Running alongside the 10 documentaries, and integral to the outreach component of Why Democracy? is a collection of short films made by emerging filmmakers across the planet. Short, innovative and sharp, they take a sideways look at our world. Whether it's the last shaman casting his vote in Siberia, or an internet campaign bringing about justice in Kinshasa - they're bound to get you thinking.

The shorts, dealing with personal, political and rights issues have been produced around the theme "what does democracy mean to me?" and are some of the most creative and thought-provoking of the collection. Selected films will be uploaded on the website, broadcast and distributed around the world for educational purposes.

Proposals for the short films were submitted by independent filmmakers all over the world, through different calls sent out by STEPS International. A global call was sent out with the Berlinale Talent Campus berlinale-talentcampus.de assisted by ZDF Arte and the Goethe Institut in Germany. An African filmmakers call was sent out through Sithengi, SACOD and Fepaci, the Pan African Federation of Filmmakers. The call for films in Mexico and Central America was managed in conjunction with the Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, Casa Comal and the Jan Vrijman Fund.

An Asian workshop took place in April in India where filmmakers from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka developed their proposals with the help of some of the directors of the Why Democracy? documentaries.