Northern Alliance - BFI

“There isn‟t much of an audience on television, not because people wouldn‟t
watch shorts, but because television isn‟t programming them… In France, Canal
Plus, TV5 and Arte programme shorts, and there is an audience appetite for them
– but this doesn‟t happen overnight. There needs to be consistent, long-term
support.” Claire Cook, BBC Film Network
Despite these frustrations, the consensus among the filmmakers interviewed was
that the general public was not the primary audience for short film in the UK. The
main target audience consists of the various stakeholders in the film industry –
agents, talent scouts, producers, financiers and filmmakers themselves.
“There is an audience for short films. At present it is dominated by those
connected to film, filmmakers, people who know filmmakers, those connected to
the arts. This is because the availability of short films is generally known only to
this sector.”
Mary Davies, Head of Industry, Edinburgh International Film Festival
The audience for short film may broaden, especially when a younger, born digital
generation comes to maturity, but for most filmmakers this is of secondary
importance to reaching out to the people who can help them make their next
film, be it short or feature length.
Page 91