If you have talent, it’s only right that it’s shown to the world and reaches as many people as possible. One major event that filmmakers have relied on for years has been the Los Angeles Shorts Fest.

Eleven years and still going, this fest is the largest short film festival in the world. Overriding a plethora of other festivals dedicated to film, this one has shown longevity with more than 15,000 participating moviegoers, directors and film executives.

Each year the fest receives more than 1,200 entries and screens 700 shorts over the course of two weeks. Included in the festival are educational panels and other fun-filled events for directors and audience members alike.

To give you an idea of its magnitude, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has endorsed the festival.

Those featured in the event not only have the opportunity to have their films showcased, but there are also chances to score awards and valuable prizes. Awards are given to contestants within different genres of films and film types such as Documentary, Romance and Animation. The best screenwriter and the “Best of the Fest” are also honored.

Some of the fest’s filmmakers may even go on to win an Oscar. In past years, 25 participants have earned Academy Award nominations, with eight taking home the Oscar.

Well-known filmmakers like Tim Burton, James Wood and Charles Chaplin have been honored by the L.A. Shorts Fest, and this year the 2007 Maverick Film Achievement Award goes to writer/director James Toback (Bugsy, Two Girls and a Guy).

Toback made his directorial debut in 1978 with Fingers, starring Harvey Keitel. He then revisited the theme of gambling in two of his later films, 1999’s controversial Black and White and 2001’s Harvard Man.

This year’s film fest will premier at AMC Burbank 16, screen at AMC Burbank Town Center 6 and conclude at Hollywood’s CineSpace.

For more information, visit www.lashortsfest.com.