When Jason and I started Short of the Week 5 years ago with the mission of bringing the magical world of short films to online audiences everywhere, you could count the number of quality films available online on one hand. So we came up with a challengeto find just one great film every week. And at times, it was tough!

But slowly we saw the tides shifting, and new technologies like DSLRs and services like Kickstarter and even SOTW have made it possible for a new generation of storytellers to make and distribute their work. Now, five years and 500+ film reviews later, we're seeing a flood of great stories by new unique voicesso many, in fact, that at times, we've struggled to keep pace.

Today, we're expanding the Short of the Week family. We asked for applicants and searched the web wide and far to bring together the top voices in short filmmaking.

Best yet, we're giving everyone on the staff the same challenge Jason and I gave ourselves 5 years agoto find one great film a week. Meet the new writers:

Craig Downing

Craig has been addicted to shorts for a long time. It began when he pulled the trigger on a Super 8 camera and accidentally became a filmmaker. Now, when he isn't teaching or filming in areas prone to digestive disasters, you can find him at film fests looking for shorts for Couch Fest Films. Interventions failed to correct his obsession with stalking all genres of short films.

David Masters

David is a storyteller, dreamer, vagabond and writer based in Swansea, Wales. He traveled the world hunting for a damn good story and discovered brilliant stories are everywhere. To brighten your day with more storytelling goodness you can (and should) follow David @davidmasters

Genevieve Opukniak

Genevieve works as the department chair for Digital Filmmaking at the Art Institute of New York City. Her belief is that shorts are the foundation for long form storytelling.

Ivan Kander

Ivan is a filmmaker, video editor, and motion graphic artist from the Washington, DC area. He is an avid movie watcher and podcast listener. Hes also quite handsome and charming (at least that's what his Mom says). For more information about Ivan, visit Lucky 9 Studios.

James McNally

James lives in Toronto and blogs about film at Toronto Screen Shots. His interest in short film led him to establish the quarterly screening series Shorts That Are Not Pants. Follow him on Twitter: @TOscreenshots and @shortsnotpants.

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And finally, a very special thanks to all of our contributors over the past 5 years: MarBelle, El Vez, Matthew Foster, Jason Kohl, Georg Csarmann, Michelle Higa, DeK, Maria Popova, Arya Ponto, Eric Melin, Ian Lumsden, Ludo Luykx, Scott Lamb, and my partner in crime, Jason Sondhi. Here's to the next 5!