The British Are Coming: Highlights from the Rushes Soho Shorts Fest

Who needs to travel to the world's film festivals when you can catch some of their best entries online? Britain's Rushes Soho Shorts Festival – called "the ultimate short film festival" by Time Out London – finished its eighth installment back in August.

Famously free, the non-profit event took place in bars, cafes, and cinemas throughout London's West End. The programmed films were culled from a record 2,000 entries this year.

The winning films are currently available to watch on the Rushes website. While slow to download, the mini-movies are worth the wait, with a large enough screen size to appreciate the professionalism and artistry on display. (After all the YouTube news this week, it's a refreshing departure from crude-looking stamp-sized videos).

Be sure to check out Tom Harper's UK Film Council short and top-winner "Cubs," a compelling verite drama about a gang of British teens who go on a fox hunt for what turns out to be a shocking initiation ceremony.

Other viewable honorees include Michel Gondry's trippy music video for the The White Stripes' "The Denial Twist," best newcomer Jonathan Hopkins' "Goodbye Mr. Snuggles," a hilarious combination of film and video, upper-crust gentlemen and a lowly, debased clown, and animation highlight "Rabbit," Run Wrake's strange and twisted faux-children's film, put together from 1950s educational stickers and hand-drawn animation.