Independent films or "Indie" films are steadily gaining popularity these days and distributing mainly over the Internet which is relatively inexpensive, very quick, offers circulation and is limited only by bandwidth.. The main reason for the popularity is the falling prices of digital equipment and the increased power of computers. Both high and low-end 3D modeling and animation software and digital cameras have put film making within the financial grasp of the public. Just as starting musicians sought alternatives to breaking into their business, and certain established artists disaffected from bloated recording companies with the Napster phenomenon, the Indies have brought about a new sort of net experience - the Virtual Theatre. Other contributors to the cinema's presence on the web include enthusiastic amateur movie makers, animators and film-school students who, through whose art, are simply trying to make themselves heard. Like certain music-sharing services, most of the works presented are if not freely-downloadable, free to view online. Computer-Generated ("C.G.") animation also plays a key role, as the same machines which can bring these movies into your home via the internet can, through digital special effects, be used to enhance and now even more easily create that very medium. What follows (again - like those music-sharing services) is a somewhat less-than-random surf through some currently available on-line short movies, or "shorts" . A high or low "click" rate can mean the difference between The Blair Witch (which started out as a web site) and a film that we'll never hear about. Starting a web site is the first step in the right direction. The problem is exposure - and a single html page coded by your brother's friend just won't do. Chat-if's mission is to serve the creators of independent entertainment (creators and fans), to provide a world-wide exhibition platform to showcase their material to a potential audience of millions. And unlike other short film sites that only give online access Chat-if specifically provides links to downloadable shorts! ... Chat-if's mission is also to create a community for the film makers (& the film consumers) and to keep current on industry news. Noam Sher Chat-if Webmaster Visit Chat-If's web site.