It has been 11 years attending the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market. In 2006, we presented the first edition of Madrid en corto, and since then I have only missed one year.
After so long focusing on short film specialization, Clermont-Ferrand has become an essential event for the industry worldwide. It has managed to remain in excellent shape, despite the changes and the revolution we have experienced in short film distribution.
Visiting the market greatly helps to discover new trends and projects. From platforms and festivals to new international promotion strategies. Every time I land after a week in Clermont-Ferrand, I consider new ways to improve our daily work and adapt to the changes that are occurring.
It is also great to meet friends and colleagues from other distributors and regional catalogs, along with the short film directors selected for the competition. There are few occasions where we can all meet.
Some of these trends can help you in the distribution of your film, especially if you are planning to attend markets this year:
Fewer promotional materials
For some years now, DVD copies are no longer used as a distribution format; they have gradually disappeared. I am also seeing this process with graphic materials, which are used less each year, although cards, catalogs, and brochures continue to be printed.
This year I have noticed that this trend is consolidating; almost no one is interested in carrying paper catalogs anymore, which can be consulted online. It has been surprising to see that there is not even interest in cards that are slightly larger than normal.
A paradigmatic case of this evolution I have seen is in the materials of Polish Shorts. They maintain the same catalog format they used with the DVD, but now only with a standard-sized card, with a link and password. It is designed so that you can discard the catalog and keep only the card.
This is the format you can now work with: the standard business card. On this small card, you can put a link to your film, the password, and your contact information; nothing else is needed, and being standard, it can be easily carried, without anyone throwing it away or not wanting to take it.
You can do small runs to adapt them to each event you attend; it’s very easy with applications like Moo, which I learned about thanks to Mar Olid, and which really work very well.
More networking
The Clermont-Ferrand Market has been characterized by opting for a model with stands, taking as reference other markets such as Cannes or Berlin, but on a smaller scale. This format has always worked very well, as it allows for a very powerful brand presence, especially when distribution was mostly based on physical format.
Today, it continues to be important; there are still many international agencies that opt for a stand, for example, Spain has one of the largest spaces in the entire market, with the presence of seven autonomous communities.
But increasingly, networking spaces and contacts among different attendees—producers, directors, distributors, festival programmers, and buyers—are being promoted through activities held during the market dates.
For a few days, the Euro Connection co-production forum takes place, along with the Short Film Conference (an association of short film festivals) sessions, one-to-one meetings with programmers and distribution platforms, buyer presentations, round tables, etc. There are also cocktails, happy hours, and parties almost every day.
The trend of promoting activities and meetings among attendees is also seen in markets like the Short Film Corner in Cannes and others more recently created, such as the Torino Short Film Market. In both cases, stands are no longer used.
More segmentation
In previous posts, I have already discussed the importance of segmentation in festival distribution strategy, as well as in the management of festivals and platforms. Given the amount of production and the pace of new projects appearing, this is one of the trends that is consolidating each year and will grow the most in the near future.
In the platform sector, last year there were representatives from Docfilmdepot, a new submission platform specializing in documentaries, and now the first version of T/Port has been presented, dedicated to the international promotion of short films from film schools, oriented towards rights sales rather than festivals.
This year I learned about another new platform project, this time based in the Arab world called I am a Film, although it does not have a clear specialization, which could hinder its growth.
In the field of film festivals, the programmers who have approached the stand the most have been those with very clear segmentation: women’s film festivals, experimental, erotic, etc. That is, those who have more difficulty finding films for their programming, making them a good opportunity.
More generalist festivals are increasingly saturated.
Take note
If you are going to attend markets or professional meetings soon, take note of some considerations that can help you:
- Make a standard-sized business card with your contact details, your film’s link, and, if you have it, information about screenings. You can use a scene photo or the poster as an image; don’t overcomplicate it.
- Try to schedule as many meetings as possible before you arrive; for this, you need to start working days in advance. Check the calendar with all activities to sign up beforehand, as access may be limited. Plan everything you can.
- Think about your project, and carefully analyze its strengths, to take advantage of all opportunities.
Do you attend short film or feature film markets?
It would be great if you could share your experiences in the comments, both at markets and other professional events.