A series of six short films, including one by Bermudian filmmaker Al Seymour, Jr., will screen in the '83 Minutes of Shorts' section at the seventh Bermuda International Film Festival from March 19-25. Mr. Seymour's film, 'Raptiles on de Rock: the Wenetian Incident', is the follow-up to his first 'Raptiles' film, screened at BIFF 2003.

He joins a quintet of accomplished filmmakers in the short series: New Yorker Neil Leifer, formerly one of the top sports photographers in the world with Sports Illustrated magazine; England's Andrea Arnold; Polish filmmaker Tomasz Szafranski; Canada's James Genn; and Rob Meltzer of the United States. The six shorts are about: a professional dog walker, a Hollywood character actor who longs to look like John Stamos, the end of the Second World War, a serial philanderer who gets caught, a young family on a council estate in England who dream of a way out, and those pesky raptiles on de rock.

"I have great admiration for the makers of short films," says BIFF's programming director David O'Beirne. "It requires a tremendous amount of skill and imagination to tell a story well in a short time period. Often some of my favourite films at the festival are shorts."

The '83 Minutes of Shorts series' will screen at the Liberty Theatre on Tuesday March 23 at 1.30 p.m., and on Thursday March 25 at 6.30 p.m. at the Little Theatre.

The full line-up of shorts:

'Raptiles on de Rock: the Wenetian Incident', by Al Seymour ,Jr. (Bermuda). Two local chameleons have their fair share of mis-adventures.

'The Dog Walker', by James Genn (Canada). Benny is a professional dog walker. He is obsessed with Suzie, a local actress, who has a dog (Barker) and a boyfriend (Hudson). Benny arranges for their lives to become entwined, but there's a hitch and in a split second, everything hilariously unravels.

'Wasp', by Andrea Arnold (United Kingdom). "Ladybug, ladybug fly away home, your house is on fire, and your children all gone." The familiar nursery rhyme, a cautionary tale, describes the life of an immature young mother and her four children, barely surviving life on a swarming council estate by letting their dreams take wing.

'Koniec Wojny (The End of War)', by Tomasz Szafranski (Poland). Poland, a wasteland, during the last days of the Second World War. Two runaway German soldiers, one seriously injured, take refuge at a seemingly deserted farm. This is a breathtakingly bleak tale.

'Steamed Dumplings', by Neil Leifer (United States). Bill is a serial philanderer. Every Sunday he brings his wife and kids to his favourite Chinese restaurant for dinner. Every Wednesday he has dinner at the same restaurant with his "latest squeeze". One Wednesday he makes a mistake.

'I Am Stamos' by Rob Meltzer (United States). An ordinary Hollywood character actor wishes to become a leading man, grabbing the spotlight with photogenic good looks, just like John Stamos. He learns, however, the truth of the adage, be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.

Film and party tickets to the festival are on sale now, online, at www.bermudafilmfest.com, and daily, except Sundays, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the BIFF festival box office, Number One Passenger Terminal, Front Street.