Symposium “How to Sell a Short Film” - Internationale Kurzfilmtage ...

Producers'Day,Friday,6November2009Protocol:Symposium“HowtoSellaShortFilm”Welcome&introductionbySimonKoenigHeadofshortfilmdepartmentatSWISSFILMS,thepromotionagencyforSwissfilmmakingThe aim of today's 4‐hour symposium is to help filmmakers and producers of short films tomakesenseofthejunglethatisshortfilmpromotion:whataretheopportunities,theroadsonecangodown,themustsandthedo'sanddon'tsthatoneshouldtakeintoconsiderationwhenonewantstomakeashortfilmvisibleinternationally,topromoteitandtomaybeevensellit?Whoaretheprotagonistsbehindthescenes?Whoselectstheshorts?Whatcriteriaareused?To answer these questions, we have invited 13 international, highly prolific and interestingspeakers, who have presented their professional know‐how about the wold of short films inshortpresentationsofabout8minutes'length.Wewouldliketothankallthespeakerswhohavetakenthetimetoattendthisevent.WewouldalsoliketothankFOCAL,thefoundationforprofessionaltrainingincinemaandaudiovisualmedia,fortheircollaboration.Thespeakersaredividedintothreegroups(accordingtotheirfieldofactivity).Thesefieldsalsoroughlycorrespondtothesequenceinwhichshortfilmsareusuallymarketed:1. Festivals(almosteveryshortfilmisfirstshownatafestival).2. World Sales (agents, who acquire the rights for a film and subsequently sell it todistribution).3. TVBuyers(beinganimportantexampleofultimatebuyers–amongmanyothers!‐theTVbuyersconcludethesymposiumbytalkingaboutthesubjectoftheacquisitionandprogrammingofshortfilms).Attheendofeachgroupofpresentationstherewillbeashortroundtablediscussionwiththefourexperts,wheretheaudiencecancontributewithinput,questionsanditsownchallenges.Inbetween,RetoCaffi–whorepresentsthefilmmakers–willpresentacasestudyabouttheinternational promotion of his successful short film “Auf der Strecke” (“On the Line”), andhopefullygivetheattendingfilmmakersandproducersafewhottipsonwhatoneshouldtakeintoconsiderationasafilmmaker.Hemightalsogetachallengingwordinedgewaysduringtherest of the afternoon, if information or promises proffered by the representatives of thepromotionalchaindon'tcorrespondtohisownexperiences.

Naturally,thereisnorecipeonhowoneshouldmarketashortfilm.Neithercanwepresentacomplete4‐pointprogramme,butwewouldliketopresentasurveyoftheestablishedshortfilmexploitationchainandsharetheaccumulatedexperiencesandknowledge.Intheprocess,wewanttoexplainhowonecangetinvolvedwiththesuitabledistributionchannelsorhowonecanfindtherightworldsalesagency,whichinturnshouldpossessthecrucialcontactstobeabletosellthefilm.1 st part:FilmFestivalsGeorges Bollon, selection internationale, Festival International du Court Métrage Clermont‐Ferrandhttp://www.clermont‐filmfest.com/ThefestivalinClermont‐Ferrandhasbeenaroundfor32yearsandistodaythelargestandmostimportantshortfilmfestivalintheworld.Theeventoriginallygrewoutofastudentfilmclub.Sincetheleftcameintopoweratthebeginningofthe1980s,introducinganewculturalpolicy,ithasdevelopedrapidly.Apartfromthebroadgeneralaudienceof137,000spectatorsannually,the festival also attracts about 3000 representatives of the film industry, and is thereby thesecond‐largestfilmeventinFranceaftertheCannesfilmfestival.The festival is organised by the association “Sauve qui peut le court‐métrage/Commission dufilm d'Auvergne”, which apart from organising the festival also supports film projects and isengagedineducationpolicy.Thecoreofthefestivalisthecompetition,thatconsistsofthreeprogrammes:• InternationalCompetition• NationalCompetition• CompetitionLabo,showingexperimentalworks(Frenchandinternational),whichwereselectedbytheselectioncommitteefromthecompetitionentries.Submissions are made via www.shortfilmdepot.com, an online platform, which counts 28memberfestivalsworldwide.Inthisway,onesinglesubmissionallowsonetoapplytoalargenumberoffestivals.The number of submitted films is currently around 6000. This year, already 6409 films havebeen submitted to date, including 95 Swiss productions (excluding co‐productions withSwitzerlandasaminorityproducer).The“cataloguemarché”listsallthefilmssubmittedinoneyearandcanalsobeaccessedonline.The market (“Marché du court”), which takes place at the same time as the festival, can bevisitedvirtuallyontheinternet.Themarketoffers:

• around 50 stalls, where over 100 institutions from all over the world are represented(buyers,distributors,producers,etc.)• avideolibrarywithallsubmittedfilms(whichisusedmostlybybuyers,distributorsandfestivalrepresentatives)Submittingafilmisfreeofcharge.Entrytothemarketanduseofthevideolibraryarealsofreeduringthefestival.Forafeeof60euros,industryrepresentativescansignuptousethefilmdatabaseallyearround.Apartfromproductiondetails,thedatabasealsocontainstheprofilesand contact details of all accredited festival and industry representatives. The databasecurrentlycountsabout60,000films.Theprogrammeforthenextfestival(January2010)isalreadypublishedonline.ShaneSmith,ShortFilmProgrammer,SundanceFilmFestivalhttp://festival.sundance.org/2010/Shane Smith is a jury member at this year's International Short Film Festival Winterthur, andworksfornumerousinstitutions.Today,hewillspeakasaprogrammeroftheshortfilmsectionoftheSundanceFilmFestival.SundancetakesplaceinthesmalltownParkCityinUtah,andthisyearthefestivaliscelebratingits25 th anniversary(thepredecessor‐festivalwasfoundedin1978).EstablishedoriginallyasaplatformforUSindependentfilms,Sundancetodayalsooffersastageforworldcinema,shortfilms, documentaries and experimental films (including even installations). As the concept ofindependentcinemahasmeanwhilebeensoftened,thisyearwillseetheintroductionofNEXT,aLowBudgetFeatureSectionforfilmsmadeonalow‐tono‐budget.Theshortfilmsectioncontains:∙5cross‐genreprogrammes∙1animationprogramme∙1documentaryprogramme∙intermittently:1experimentalprogrammeInaddition,manyshortsarealsoshownbeforethefeaturescreeningsThe jury hands out the Short Award and the Animated Short Award. The prize winnersautomaticallyqualifyfortheOscars,aslongastheyhaven'tbeenscreenedonTVbeforetheawardsceremony.Abouttheselectionprocess:Shaneisonememberofagroupof6programmersoftheshortfilmsectionofSundance.Themembersoftheprogramminggrouphaveotherprofessions.Thefestivalreceivesabout6000short film submissions every year, of which around 80 are selected for screening. The 6000submissions are distributed across the programming group. Every member makes a preselection,whichisthenviewedbytheentireselectioncommittee.Unfortunately,thefestival

canonlyprogrammeabouthalfthefilmsthey'dliketo.TheratioofUStoforeignproductionsiscurrentlyaround55:45(inthepastitwasmorelike70:30).Thebiggestchallengeintermsofprogrammingisthelimitedprogrammingtime.Naturally,theideaistoselectthebestfilms,butontheotherhand,thefestivalwouldliketomakespaceforasmanyfilmsaspossible.EspeciallyEuropeanshortstendtobequitelongandaresometimesrejectedinfavourofmorefilmsofashorterduration.Submissions are made online via www.withoutabox.com, elaborately boxed DVDs are not anadvantage. The preselection begins in August, the final selection is made shortly before theprogrammingdeadline.Onceafilmischosen,everythinghastohappenveryquickly.Having ones short programmed before a feature can be an advantage for the filmmaker, asnumerous industry reps and studio executives from Hollywood are in the audience. Even iffeaturefilmsarethefocusofSundance,thefestivalworkshardatincludingshortfilmmakersinthe happenings of the festival and to allow them access to the industry and the importantevents. To the outside, the festival may make a somewhat glamourous and hollywoodishimpression, but the important part of Sundance takes place far away from the red carpets.Ultimately, the festival is about Robert Redford's original vision to offer a platform and anetwork to independent producers and filmmakers (Redford even hosts a brunch for thefilmmakersathisresidence).Also, Sundance is not just a festival, but an institution within the film industry: there arenumerous programmes and workshops for directors, producers, composers, actors etc. Theirorganisers are keen to make sure that they get to know the artists, and they also ask theprogrammersaboutfilmmakers,whoseworksareworthseeing.Intheend,Sundanceisanidealmeetingpointforanyonewithfeatureambitions,astheindustryrepresentativespresentareaboveallinterestedinpotentialfeaturefilmmakers.MaikeMiaHoehne,CuratorBerlinaleShorts,InternationalFilmFestivalBerlinhttp://www.berlinale.de/MaikeMiaHöhneisafilmmakerherselfandhasbeencuratingBerlinaleShortsfor3years.ShortfilmshavebeenthroughalongandeventfulhistoryattheBerlinfilmfestival.In2010,theBerlinalewillcelebrateits60 th birthday,andtheGoldenBearforshortfilmshasbeenawardedsince1953or1954.Then,foralongtime,the“Panorama”section(whichwasbornfromthegayandlesbianmovement)screenedalargenumberofshorts.Now,thetwosectionshavebeenunitedandwillscreenabout30filmsatthecomingfestival,withallofthemtakingpartinthecompetition. But short films can also be seen in other sections, for instance in the sections“Generation”,“Forum”,“ForumExpanded”(whichgoesbeyondthecinematheatresandshowsfilmsinexhibitionspaces).Sometimes,shortsarealsoscreenedbeforefeatures,especiallyinthe“Panorama”section,whichnownolongerhasitsownshortfilmsection.Thecommunicationbetweenthevariousprogrammegroupsofthefestivalworkswellandisverylively.Filmsarealsopassedfromonesectiontoanother–nofilmislost!Thepointisnotto

eagainstafilm,buttofindthebestscreeningcontextforit.Just like Sundance, the Berlinale is not primarily a short film festival, but the energy and theatmosphere of this A‐list festival rubs off on the short film programmes. In the short filmsection, one can try things out in a smaller framework. The short films also have to fulfilpremiererules(evenifexceptionsaremade).Thereare3to4screeningsofshortfilmseveryday,amountingtoabout1,200spectatorsperday.The Berlinale actively fosters short film makers, for instance at the European Film Market,where the German Short Film Agency has a large stall. There is a day of short films incollaborationwiththeTalentCampus,andorganisedmeetingsbetweenfilmmakersandbuyers.Aboutonethirdofthefilmsendupbeingsold.Numerousotherfilmsareshownworldwideatotherfestivals.Within the short film section there are no rules regarding the awarding of prizes. It is amisunderstanding that animated shorts have no place in this section. The programmingcommitteeisprimarilyinterestedintheexplorationofcinematicboundaries.Thefilm'sbudgetisnotrelevant;itsenergyandcreativityismoredecisive.Thefilmmakersdon'tevenneedtobeyoung. At the last festival, only 3 or 4 films came from film schools – the others wereindependentproductions.Concerning the premiere policy, it's up to the filmmakers to decide where their film shouldcommenceitscareer.QuestionfromSimon:anotherquestionaboutthemarket:whatistheadvantageforashortfilmtoparticipateatthemarketattheBerlinale?Answer:TogetherwithBekiProbst,theheadoftheEuropeanFilmMarket(whichisaglobalplatforminspiteofitsname),thefestivalislookingforwaystoimprovethepositionofshortfilmsatthemarket.Untilthen,thefestivalwillcontinueorganisingshortfilmmeetingplacesandindividualnetworkingopportunities.TheotherintitiativeistheTalentCampus,whosenewdirectorDieterKosslickishighlycommitted.Hilke Doering from the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen has cancelled due toillness.Instead,MárioMicaelo,Co‐Director&Programmer,CurtasViladoConde(Portugal)haskindlyofferedtojumpinatshortnotice.http://www.curtasmetragens.pt/CurtasViladoCondewasformedin1993,with2010seeingthe18 th editionofthefestival.TheoriginalrolemodelswerethefestivalsinClermont‐FerrandandOberhausen.Inthemeantime,Curtashasdevelopedintoafestivalwithanindependentprofile.Thefestival,whichtakesplaceinJuly,hasmeanwhilebecomeestablishedintheEuropeanshortfilmsceneandhasdeveloped

a unique profile in terms of experimental films and the way that audiovisual works arepresented.ThefestivalontheonehandattractsawideaudiencefromthePortoregion,ontheother hand it is also a meeting point for numerous filmmakers and industry representativesfromathomeandabroad.Themostimportantcompetitionsectionsin2009were:‐theInternationalCompetition:9programmes‐theNationalCompetition:3programmes‐anexperimentalcompetition:3programmes‐amusicvideocompetition:1programmeThe international competition has awards in the categories of fiction, documentary andanimation. The 2009 edition of the festival saw a renewal of the children and youth filmprogramme “Curtinhas”. One of the festival's specialities are its special programmes, whichoften explore the boundaries between music, audio‐visuals and performance. The “Remixed”section, for instance, offers screenings with live music. Exhibitions display the works ofrenowned artists as well as of newcomers. The Section “In Progress” shows works byfilmmakers,whosecareersarelinkedtothefestival'shistory,andthePortuguesefilmschoolprogrammeaimsatpromotingnewtalents.Everyyear,about2,500filmsaresubmittedtothefestival,viaauser‐friendlyonlineform.RoundTable1Simon kicks off the discussion with the question about the premiere requirements of thevariousfestivals,somethingthatonlyMaikeMiaHöhnehataddressedduringherpresentation.∙MaikeelaboratesontherulesforthedifferentsectionsoftheBerlinale:‐BerlinaleShorts:internationalpremiere‐Generation:Germanpremiere‐Theothersectionsaremoreflexibleintermsofpremiererequirements∙GeorgespointsoutthatClermont‐Ferrandisagainstpremiereexclusivity.Whenthe European Coordination of Film Festivals was founded in 1995, it included aCodeofEthicsbasedontheprinciplethatafestivalshouldnotdemandexclusivityfor its short films. Short films normally don't have any commercial value, andfestivals are their most important platform. Clermont‐Ferrand represents thedemocratic vision that short films should be seen by as large an audience aspossible.Ontheotherhand,“wearen'tstupidseither”–ifafilmhasbeenshownatalltheotherfestivalsbeforeapplyingtoClermont,thereisatolerancelimitwedonotwishtomissourturn.∙MaikeaddsthattheBerlinaleisagreatplaceforafilmtostartitscareer,whileafinishedfilmshouldnotwaithalfayeartostartitscareerinBerlin.∙Mario:AtCurtasViladoCondethereisanexceptionforPortuguesefilms.The

fewnationalfestivalsthatscreenshortfilmsattractthesamepress.Ifashortfilmhasalreadygainedtheattentionofthepress,thenit'sdifficultforVilatoselectit.VilaistheshortfilmcapitalofPortugal.Ifyouwanttoshowyourfilmthere,youhave to agree with exclusivity. There are no premiere requirements for theinternationalcompetition.∙ Simon: one has to distinguish between national premieres, internationalpremieresandworldpremieres!∙Shane:Sundancehasnopremiererequirementsforshorts.Buttheprogrammingcommitteedoeslookatwherethefilmshavebeenshownpreviously,whichcandetermineitsdecisions.Aquestionfromtheaudience(afilmmakerfromGeneva)toGeorgesBollon:isthereanupperlimittohowmanyfestivalsafilmcanalreadyhavebeenshownat?Georges:IfthefilmiscompleteforClermont‐Ferrand,submitit!Ifitisonlyreadyshortlyafterthesubmissiondeadline,thennoproblem:itwillsimplybeshownatanotherfestivalfirst.RetoCaffi–CaseStudy„AufderStrecke“(“OntheLine”)Retotakesupthelastpointinthediscussionandremarksthathisfilmwouldnothavehadthecareerithadifthefestivalshadhadapremiererequirement.Thecareerof“AufderStrecke”:ThefilmwasalmostcompleteinAugust.AfterbeingrejectedatLocarno,Retoaskedhimselfifhe should submit the film to Winterthur and Hof or if he should wait for the Berlinale. Thequestionwasnotsomuchthequalityofthefestival,butmoreabouthowlongafilmcanbeexploitedafterwards.Thefestivalsdon'tlookatthemonthofafilm'scompletion,butattheyear,whichmakesitunfavourabletoreleaseafilmattheendoftheyear.Inthisway,almostanentireyearwaslost.Butwhentwoinvitationsweremade,onetoWinterthurandonetoHofinGermany,hecouldn'twaitanylongerandwantedtoknowhowthefilmwouldbereceived–adecisionthatpaidoff.ThebreakthroughcamewiththegrandprixatClermont‐Ferrand,whichforhimwasthemostimportantaward,asthereismuchmorecompetitioncomparedtotheOscars.Butthefirstwaveswerealreadynoticeablebeforethefestivalafterthecataloguewaspublished,resultinginnumerouscontactstootherfestivals,producersetc.Afterwinningtheaward,oneyearofpromotiongotunderway.Retoinvestedawholeyeartoexploitthefilm.“AufderStrecke”wasshownatabout150festivalsandwonabout50to60awards.Itisrepresentedbytwoagencies,onecommercialandonenon‐commercial,andhasbeenacquiredbydifferentTVstations(SundanceChannel,arte,Canal+),andcanbeboughtoniTunes.Theworkhaspaidoff.Aftersomesuccesses,Retowasalsoasked:“Whydoyouevenbothersubmittingthefilmanylonger?”ForReto,thiswasastrangequestion,ashefeelsthatfilmsaretheretobeseen.

Therewasnoactualdistributionstrategy.Ofcourse,Retomadeapointofnotstartingwiththesmallest festivals, but thinking about where he'd really like to show the film – and where itwouldfit.Inasecondstep,hewouldalsoconsidersmallerfestivals,whileheconstantlymadesurethatsomepremiererulewouldnotblockhischancesofshowingthefilm.Applyingtothefestivals took a lot of effort at times (3 to 4 days a week); platforms such aswww.shortfilmdepot.com, www.reelport.com and www.withoutabox.com can be great timesavers.He also produced address stickers for the various application form fields, so that hewouldn'thavetofillthingsinbyhand.Retosometimespaidtheapplicationfees–especiallytothemoreimportantfestivals.Forifafilmhasbeenshownsuccessfullyatalargerfestival,itisthenofteninvitedforfreetosmallerfestivals.One central question was if one needs a 35mm print. Reto had decided to make his film oncelluloidforaestheticreasons.Butformanyfestivals,havinga35mmprintisnorequirementanylonger.It'sworthjustsendingaDVDforthesubmissionandtobluffabouthavinga35mmcopyintheapplication,sothatyoucanhaveaprintmadeonceyouhaveanactualinvitation.But subtitling is not something you can wait with. In this case, the film even had Germansubtitles,asitwaspartiallyspokeninSwiss‐German.Inthemeantime,8copieshavebeenmadeof“AufderStrecke”(2ofthemarearchivedattheAcademy)–usuallyoneortwocopiesshouldbe enough. Especially smaller festivals even project the film from DVD (especially during thesecondyearofexploitingthefilm).OneshouldsimplymakesurethattheDVDisgoodquality,hassubtitlesindifferentlanguages,isanamorphicandhasDolbysurround.PostcardsandothermaterialsarenotsoimportantaccordingtoReto,andbelongtothe“niceto have” category. In Clermont‐Ferrand, however, posters were very practical to attractattention,especiallyatthemarket.Clermontoffersgoodopportunitiestosellfilms.Therewasalso a number of lucky coincidences, which Reto had no influence on whatsoever: a noncommercialagencywasinterestedinthefilmforeducationalpurposes.HesubsequentlygotintouchwiththeShortFilmAgencyinHamburgforlegaladvice,andtheypromptlyacquiredthefilmthemselves–inthiswayhewasintheluckypositionthatthefilmwassoldevenbeforethefestivalinClermontstarted.Butallfestivalsthathaveamarketoffergreatopportunitiestofindabuyer.BringmanyDVDs!Intermsofagencies,Retomadeverygoodexperiences.Theseagencieshaveanetworkthatanindividualusuallydoesn'thave,andtheycanhelpoutwithlegalquestionsetc.Retodiscussedtheissueofanagencyrepresentingthefilmwiththeschoolthathadproducedthefilm.Theycame to the conclusion that it would be most effective to let the Hamburg Shortfilm Agencytake over the marketing of the film‐ and in return give them a certain percentage of therevenues.IntermsoftheOscarcampaign,RetowasintheluckysituationtobeaSwisswhostudiedinGermany,allowinghimtoreceivefundingfrombothcountries.Thecampaigncostabout60,000to70,000CHF:3weeks'residenceinL.A.FlightsforRetoandsomecrewmembers,onehasto

hireaPR‐agent,placeadvertisementsinthemedia(“Variety”)etc.FromReto'spointofview,thisisworthit,asitcreatesthenecessaryattentionforthefilmanditalsogavehimthefeeling,thathedideverythinghecouldforthefilm.Withallitsawards,thefilmmadeabout70,000CHFincash,whilealsowinningin‐kindawardsandsupportforfutureprojects.Fromthe70,000CHF,about20,000CHFwereusedtopaybackdebts,20,000CHFwerepaidtothecrew,meaningthatabout30,000CHFwerelefttoReto.Giventwoandahalfyearsofworkonthefilm,thisisafairlymodestamount.TVsalesearnedanextra35,000CHF,ofwhichhalfgoestothefilmschoolandhalftothecrew,whichseemslikeafairdealandarecognitionfortheworkputintothefilm.∙QuestionfromGerdGockell,filmmakerandproducer,aboutthesubmissionfees:why should filmmakers pay for their film to be shown? They hardly ever earnanything, the festivals on the other hand do. The question is mostly directed toMaike–Gerdisoftheopinionthatsubmissionfeesshouldbeabolished.∙ Answer from Maike: There are also exceptions: filmmakers they already knowareofteninvitedtosubmittheirlatestwork–withoutbeingchargedafee.Thefeesareusedtopaythepeople,whopreviewandselectthefilms.Theaimistocreateacontinuityintheprogramming,withpeoplestayingmorethan2yearsandformingaproperteam.Butexceptionscanbemadeintermsofsubmissionfees:anicelyformulatedlettercouldalreadyhelpyouout!∙Shaneaddsthatit'sthesameforSundance:festivalstaffdon'tgetrichfromthecontributionsoffilmmakers,andit'suptoeachfilmmaker,ifheorshewantstosubmitthefilmornot.Onecanalsoapplyforthefeetobewaived.ThesubmissionfeeforSundanceis50US$.∙ Shane concludes with the remark that Reto Caffi and “Auf der Strecke” are aphenomenaltext‐bookcaseofhowashortfilmshouldbemarketed,andisamarkofReto'shardworkandtirelesscommitment–congratulations!

PART2:WORLDSALESAGENCIESSimonKoenigstartsthesecondpartofthesymposiumwiththemuch‐askedquestion,ifthereisanythingsuchasworldsalesforshortfilms.ThisisnotthecaseinSwitzerland,buttherearemany such organisations abroad. The guests form an illustrious round of four speakers, whohavebeensellingshortfilmsforyears,amongthemarepresentativeoftheoldestofthesekindsofinstitutions,thelegendaryKurzFilmAgenturinHamburg.MichaelSchwarz,DistributionandMarketing,KurzFilmAgenturHamburgMichael has been an employee of the KurzFilmAgentur since 2000:http://agentur.shortfilm.com/TheKurzFilmAgenturHamburge.V.(KFA)hasbeenpromotingthepopularisationofshortfilmsas an independent art form. The agency was established with the support of the HamburgDepartment of Culture. The main aim of its activities is to improve the screening anddistribution options of national and international short film productions. The agency curatesshort film programmes for national and international festivals and institutions, and can beconsulted as a cooperation partner for cultural events. The agency sees itself as a gatewaybetweenshortfilmproducersandscreeninginstitutions.Toachievethisfunction,theagencyconcentratesonthreemainareasofactivity:SHORTFILMDISTRIBUTION:∙ since 1994, continuous build‐up and acquisition of non‐exclusive commercialtheatreandscreeningrightsintheGerman‐speakingarea(Germany,Switzerland,Austria). Current catalogue has around 390 international shorts on 35mm anddigitalcarriers.∙Shortfilmsofallgenres.Mostlynarrative.70%under10minutes.∙ 18 feature‐length, thematically ordered short film compilations (Shit Happens,OscarinShorts),includingashortfilmreelforchildren“Mo&FrieseUnterwegs”.∙ Over 400 cinemas are clients (with around 70 fixed subscription clients andaround1millionvisitorsin2008)∙Flatrates(40Eurosforonedayofscreenings,100Eurosforoneweek),astheagencycan'tshareintheboxofficetakingsofthecinemas(whichwouldbeverylucrative,butthepossibilitytoshowshortfilmsalonewashard‐fought...)∙ Since 2005, the distribution catalogue can be researched online onwww.kurzfilmverleih.com∙Atpresent:thedistributioncatalogueisdigitalisedin2K,“XKSHORTS”SHORTFILMWORLDSALES:∙Since1998:build‐upofacatalogueofaround180,predominantlyGerman,shortfilms by acquiring the exclusive global commercial rights for international shortfilmproductions.∙Worldsalesoftheexploitationrights∙ Clients include: TV stations (e.g. arte, Canal+ .. ), feature distributors, cinemas,

DVD labels, internet service providers, mobile service providers, closed‐circuitusers...∙ since 2006, there is a dual‐language world sales database available online(www.shortfilmsales.com)toenableadetailedresearchandviewingofthefilmsviatheinternet.THEHAMBURGINTERNATIONALSHORTFILMFESTIVAL:∙ Established in 1985 with roots in independent filmmaking (called “NoBudget”until1994).25 th anniversaryin2009.Second‐oldestshortfilmfestivalinGermanyafterOberhausen.∙Mostimportantinputfordistributionandsalesactivities.Currentlyabout4,000submissionseveryyear.∙Shortfilmarchive(with26,000films)andcompletionofadatabase,whichisopenforresearchpurposes,previewqueriesandrightsresearch.Thesalesdivisionisthemoreprofitableventure,butthedistributionarmisthestrongerfocusintermsofbringingshortfilmsouttotheaudiences,andmoresuccessfulinthatrespect.CRITERIAFORBEINGCONSIDEREDFORDISTRIBUTIONANDSALES∙ Outstanding productions: in other words, the film should stand out from theaveragenarrativeapproachofcertaingenres,andshouldcapturetheattentionofthe audience all the way through. Experimental forms of narration are highlywelcome.∙Suitabilityasapre‐featureshort(onlydistribution):thefilmshouldfitthefeaturewithwhichitisshowninthecinema,orbeuniversallyapplicable.Thesuitabilityasapre‐featureshortisregularlytestedthroughpre‐featuretests.∙ Film durations: for distribution, under 10 minutes if possible (70% of alldistributed shorts); for sales, under 20 minutes if possible. Exceptions can bemade.∙Filmformats:fordistribution,theidealis35mm,butalldigitalformatsincludingnew HD productions are allowed, for conversion to 2K‐screening media “XKSHORTS”.Sales:allformats.MinimumrequirementisaBetaSPtelecine.∙Filmrights:beforeafilmisacquired,arightsclearancehastobemade,inordertoforeclosepossibleclaimsofthirdparties.Thisisespeciallytrueformusicrights,butinindividualcasesalsoforpicturerights.LICENSEAGREEMENTS∙Mostlicenseagreementsrunforfivetosixyears.Settlementisdoneannualy.∙Commission:fordistribution,thesplitisusually65%:35%.Forsalesthiscandiffer,and can include flat rates, minimum guarantees and percentage splits or purepercentagesharing(50‐50)ofthegrossscreeningrevenues.Ifafilmisincludedinashortfilmcompilationreel,therevenueisaccountedforintermsofpercentageoftotalduration.

EXAMPLESOFSUCCESSFULFILMS:∙ „Dangle“, Philip Traill, Germany/UK 2003, 5'54 Min. (no dialogue, universallycomprehensibleandhumorous)∙ „Auf der Strecke“, Reto Caffi, 2007, 29'45 Min. (nominated for an Oscar, andsuccessfullysolddespiteitslength)∙ „Staplerfahrer Klaus – der erste Arbeitstag“, Jörg Wagner/Stefan Prehn, 2001,9'30Min.(auniqueoperationalsafetyfilm,shownatover200festivalsworldwide,cultstatus,mostsuccessfulshortofalltimes)MichaelpointsoutthattheHamburgInternationalShortFilmFestivalhasneithersubmissionfeesnorpremiererequirements.JokeBallintijn,Collection/Distribution,NetherlandsMediaArtInstitute,Amsterdamhttp://www.nimk.nlThe organisation is generally known by the name Montevideo, but the official name isNetherlands Media Art Institute. The institute was established in 1978 as a video gallery andspecialised from the start in electronic forms of visual arts, especially video art. The instituteorganises exhibitions and screenings, runs a research and development programme (amongother things for software development for artistic use) and offers an artist‐in‐residenceprogramme.Thecoreoftheorganisationisitscollectionofabout2000titles,wherebyabout30newtitlesare added every year. The international collection includes mostly video art (predominantlysingle channel tapes), but installations and performances are also accepted. The instituteactively mediates between artists and the arts market. The works are primarily shown ingalleries,atfestivalsandattradefairs,butarealsousedforeducationalpurposes.Intermsofselection,thereisapermanent“opencall”,soworkscanbesubmittedatanytime.Furthermore,theemployeesactivelylookoutforworksandvisitfestivals,artfairs,screeningsetc. The small selection committee meets four times a year to preview works. There are nostrict selection criteria. The most important criterion for the collection is the artistic context.Theinstitutethereforelooksforworksbymediaartistsandnotbyfilmmakersinthetraditionalsense.Theworksshouldbepioneeringintheirmedia‐specificcontextandshouldnotbeofacommercialnature(e.g.musicvideos,whichareprimarilymeantasameansofpromotingthemusic).Themostimportantcriterion,however,isthattheworksuitsthecollection,whichinitselfisasubjectivecriterion.The organisation enters into non‐exclusive contracts with the artists, which means that theartistscanberepresentedbyotheragencies.70%oftheincomefromscreenings,salesetc.gototheartist,whoalsokeepsthecopyright.Theinstituteactivelypromotestheselectedtitles:previewcopiesaresenttofestivalsandcurators.Theydonotpayentryfeestoanyfestival.Inthefreelyaccessibleonlinecatalogue,theentirecollectionislistedtogetherwithextractsof30

seconds.Professionalscanalsoaskforapassword,whichgivesthemaccesstotheentirelengthoftheworks.Theonlinecataloguecontainsallworksthatcanbehired.Theon‐sitevideolibrarycontains about 1500 extra works, which are kept for documentation purposes (e.g. artistinterviews).Onthewhole,theinstitutehasdevelopedverypositively.WhenJokestartedworkingtherein1999,about250worksweredistributedeveryyear;today,thenumberhasrisentoabout1000ayear.AgoodexampleofasuccessfulartistisErwinOlaf.Butheisanexceptiontotheextentthathewas already known before he came to the Media Art Institute – in 2007/2008 he was theinstitute'smostsuccessfulartist.Butonecan'texpecttobecomewealthythroughhavingafilmattheinstitute.Thepointisfarmoretoallowasmanypeopleaspossibletoseethefilms.ThetargetaudienceismostlytheartsworldandnotsomuchcinemaandTV.Theaimisnotsomuchexclusivityasvisibility.SalestoTVarerare.Themostimportantbuyersaremuseums,galleriesandfestivals.SimonenquiresaboutexamplesofSwissartists.JokeanswersthatElodiePongisprobablythebestknownartists,butthereareotherssuchasHanspeterAmmann.OlivierRobyns,FilmEventsCoordinator,LaBigFamily,Brusselshttp://www.labigfamily.com/LaBigFamilyisaworldsalesagencythathasalsosoldanumberofSwissfilms,mostlyFrenchspeakingones. It was formed in 2002, at a time when there were no short film promotionalstructuresinBelgium.Untiltoday,theorganisationistheonlyoneofitskindinBelgium.LaBigFamily is independently financed and self‐supporting. Its activities are focused on the sales,distributionandpromotionofshortfilms.Promotion:Thereisafee‐basedserviceforsubmittingfilmstofestivals(internationally),butthemaximumnumberofsubmissionshasmeanwhilebeenreducedfrom25to10.Intermsofdistribution,allfoursectionsoflastyear'sCannesfilmfestivalshowedafilmofLaBigFamily,includingthewinneroftheshortfilmcompetition.Thecataloguecurrentlycontainsabout300shortfilms.Thefocusisonfictionandanimationfilmsofallgenres,butevenexperimentalworksaresometimesconsidered.Documentaries,onthe other hand, are not considered, as the agency lacks the necessary networking resources.Everyyear,about35to40filmsareacquired.Sales:someSwissexamples‐„DieSeilbahn“byClaudiusGentinetta(soldtoItaly,JapanandGermany)‐„Freud’sMagicPowder“byEdouardGétaz(producedbyTipimages)

‐4animationsbyZoltánHorváth(releasedonDVDbyNadasdyFilm)‐„LaBouled’or,Cartographieno9“byBrunoDeville(producedbyLeFlair)There are no objective selection criteria. Everyone who wants to submit his or her film, iswelcometodoso.Theagencybuyswhatitlikes.Thecontractsaresimpleandtransparent.Theagencykeeps30%ofthesalesrevenues.Withtheexceptionofthecountryofproduction,theagencyacquirestheexclusiverightsforcinema,TV,DVD,internetandmobiletelephony.Thestandardconditionscanbenegotiated.Olivieremphasisesthefactthatpublicstructuresshouldsupportthepromotionofshortfilms,andconcludeswiththecommentthatLaBigFamilydoesn'tgiveawayafilmforfree.Thereisalways a small compensation to be paid, as short film‐making is usually a non‐salariedoccupation.Jean‐CharlesMilles,Directeur,PremiumFilms,Parishttp://www.premium‐films.com/Jean‐CharlesMillesfoundedPremiumFilms11yearsago.Hismainmotivationwastopopularisethenewdistributionchannelsofthe1990s(internet,mobiletelephony),whichimprovedtheopportunitiestomakeshortfilmsmorevisible.Thethreekeyactivitiesoftheorganisationare:∙TVsales:remainsthemainareaofsales∙SalesviaaVoDsite:www.vodmania.fr.∙Since2009:cinemadistribution,whichhasbecomeeasierandcheaperthankstodigitalproductionTheshortfilmmarketremainssmall,andoneisforcedtoproceedveryselectively.Eachyear,about45fictionalshortsand30animationsaresold.Onetriestofindtherightfilmforeachbuyer,whichwouldnotbeefficientifthecataloguecontainedtoomanyfilms.Thecontractssecuretheexclusiveworldrightsfor2to3years.Theper‐minutepriceisbetween100and200Euros,withwhichonetriestoguaranteethesalesforafilmmaker.Theagency'scommissionis30%.The catalogue contains about 600 to 700 French and international shorts, among others anumberofSwissfilms.OneexampleforasuccessfulSwissshortis“IlneigeàMarrakech”,whichwassoldtoCanal+inItaly,SpainandFrance,andwhichwasreleasedintheUnitedStatesonDVD.About70%ofwell‐soldshortsarecomedies.TV sales have contributed to about 70% of the organisation's business. Next up is thedevelopmentoftheinternetbusiness(VoD),wherenegotiationsareunderwaywithcompanies

suchasGoogle.TheDVDmarket,ontheotherhand,isverysmall.Theorganisationishopingforthecinemadistributionbusinesstogrow.Theorganisationhas5employees:1staffmemberforcinemadistribution,1foranimationand3forfictionalshortsandfortheacquisitionofnewclients.Especiallyinthesphereoftelevision,Premium Films has been repeatedly dealing with the same buyers since its inception. One isthereforealsointentonwinningnewtelevisionstations,whohavenotyetshownshortfilms.BuyingshortfilmsatcommercialconditionsisnotsomethingthatTVstationsareusedto,astheacquisitionofashortfilmincludesasmuchworkasthatofafeature.Itisthereforenoteasytolookfornewdistributionchannels,whichiswhyonetriestoofferextraservices,suchasalreadysubtitledfilms.Thebest‐sellingfilmsareusuallybetween5and10minuteslong.Premium Film secures world rights, as this is the easiest thing to do, even if the buyers areconcentrated on Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. But the organisation is alsolookingforbuyersfromothercountries.In terms of the per‐minute price, the range is very wide and spans from 30 to 600 Euros. InFrance,thereareabout4to5broadcasters,whopay400to600Eurosperminute.ButtherearesubstantiallymoreTVstations,whopayonly30to60Euros.Whenacontractisnegotiated,asalesstrategyisagreeduponwiththeproducer,wherebythesalestohighlypayingTVstationsisgiventoppriority.Theinternetisnotdisqualifiedperse,butis only used when TV, cinema and DVD distribution channels have been exhausted – at theearliestafter1to2years.Simonenquiresaboutthefiguresofsuccessfulfilms.Jean‐Charles: A 15‐minute film that is successful earns about 10,000 to 12,000 Euros in thecourse of two years. Oscar‐nominated shorts earn substantially more, as they are bought bycertainTVstations:30'000to40'000Euros.Thefiguresrefertototalrevenues,fromwhich30%gototheagency.RoundTable2Simonaskswhatthemostimportantscreeningplatformforshortfilmsisapartfromfestivals.∙Olivier:festivalsofferthemostimportantplatformforshortfilms.Everythingelseisverydifficulttoattain.Thisiswhyfilmmakersshouldgotofestivals,meetbuyersandsuggesttheirfilms.∙Joke:fortheNetherlandsMediaArtInstitute,museums,galleriesandexhibitionspaces are also important, even though festivals remain the main screeningcontext.Theinstitutedoesn'ttakesubmissionfees,butitdoesaskforscreeningfees,ifafestivalwantstoscreenafilm.Artistsshouldbepaidfortheirwork!∙Jean‐Charles:theinternetandVoDarewelcomenewplatforms,toincreasethevisibility of short films, but they have to be controlled. The VoD website ofPremiumFilmsdoesn'toffermuchrevenueperse,butitisalsousedtoshowfilms

toclients.∙Joke:thevisualqualityisalsoanimportantcriterion.Theinternetcanthereforenotreplacetheotherplatforms–manyfilmsaremadeforthebigscreen.∙Olivier:wedon'tgiveawayfilmsforfree;somefilmsarealsoavailableviaVoD.∙Michael:theissueisgenerallyastructuralone:festivalsareephemeralinnature.Filmsdisappearagainveryquickly,whichiswhytheagenciestrytomakethefilmsvisible in a sustained way. The KFA still offers 'classics': for instance Oscarnominatedfilms from the 1980s are still being distributed and are in recurringdemand. If films are registered in a long‐term fashion, one can use topic‐basedsearches to suggest older films (at the KFA there are increased requests frompeoplewhoarelookingforfilmsaboutcertaintopics).PART3:TV‐BUYERSVeronikaGrob,EditorofFilmsandSeries,SchweizerFernsehen,Zürichhttp://www.sf.tvSwissTelevisionSFdoesn'thaveadedicatedprogrammeforshortfilms.ThebroadcasterinvestsalotintheproductionofSwissshorts(about25to30filmsayear),whichisimportantfortalentdevelopment.Theeditoroftheco‐productiondepartmentisMayaFahrni,whopresentedheractivitiesduringthemorning.Theco‐producedshortsareshownin3to4programmeblocksinthe“CHFilmszene”programme.Veronika is responsible for acquisitions, i.e. for all films that have not been made in coproductionwith SF. Every year, SF puts together two programmes with acquired shorts: onewithanimationsincollaborationwiththeanimationfilmfestivalFantoche,andonewithfilmsofallgenres,incollaborationwiththeInternationalShortFilmFestivalWinterthur.Thereareotherindividualprogrammesthatmightscreenshorts,butunfortunatelyit'sdifficulttoplaceshortfilmsinthepublicbroadcaster.Lastweek,therewasapreviewoftheInternationalShortFilmFestivalWinterthur,andtwooflastyear'swinnerswereshown(“LoveYouMore”and“SecondMe”). SF collaborates closely with Swiss festivals, but not exclusively. Even films from otherfestivals and individual submissions are taken into consideration. Submissions are previewed,butapartfromfestivalvisits,noactivesearchforshortsisundertaken.Thespectrumisfairlybroadandincludesfiction,animationanddocumentaries.Theselectionshouldbeasbroadaspossible,butnaturallyfilmswithacertainentertainmentfactorhaveanadvantage when it comes to TV, as these films can also be shown as fillers between otherprogrammes. Experimental films are more difficult to accommodate, but possible within aprogramme dedicated entirely to shorts. They don't have a premiere requirement, and therearenorulesaboutthespokenlanguage.SFsubtitlesforeign‐languagefilmsitself.

AnewinitiativeofSFistheuser‐generatedplatform“Frischfilm”.Here,everyonecanuploadhisorhervideo.ThedifferencetoYouTubeisthefactthatthebestfilmshavethechancetobebought and broadcast by SF, in the programmes “Box Office”, “Sternstunde” and “CHFilmszene”.Atthemoment,twocompetitionshavebeentendered:“Cinemainthehead–filmsretold”and“SwissLiterature”.Theplatformisbrandnew,andsofaronlyonefilmwasshownon“BoxOffice”.Aquestionfromtheaudience:isthereanycollaborationwithTSR(theFrench‐speakingsisterbroadcaster)whenitcomestoacquisitions?Veronika:Forco‐productionsthereisacollaboration,whichisregulatedthroughthe“Pactedel'audiovisuel”, but for acquisitions there is no collaboration. The TSR's acquisition strategy ismorestronglygearedtowardsFrance.Aquestionfromtheaudience:whatistheminutepriceforco‐productions?Veronikacan'tanswerthisquestion,assheiscommittedtosecrecy.Thepricecorrespondstothemarketvalueanddependsonthefilm.ThepricerecommendationoftheSwissBroadcastingCorporation(thenationalparentcompanyofallpublicbroadcasters)is135CHFperminuteforshortandfeaturesshownonSF.AttheTSR,thepricerecommendationislowerat100CHF.BarbaraRiesen,3satSchweiz,Zürichhttp://www.3sat.de/3satisacommunalbroadcasterofARD,ZDF,ORFandSF.Thesharesoftheprogrammingare32%forARDandZDF,25%forORFand11%forSF.Theprogrammingfocusiscultureandscience,meaningthatshortfilmsalsohaveaplacehere.3satalsoawardsshortfilmprizesandco‐producesshorts.Intermsofaudienceratings,shortfilms are a flop. But they are retained as part of the programming philosophy. The presentpermanent programming timeslot is on Fridays at 23:00 hrs, as from May 2010 it will be onThursdaysat22:40hrs.The programming slot is partitioned cooperatively, which means that it is determined inadvance, which broadcaster can contribute how many films. The Swiss contributor hasneglected this programme for time reasons a long time ago. The demands on shorts aredifferentthaninSwitzerland,astheprogrammehastobeunderstandableinternationally.3satSwitzerland usually only acquires films, but doesn't normally co‐produce. Being the smallestpartner,Switzerlandhastomakesurethatitmaintainsitsinfluenceandinterests.Theselectionofshortsismadepredominantlyalongtopicallines,withtheaimtomakethemfitwith other programmes, e.g. a specific documentary. During the frequent “theme days” andweeks,theusualprogrammescheduleisoverridden,allowingforextraopportunitiesforshortfilmstobeprogrammedinotherprogrammeslots.

QuestionfromSimon:howshouldaSwissdirectorproceed,ifhewantstoseehisfilmscreenedon3sat?Barbara: send in a DVD, and 3sat will evaluate if the film is suitable or not. This often hasnothingtodowiththequalityofthework.Ifaninterestingworkissubmitted,onemakesanefforttoprogrammeitinawaythateveryoneishappy.Thepriceisrelativelylow,asitiscalculatedforthesmalltransmissionareaofSwitzerland–apoint that is often not understood. This is why most filmmakers first try to sell their film inGermany before approaching 3sat Switzerland. If the film is broadcast on 3sat, we willnonethelesspaytheSwissprice,aseverypartnercontributesitspartoftheprogramme.Wecan'tpretendthatwe'reGermany.CatherineColas,Editorforshortandmedium‐lengthfilms,arte,Mainzhttp://www.arte.tv/Arteisthemostcovetedbroadcasterforshortfilms.Thestationisacomplexentity:thecentralcommittee is based in Strasbourg, but this doesn't produce films but merely shapes theprogramme. The French side consists of arte France, the German side consists of the ARDstationsandZDF.Forshortfilms,arteFranceisthemostimportantpartner.CatherineontheotherhandsdoesnotacquireFrench‐speakingfilms,butshortsfromtherestoftheworld.arte promotes short films and is the only broadcaster worldwide that has its own short filmprogramme:“Kurzschluss”isbroadcastonceaweekonFridaynightsclosetomidnight.Asfrom2010theprogrammewillbebroadcastonWednesdaynights.Theprogrammelasts45minutesandusuallyconsistsof2to3shortsand2programmesegments,e.g.portraits,amaking‐oforfestivalreports.Butduetotheduration,thepossibilitiesarelimited.Theideallengthofafilmis12 minutes, but exceptions are naturally made. Another programme slot is dedicated tomedium‐lengthfilms(30to59minutes)andhassofarbeenbroadcastonTuesdaynights.Asfrom2010,itwillbebroadcastonMondaynights.The colleague from arte France programmes about 30 short film programmes per year andacquiresmanymorefilmsthanCatherine.AtarteFrance,theminimumpriceis400Eurosperminute,whiletheGermansidepays270Euro,eventhoughexceptionscanbemade.OntheGermanside,about25filmsareboughteveryyear.Butthereisanotherpossibility,wherebytheheadquartersinStrasbourgacquiresshortfilmsforthedaytimeprogrammeandshowsthemasfillers,whichmeansthattheyalsohavetobesuitableforchildren.QuestionfromRetoCaffi:whydoesarte/ZDFpaylessthanarte/WDR?Catherine:theflatratesarestructureddifferently,andinFrancetheflatratesarehigheragain.InGermany,thereishardlyanycompetition.WDRisabroadcasterbelongingtoARD,whichhasdifferentratesthanZDF.ButCatherinealwaystriestonegotiateashighapriceaspossible.

Unfortunately,thereisabroadcastingshiftnow,meaningthattheprogrammesarenotshownatthesametimeinthetwocountries.QuestionfromSimon:What'sthesituationwithpre‐acquisitions?Catherine:arteFranceoftenengagesinpre‐acquisitionsandco‐productions.Catherinecanonlynegotiate3to4pre‐acquisitionsand1‐2co‐productionsperyear.Moreisnotpossibleandthepricesaren'tasinterestingasontheFrenchside,andtheyvaryfromfilmtofilm.Thefinancialadviserwantsmedium‐lengthfilmstobeboughtforaflatrateof6000Euros,nomatteriftheyare30or59minuteslong.Butthepricealsodependsonifonewantsexclusiverightsfor6monthsorinternetrights,meaningthatthepricecanrisetoaround10,000Euros.Question from Simon: does SF not have higher financial possibilities to take part in coproductions?AnswerfromSusanneWach,whoworkedmanyyearsatSFasashortfilmco‐producer:thereisalimitforschoolfilmssetat10,000CHF.Forindependentproductions,theamountcanbeupto30%ofthetotalbudget.Question from Michael Schwarz: “Kurzschluss” is a good programme, but what's wrong withtheTVstations?Oneshouldstartaskingoneselfsomeeditorialquestionsaboutwhereelseonecould place shorts. In the children's programmes and in theme nights one could programmemanymoreshorts.Catherine:yes,therearesuchpossibilities,andtheyarefrequentlydiscussed,butshortfilmsareanendangeredspeciesontelevision,astheysimplydon'thavehighaudienceratings.PascaleFaurefromCanal+hascancelled.Inherplace,ChrisTidman,buyerfromShortsTVcouldbegainedasaspeaker.http://www.shortstv.com/ShortsTVisa24hourshortfilmbroadcaster.ThedistributionarmShortsInternationaldisposesof one of the largest short film catalogues, including numerous award‐winning films (Oscars,BAFTAs).Therightsincludeallmediaplatforms.ThecompanyisoneoftheleadingshortfilmdistributorsintheworldandissupportedbythecableandinternetproviderLibertyGlobal.Currentsalesplatforms:‐linearchannels:USA,GB,France,Turkey‐iTunes:USA,GB,Canada,Germany,France‐mobiletelephony:USA,LatinAmerica,Spain‐online:ShortsInternational.com,ShortsTV.com,ShortsTVfr.com‐cinema:annualreleaseofOscar‐nominatedshorts:USA,UK,Mexico(alsooniTunes).Importantpartnerships:

‐internationalfestivals:Sundance,Cannes,Dubai‐filmassociations:AMPAS,BAFTA,AFI,Cesars,Goyas,Annecy,etc.‐filmschools:USC,UCLA,EuropeanFilmAcademy,LondonFilmSchooletc.‐companies:PlayStation,Nike,Apple,JamesonWhiskey,Diesel‐publications:Variety,ScreenDaily,Empire,TotalFilm‐studios:e.g.Dreamworks3Dproject‐creativecommittee:JamesFranco,HansZimmer,SophieMarceau,RomanPolanskiQuestion from Maike: Why is the Berlinale listed as a partner? There were long drawn‐outdiscussions,whichdidnotresultincollaboration.Chrisapologises,ashewasnotinvolvedinthenegotiations.TheBerlinalewillberemovedfromthelist.Requirementsforthefilms:‐professionallyproducedfilmsunder45minutes‐innovative‐highqualityofproductionandnarrativeform‐„industryprofile“:potentialforfestivalsandawardsTargetaudience:‐coreaudience:18‐34year‐oldmen(trend‐setters,digitalgeneration):“heavycontentconsumers”,multi‐platformusers,whowatchfilmsonotherplatformsthanonTV.‐secondaryaudience:filmfans,whowatchalotofTVandlikeabroadspectrumoffilmsThere is no comparable product on TV. ShortsTV complements traditional film andentertainmentchannels.Shortsaredividedinto13sub‐channels:• SHORTSAnimate!• SHORTSComedy• SHORTSWorldCinema• SHORTSinLove• SHORTSMidnight• SHORTSRealStories• SHORTSFilmSchool• SHORTSBestinFest• StarsinSHORTS• SHORTSArthouse• Editor'sPick• Spotlight• Top10QuestionfromVeronikaGrob:Howisthechannelfinanced?Chris: In the UK it is financed by advertising, which makes things difficult in the currenteconomic climate. In France an the US there is a subscription model. In the US, ShortsTV iscurrentlybroadcastonITTV.Buttheaimistoexpandtolargerplatforms.

Questionfromtheaudience:IsthereanyinterestinmerelybuyingfilmsforShortsTVandtonotexploittheminanyotherway.Chris:Yes,thatisdonetoo.ShortsTVbuysnon‐exclusiverightsfor3yearsandpays20to80US$perminute.QuestionfromSimon:arethereanySwissfilmsintheprogramme?Chris:Yes,forexample“Chyenne”byAlexanderMeierand“TerraIncognita”byPeterVolkart.Question from Michael Schwarz: What's happening in terms of revenues? ShortsTV is also aclientofKFAHamburg,buthasneverpaidanyrevenues.What'shappened?Chris:Thiswasamisunderstandingandwillsoonbedealtwith.RoundTable3ThediscussionismostlyabouttherelevanceofaudienceratingsfortheTVstations.∙Chris:theratingsareimportantintheUK,whichiscurrentlyatoughmarket.InFranceandtheUS,thequotasarecurrentlynotregistered.∙ Catherine: arte doesn't want to earn money, but ratings are nonethelessimportant.Butnotforspecialsegmentssuchasshorts.Thereareotherwaystoconvincethedirectorsthanwithratings.∙Veronika:Intheend,it'sapoliticalquestion:SFhasaculturalmandate,andthequestionisiftheacquiredfilm(beitshortorlong)fulfilsthismandate.ButSFhastolookafterratings.∙Barbara:at3sat,ratingsplayarole,butnotintermsofindividualprogrammes,butforthestationasawhole.Inordertobeabletoshowshortfilms,thestationcompensatesbyshowingpopularanimalfilmsduringtheafternoon.∙Catherine:shortfilmsarenotshownduringprimetime.OntheGermanside,thenumber of spectators amounts to about 50'000, on the French side it's aboutdoublethat.FilmmakersshouldmeetTVbuyersatthefestivals,buttheyshouldmakeapointofsendingtheDVDs!∙ Claudius Gentinetta: Are the television audiences so stupid, or why are shortfilmsnevershownbeforefeatures?ForinstanceonaFridayorSaturdaynight?∙Veronika:wewouldlovetoshowmoreshorts,buttheproblemisreallyratingdemands.Butonewouldhavetotryitoutagain.Asanexample:Reto'sfilmhadagoodtimeslotduringtheSwissFilmAwards,butitdidn'tfulfiltheexpectations.∙Reto:thefilmwasshownat19:30hrswhiletheeveningnewswasshownontheotherchannel!∙Maike:thediscussionhastotakeplaceonadifferentlevel,namelyonapoliticallevel. Politicians have to support short films. It's a question of having a culturalmandate!