Yes! We have a winner! The Tacoma Film Festival, breaking the mold set by most other indie film fests, has compiled two hours’ worth of comedy shorts that are mostly very funny. Screened tonight at the School of the Arts theater, the ten shorts will replay at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Grand, where they’ll be even better on a big screen (and hopefully without the tedious waits in between DVDs.) Here they are, in screening order:

“Otis v. Monster”: This one’s good, but could be even better if longer. A cute claymation to a tongue-in-cheek tango score pits the bemused mountain man Otis against a pretty adorable Big Foot monster. But the plot’s too weak and short. Why not extend Otis’ hunting pratfalls into a real Tom-and-Jerry tango?

“Clones Gone Wild”: A winner, but just slightly too long this time. (Am I fussy or what?) Truly funny comic drama about how to deal with your acting-up clone, this features some great acting and fast dialogue, whipping from one smart scene to the next via hilarious characters (the Mafia goon, the drinking dude friend, the clone-master bartender). 

“Cost of Living”: After an irritatingly breathy opening song with cutesy animation, this one turns into a wry, lighthearted look at a pretty tragic post-global-warming future. Love the mad-scramble one-minute water scene.

“The Mouse that Soared”: Gets my vote, hands down. A terrific little animation about a mouse adopted by ambitious birds, where the Harry Lime theme perfectly suits the deadpan humor as this mouse learns to defy gravity. Think Pixar, but with originality and real wit.

“Ten for Grandpa”: Maybe you have to be Jewish to find the humor in this very unfunny FBI-style political thriller about a KGB-agent Grandpa. Predictable swift cuts, breathless narrative, bad jokes.

“Missing the Boat”: Okay, the ridiculous animal costumes in this Australian fantasy-romance about finding Mr. Right make sense with the final plot twist. But it’s just not worth all the embarrassment along the way.

“Post-It Love”: Sweet and simple, this silent comic-romance between a Paul McCartney look-alike and his office sweetheart to a jiggy Beatles-ish tune is worth seeing just for the fun Post-It Notes artwork.

“Schizofredric”: Slobby English moon-rock-collecting geek Fredric gets his life changed by a robotically competent alter-ego after he disappears into a black hole in his own bathroom. No, really, it’s funny, especially the hysterically serious black-hole-installation scene that seems right out of “The Goodies.”

“Boutonniere”: Domineering perfectionist mom, repressed daughter, surly Nintendo-addicted brother, and a home-school prom night work well in this character comedy.

“After You”: Super-quick and funny, this black-and-white about relationship woes is the perfect joke to end a bunch of good ones.

The Tacoma Film Festival runs Oct. 1-8 at various venues around Tacoma, and is organized by The Grand Cinema, 606 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma. www.tacomafilmfestival.com

Stay tuned for the announcement of the festival winners and their rescreening times.