop-motion photography.

For those searching for more whimsical fare, “Oh Paprika” from UW-Milwaukee student Anna Krutzik is a delightful tale about an orange tabby cat named Paprika and what this feline can teach the world.

The Wisconsin’s Own series will screen April 5 at 2 p.m. at the Monona Terrace. Tickets for this series are available at the door or online at Wifilmfest.org.