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Shorttakes, which takes place tonight for the 13th time, is an established UCLA tradition. But don’t think the on-campus film festival is the same after all these years.

This year marks some important changes for the annual highlight of Campus Events’ film division. The event will still showcase the artistic output of college students, but this year, there is a chance the filmmakers could get an audience far wider than in the past.

Specifically, a deal is in the works that would allow the Sundance Channel to put Shorttakes finalists’ films on on-demand cable, so viewers with the service could access the films at any time. Although an arrangement has not been finalized, it’s difficult for those involved to contain their enthusiasm.

“I think at this stage of the game in the filmmakers’ careers, getting exposure is a big thing,” said Steven Evans, account vice president at the Sundance Channel and also a judge at this year’s Shorttakes. “So hopefully as some of these new platforms (such as on-demand cable) develop, it’s going to give people in the business a chance to see the work of these students and hopefully be good for (the students’) careers.”

The deal is being facilitated by Pete Stone, a member of Theta Chi’s alumni association, Beta Alpha. The organization is a major sponsor of Shorttakes, and Stone has helped the festival improve in other ways in the past, such as bringing in judges from the entertainment industry. But the cable deal may be his biggest coup yet.

“Steve Evans suggested to have an opportunity for finalists to get their films shown on TV,” Stone said. “Not only does it give (the finalists) exposure, it validates them as filmmakers. (Shorttakes) is really appealing because it’s kind of the film festival for everyone. You don’t have to be a UCLA student; you don’t have to be a film major. Anyone who has something to say and is an undergraduate or a graduate student can submit a film.”

Stone discussed a possible arrangement with Campus Events, the Sundance Channel and Time Warner, which both owns the Sundance Channel and is set to take over all of cable provider Adelphia’s properties in Southern California in the near future. So according to Stone, it makes sense for Time Warner to want to build relationships with new neighbors such as UCLA.

“(Time Warner) as an entity, as a new community partner, wanted to do something to reach out to the UCLA community in particular,” Stone said. “I think that Time Warner and Sundance want to do everything they can to encourage student filmmakers. They’re not looking to get their brands out per se – it’s all about community building.”

For Evans, working with Shorttakes is a logical extension of the original mission statement of Robert Redford’s Sundance Institute.

“What (Redford) wanted to do was give filmmakers the opportunity to make the films they wanted to make,” Evans said. “It makes perfect sense for us to sponsor this because it’s an opportunity for filmmakers to make the films they want to make and for people to see them.”

According to Campus Events Films Director Kathy Kim, the nascent cable arrangement has not yet had much effect on the number of entries to Shorttakes. But she’s anticipating that as the deal becomes more final and public, interest in the festival will get a bump.

“In future years, I’m hoping people will hear about (the arrangement) and want to submit,” Kim said.

But even if the deal does not go through in the immediate future, there is still much to be excited about in regard to Shorttakes. Aside from the usual highly varied mix of live action and animated work, Shorttakes is open for just the second year to both undergraduate and graduate students from across the country. Evans will be presenting separate new awards recognizing the best undergraduate and graduate student films.

“I am amazed at the quality of the work,” he said. “It’s pretty difficult being a judge because the work is so good. Every work that makes it to this stage has a lot to offer. Its hard to figure out which one is better than others.”

Chris Yi, a second-year communication studies student and Shorttakes finalist with his thriller “After the Tone,” expressed excitement to simply be involved with the festival – particularly about the potential on-demand cable deal.

“For such a large audience to view something students create would be great,” Yi said. “A lot of these students put their blood, sweat and tears into these films, and it’d be a great opportunity for them to get exposure outside of UCLA.”