The short format has been the entry point for many important directors, yet short films—unlike short stories in literature—are rarely given public exposure, lucky to be consigned to the end of a DVD or screened as part of a directorial retrospective. During the 1950s and ‘60s, short films by well known directors were often released as anthologies, or “omnibus films.” Fellini's Toby Dammit comes from a film based on short stories by Edgar Allan Poe. Godard's Anticipation comes from a film about prostitution throughout the ages. Drawing on the many short films held in the Harvard Film Archive collection, these programs primarily feature early works of diverse directors such as Jack Clayton, Luis Bunuel and Ousmane Sembene, and provide interesting hints of the styles and subjects these directors would later embrace in long form.