Genius Products, Inc. announced yesterday that they've set an October 18, 2005 release date for Shorts International’s "Shortsplay" and "Shortsplay Extreme" on UMD. The two film collections include live action and animated shorts. Many of the films have screened at festivals around the world. "Shortsplay" will include the following films: "In the Bathroom," "Sixth Scent," "Covert," "Home Road Movies," "Sleight of Hand," "Perfect Gooseys" and "The Last Post." "Shortsplay Extreme" will include the shorts "Limbo-X-treme," "Chickendales," "One Small Leap," "Mercy," "Gone Underground," "Killing Time at Home," "Robots" and "F8." Both collections are approximately 60 minutes long.

In case downloading ringtones and games to your cell phone just seems so passe, mobile TV pioneer Shorts International has announced that it will partner with British wireless provider Orange to provide downloadable short films.

According to a release, the Shorts TV service is available immediately to Orange's 14.3 million customers around Great Britain. For their part, Shorts International has accumulated the world's largest dedicated short film library since its inception in 2000.

Shorts TV adds to the comprehensive film guide Orange already makes available to it subscribers, including movie news, trailers, interviews and listings. For interested Orange customers, the collection of short films and animations is available through the TV and video section on Orange World.

Filmmaker Daryl Goodrich's five-minute short "Inspiration," which was made as a way to showcase London as the ideal city for the Olympics, helped secure the city as the winning bid for the 2012 Olympics. The short "features four underprivileged children from across the globe watching London win the 2012 bid. In the second part, the kids are grown up and competing as Olympic cyclists, runners, swimmers and gymnasts." Goodrich's short was up against some fierce competition: Steven Spielberg for New York and Luc Besson for Paris. Archie Thomas reports for Variety. (Subscription required.)