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

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