Focus on distribution and online perspectives to explore when it comes to showcase short films – time to ask everything you have always wanted to know to make your film seen! From searching for a distributor to festival approaching strategies, no stone will be left unturned during this hour of non-stop questions.
Monday 20 May – 16:00 @Palais Stage
With Justine Baillargeon, Claire Diao, Eva Krenner
Moderated by Jing Haase
Speakers
JUSTINE BAILLARGEON - h264
After studying film at Concordia in Montreal and Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, as well as journalism at Université de Montréal, Justine marries her professional passions and becomes a journalist for Qui fait Quoi. In 2017, she leaves Quebec for France to work for the Cannes Film Festival Market, first collaborating with the Cinando team, the largest database dedicated to film professionals. She then joins the Industry Programs Department where she plays a part in developing of the first edition of the Online Film Market. In 2021, Justine integrated the h264 team as Head of Distribution.
CLAIRE DIAO - Sudu Connexion
Claire Diao is a French-Burkinabè film critic, she initiated the Quartiers Lointains travelling short film program in 2013, she co-founded the pan-African film magazine AWOTELE in 2015 and she has been managing the pan-African distribution company Sudu Connexion since 2016. TV presenter and columnist, she collaborates since 2011 with many international festivals (programming, animation, jury).
EVA KRENNER - THIS IS SHORT
Eva Krenner is a short film curator and project coordinator living in Vienna. She has been selecting and co-curating short film programs for SLASH Fantastic Film Festival since 2019, as well as the Late Night programs at Vienna Shorts since 2023. She is the project coordinator for THIS IS SHORT – a streaming platform dedicated to short films and run by the European Short Film Network (ESFN), which was launched as a year-round platform in November 2023. Besides her work in the field of film, she is specialized in concert and event-photography.
JING HAASE - Swedish Film Institute
Jing works at the Swedish film institute where she handles the international festival distribution of Swedish shorts. She has been working with short films for more than two decades, with a focus on international distribution.
— INDUSTRY PANELS
SHORT FILM TRENDS IN FESTIVALS
While filmmakers seek to get selected in festivals, programmers are looking for singular films in the thousands produced each year.
While festivals must find films that speak to their audience, propose inspiring programmes and stick to their own DNA, only few filmmakers can make the cut, and the not selected ones may sometimes feel at mercy of random decisions.
A deep dive into the trends witnessed in festivals, and how programmers & filmmakers navigate in deep waters between creation, stereotypes, expectations and the expression of a cinematographic signature…
Tuesday 21 May – 16:00 @Palais Stage
With Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck, Nicolas Khabbaz, Emilie Poirier
Moderated par Lotte Kircher
Speakers
ANNA HENCKEL-DONNERSMARK - Berlinale Shorts
Anna Henckel-Donnersmarck does video installations for theater and exhibitions, teaches and has been working for film festivals as programmer and moderator (Berlinale Shorts, Kassel Doc Festival, Zebra Poetry Film Festival, Filmwinter, Pictoplasma) or jury member for over 20 years. Since 2019 she is head of Berlinale Shorts.
NICOLAS KHABBAZ - Beirut Shorts & Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival
Film and Theatre producer from Lebanon, Nicolas studied filmmaking and holds a PhD in cinema. He is a professor at Notre Dame University and the artistic director of Beirut Shorts Film Festival & Batroun Mediterranean Film Festival. He has participated in acclaimed festivals as a filmmaker, jury member, curator and industry expert. His Films premiered in Locarno and Toronto Film Festival.
EMILIE POIRIER - Festival du Nouveau Cinéma Montréal
Emilie Poirier has been working in programming at the Montreal Festival du nouveau cinéma (FNC) since 2017. She is now head of short film and feature film programmer. She is also a member of the preselection committee at Busan International Short Film Festival as well as an independent curator, moderator and writer.
LOTTE KIRCHER - Consultante & modératrice
After working at international film festivals for ten years, Lotte decided to focus on moderating and conceptualizing panels. Her current focus lies on working conditions and social security in the film industry, especially for women.
— KEYNOTE
A more intimate format, complementing the Panels, for discussions on specific themes. Discover one of the two Keynotes presented this year.
HOW TO BOOST THE VISIBILITY OF YOUR SHORTS?
Whether you want to release a first or auto-produced short film, foster your audience and festival network after a great premiere, or if you have qualified to the Oscars®; this keynote will help directors, producers and distributors who are looking for tools, tips and different strategies to create a successful campaign to promote their film.
Tuesday 21 May –14:00 @Palais Stage
With Benoit Berthe Siward
Speaker
BENOIT BERTHE SIWARD - The Animation Showcase
Benoit is a film strategist, founder of 'The Animation Showcase' consulting boutique. He's helped several shorts & feature films to get recognized within the industry and has led award campaigns for films gathering more than 20 Oscars® nominations, and a few Oscar® wins in the short categories including THE WINDSHIELD WIPER in 2022 and WAR IS OVER! in 2024. He built the first film industry-based & free streaming platform, allowing people from the motion picture industry to watch the best shorts and features of the season.
A bonus Keynote willbeannounced in the nextweeks!
News
SFC | Rendez-vous Industry
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