Category: Activities

Short Film Conference 2018 @ Clermont-Ferrand 5/Feb

Program of Short Film Conference 2018:

14.00-15.00 – SHORT OF THE WEEK’S “BE EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE” STRATEGY (Presentation)
Open to everyone – please RSVP.

With the explosion of fan and industry interest in short films online, filmmakers have an unprecedented opportunity to share their work globally. Co-Founder of Short of the Week, and former Lead Curator of Vimeo, Jason Sondhi describes his company’s evolving thinking on how filmmakers should best take advantage in order to find audiences for their work and kickstart their careers. Flouting conventional wisdom regarding festival strategies, distribution arrangements, and current practices for online releases, he advocates for “maximum exposure in the shortest window”.

Speaker: Jason Sondhi (Short of the Week)
Moderator: Laurence Boyce (PÖFF Shorts / Cineurope)

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15.15-16.00 – IN FOCUS: AFRICAN SHORT FILM FESTIVALS (Panel talk)
Open to SFC-members + invitees.

As the first in an ongoing series of examining festivals that might not be as well known to the West, the Short Film Conference will take an in-depth look at short film festivals in the continent of Africa. Claire Diao, France’s specialist of African Cinema, will moderate a talk with directors, festival programmers and delegates from all over Africa to talk about what’s hot and (not) happening in the African short film scene.

Speakers: Pape Lopy (Banlieue Film Festival Sénégal), Chipo Zhou (Durban International Film Festival) & Melissa Adeyemo (producer ‘Still water runs deep’).
Moderator: Claire Diao

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16.15-17.00 CAN YOU EARN A LIVING AS A FESTIVAL DIRECTOR? (Table discussion)
Open to SFC-members only.

When working for a festival, you’re always in a strange hinterland, since it never has a proper classification. Do we work in the film business? Do we work in the organizing business? And how to make a living? Gina Dellabarca, experienced festival director of Show Me Shorts, will moderate this conversation about the difficulties of working for a festival and how we could do better.

Speakers: Sébastien Simon (Busan International Short Film Festival), John Canciani (Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur) & Ailton Franco (Rio de Janeiro International Short Film Festival – Curta Cinema)
Moderator: Gina Dellabarca (Show Me Shorts)

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17.00-18.00 – SHORT FILM CONFERENCE – GENERAL ASSEMBLEE
Open to SFC-members only.

We urge all SFC-members to be present at this General Assemblee, where we will talk about issues and questions that have come to surface as to what the current strategy of the Short Film Conference is and how it should evolve in the future. The Board of Directors will prepare a list of topics to be discussed & will of course propose answers too. These are the topics among them:

(a) What is the main goal of the Short Film Conference? What defines its DNA and how can it still evolve? / (b) How should the SFC tackle problems that (especially smaller) festivals are facing, in regards to submission platforms & others? / (c) Who can and should be a SFC-member and who shouldn’t? / (d) How much is the membership fee and what does it include? / (e) Who’s in the Board of Directors and what is their task? / (f) How will the Short Film Conference be looking for more money in order to be more visible & do more throughout the year? / …

Moderators: Laurence Boyce & Tim Redford

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18.00-19.00 – NETWORKING DRINKS + ANNOUNCEMENT: WINNER OF THE SHORT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Open to everyone.

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20.00-22.00 – NETWORKING DINNER @ THE SALVATION JANE PUB
Open to SFC-members only.

Registration required! Deadline: 29th of Jan.!

The Networking Dinner is reserved for SFC-members only. We ask for an additional €25/person (to be paid in cash upon arrival). This includes two vouchers for pints or soft drinks & food (starters, walking dinner and desserts). Note that there will be plenty of vegetarian food too. Any extra drinkers ordered have to be paid for.

 

Location lectures & assemblee: Maison de la Culture, Salle Gripel, Boulevard François Mitterrand 71. / Location dinner: The Salvation Jane Pub, Rue Terrasse 14.

See you there!

Short Film Conference 2017 @ Clermont-Ferrand 6/Feb

Programme of Short Film Conference 2017:

 

14.00-15.00 – 5 THINGS WRONG WITH YOUR FILM FESTIVAL (Debate)
Open to everyone.

A recent online article entitled “15 Things Wrong With Your Short Film” rose the ire of some filmmakers. Not so much due to the content but to the fact that it was yet another in a long line of articles telling filmmakers what they might be doing wrong. Just where were the articles telling film festivals what they did wrong?

In the spirit of fair play, the Short Film Conference will hold an event entitled “Five* things wrong with your short film festival” (*We realise the original article had 15, we have chosen five simply because of time restrictions) and examine some of the criticisms levelled at events from filmmakers, industry players and – indeed – festivals themselves.

This will not be an exercise in singling out individual events and people – instead it is meant to allow film festivals to engage in some reflection on the things that we do whilst talking honestly about the problems that we face nowadays.

With a panel consisting of filmmakers and festival representatives the discussion will no doubt be a heated yet positive look at the world of short film festivals.

Speakers: Rich Warren (Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival), Sven Schwarz (Hamburg International Short Film Festival), Jing Haase (Nordisk Panorama Film Festival), Douwe Dijkstra (director), Wouter Jansen (Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen), Gunhild Enger (director)
Moderator: Laurence Boyce (International Short Film Festival Sleepwalkers)

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15.15-16.15 – HOW EXCLUSIVE IS YOUR FESTIVAL? (Table discussion)
Open to everyone.

Why do some festivals have premiere requirements? What is the impact on other festivals? How does your festival change once you’re Oscar-accredited? How does a festival get Academy Award-accredited in the first place? Why would you strive for that? And finally: what about short films that are available online?

In this roundtable discussion a few key-speakers (programmers, festival directors) will shed a light on their experience within the short film world, regarding the question of exclusivity. Anyone in the audience is recommended to participate in the Q&A that follows.

Speakers: Mauro Gervasini (Venice Film Festival), Zita Carvalhosa (São Paulo International Short Film Festival), Seigo Tono (Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia), Theo Tsappos (Swedish Film Institute)
Moderator: Jacopo Chessa (Italian Short Film Center)

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16.30-17.30 THE SHORT FILM WORLD & FILM JOURNALISM – MAKING TWO WORLDS WORK TOGETHER (Lecture)
Open to SFC-members only.

Journalism/film criticism has long been an established and important part of the film festival world. Yet many magazines are not interested in taking stories about short films and – despite the internet – outlets for many established journalists are shrinking. With that in mind just how are short film festivals approaching their relationships with film critics and journalists? With a product that many outlets won’t write about?

Laurence Boyce is both a journalist and the head of programme of International Short Film Festival Sleepwalkers and has seen both sides of the coin when it comes to the relationship between the press and the short film festivals world. He has written about short film festivals for trade magazines as well as specialist publications and Cineuropa Shorts, of which he is the editor.

In his talk, Laurence will explore the needs and wants of both journalists and festivals and examine the pitfalls he faces as a film journalist when specialising in short film. He will give practical advice on how to gain interest from trade magazines as well go through the kind of information that a journalist and critic needs to be able to make the best use of a festival they attend. He will also reflect on his past as a press officer for numerous major festivals and examine past relationships with the press world.

This talk will prove invaluable for any festival wanting to improve its relationship with the press and learn more about how to target its information to get the best coverage it can.

Speaker: Laurence Boyce (International Short Film Festival Sleepwalkers, Cineuropa Shorts)

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17.30-18.00 – SHORT FILM CONFERENCE – GENERAL ASSEMBLEE
Open to SFC-members only.

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18.15-19.00 – NETWORKING DRINKS + ANNOUNCEMENT: WINNER OF THE SHORT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Open to everyone.

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19.30-22.00 – NETWORKING DINNER @ THE SALVATION JANE PUB
Open to SFC-members only.

 

Location lectures & assemblee: Maison de la Culture, Salle Gripel, Boulevard François Mitterrand 71. / Location dinner: The Salvation Jane Pub, Rue Terrasse 14.

See you there!

Short Film Conference 2016 @ Clermont-Ferrand 8/Feb

Programme of the 2016 Short Film Conference is as follows:

15.00 – 16.00 – Table discussion entry fees, screening fees for shorts

It’s has been a discussion between festivals, filmmakers, film boards for years.. what about entry fees? A necessarily evil to contain the huge amounts of films flooding the festivals ? And should you expect a screening fee as filmmaker if your film does make the selection. A panel of experts in their own field discuss, together with the audience, different views.

Speakers: Pauline Ginot (Autour de Minuit, distributor), Eman Shihab (Reelport, submission platform), Simon Koenig (Swiss Films, governmental agency), Jukka-Pekka Laakso (Tampere Film Festival), Sydney Neter (SND Films, sales agent), Julien Westermann (Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival)
Moderator: Mick Hannigan (IndieCork)

16.05 – 17.15 – How to make your film festival louder by Iain Alexander

This lecture will cover some of the ways film festivals can boost their international presence and their social influence to significantly increase film submissions and attendance. This will also cover partnerships to help festivals bring additional revenue.

17.30 – 18.20 – Short Film Conference – general assemblee

18.20 – 19.00 – Network drinks, offered by Clermont-Ferrand SFF

19.30 – Network Diner @ Hotel Kyriad

 

Location lectures & assemblee: Maison de la Culture, Salle Gripel, Boulevard François Mitterrand 71.
Location diner: Hotel Kyriad,  Avenue de la Libération 25

See you there!

 

IMPORTANT: For everyone that might be interested to be (more) involved into the organisation of the SFC, we are having a meeting at 11:00 (we’ll meet in Salle Louis-Chavignier (the same place where you collect your accreditation) at 10:55). We’ll discuss new plans for the SFC and a possible restructure in management, to be presented during the general assemblee. If you would like to join us, just show up and preferably also mail us first at info@shortfilmconference.com. Thanks!

The menu @ Shortfilmconference Clermont Ferrand 2015

Le Bistrot de Clermont

International Conference – Monday 2nd February 2015

Dinner 19:30 Dining Room Coubertin

Foie gras ravioli served with Asian-style sauce
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Fillet of sea bream, white wine sauce and black rice risotto
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Fondant served with a ginger cream sauce and orange segments

Vegetarian menu

Chestnut soup, poached egg
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Crunchy vegetable risotto served with asparagus and hazelnut sauce
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Fondant served with a ginger cream sauce and orange segments

Short Film Conference @ Clermont Ferrand 2015 – Monday February 2nd

Shortfilmconference is organizing a conference in Clermont-Ferrand, new style. We have taken your comments into account and will present a more dynamic, practical conference. We explicitly ask ALL (potential) members to be present during the general assembly, other activities are optional.

 

In preparation:

It would be great if some of the members (obviously not everyone is needed) would be willing to spend a few hours before the actual conference, thinking of a few key issues within the organisation of Shortfilmconference. More specifically about the new Code of Ethics as well as the question whether or not to ask an entry fee (and what the general ‘rules for acceptance into the Shortfilmconference’ can/should be). The idea is to present the general assembly later that day one (or: a few) yes or no question(s) to be voted on.

11.00 – Subcommittee 1 – Towards a new code of ethics (La Jetée)
13.00 – Subcommittee 2 – Membership fee and acceptance criteria (La Jetée)

Members are very much encourage to participate in one of these subcommittees. It deals with important aspect about our organisation. Please confirm your interest by mailing info@shortfilmconference.com.

 

The Shortfilmconference Programme:

16.00 – 16.40 : Digital file formats for aspiring nerds 

Motion JPEG-2000 vs “low-end” consumer formats like H264, semi-professional formats like Apple ProRes and the new standard of H265 which supports 4K video. What do you need to know, how to screen these files and can anyone see the difference in actual screening settings?
Theoretical explanation (with lots of visuals) will be concluded by the unveiling of FRED (Free DCP player), a custom designed DCP player for under 3.000 euro, connectible via HDMI.
Speaker: Frank Moens (Short Film Festival Leuven)
Location: Salle Grippel

16.45 – 17.30 : Creative Sparks Sessions – Festival marketing

These sessions are intended, exactly as advertise, to create in 20 minutes or less a spark towards a new idea, a new way of looking at things to promote your festival.

Will be present:

– Social media & Marking by Miguel Valverde (Indie Lisboa)

56.000+ likes on your Facebook page, for a festival celebrating its 12th edition this year; someone is doing something really good here. If we ask nicely maybe Indie Lisboa will charge some of their insights.

– Community targeting by Laurent Crouzeix (Clermont-Ferrand)

One of the many things we get impressed by visiting Clermont-Ferrand is the level of commitment by the local community: from pupils to taxi drivers, they seem to be personally involved with the festival. What can we learn from the festival we visit each year?

Location: Salle Grippel

17.30 – 18.30 : General Assembly

Unlike some other years, we would like to keep the general assembly short and to the point. The majority of discussions will be done already by the subcommittees preparing their case beforehand, the general assembly will be asked to vote on key points in regards to the future of the Conference. (potential) members that would like to bring up a point to the agenda are kindly asked to do this beforehand by mailing us at info(at)shortfilmconference.com
Location: Salle Grippel

On the agenda (still incomplete):

  • General introduction of the organization, financial status, ao.
  • Presentation of the new “Code of Ethics”, prepared by the subcommittee (vote by members)
  • Pro’s and con’s of a membership fee, prepared by the subcommittee (vote by members)
  • (very) Short explanation of member pages of shortfilmconference.com + encouragement to keep info up to date and complete.
  • Input and feedback of activities, feedback for next year

 

19.30 – Dinner

The menu can be accessed via this link, please indicate your preference for vegetarian or non-vegetarian while submitting your information, price is 25€ per person.

Location: Hotel Kyriad Prestige, Salle Coubertin – 25, avenue de la Libération

 

To join (part of) the Conference, please enter your information via Doodle

If you’d like to be part of the subcommittee, please mail us at info(at)shortfilmconference.com