Chennai: Three-hour long films and their action, songs and punch dialogues may be outdated soon, as short and sweet, one-reel cinema rolls in.

Pioneered by Tamil writer and critic-turned-filmmaker Gnani, this is cinema at its most basic. These may be eleven-minute-long films on varied themes, sometimes based on short stories from renowned Tamil writers and all one needs is good content and the talent to bring it alive on screen.

One does not need to be a veteran to make such short films. "This is one such area where you can nurture new ideas as well as new talents who would be useful to the mainstream film industry too because one may not be very willing to experiment with a fresh cinematographer, script-writer or a fresh director for a three-hour film. However, you can start experimenting with their talents for 10 min at least,” says Gnani, Filmmaker.

The new format already has many takers. Pyramid Saimira, a production and distribution company, has agreed to fund and distribute six of Gnani's one-reel-films in their theatre chains. However, the hunt is on for more one-reel filmmakers.

It is not just about entertainment, these films are a good source of earnings too. "It will be a source of revenue generation. With sponsorships, DVD sales, it is likely to generate revenue. However, right now we have to look at it in terms of good-quality cinema," says PS Swaminathan, Managing Director, Pyramid Saimira.

The first one reel movie will be screened in 112 theatres across Tamil Nadu on Friday to mark the 112th anniversary of the day the first motion picture was screened. However, if the trend catches on, it might not be too long before an audience pays to watch their favourite one-reel film.