3 DCP copy errors and how to avoid them

One of the greatest fears when we start moving a film is having problems with the projection copies, especially with the DCP copy. It must be acknowledged that this format is becoming increasingly stable and has improved significantly. As its use has become more widespread, problems have decreased, both on the part … Read more

Segmentation in distribution platforms: Docfilmdepot and T-Port

The evolution of distribution platforms for festivals seems to be entering a new stage. After a few years in which new projects have been constantly created, in January we learned of the closure of Uptofest (effective as of February 1) following its merger with Festhome, which now, together with Movibeta, leads the … Read more

Back to Vimeo Staff Picks

During the week I spent at the Clermont-Ferrand Market, I was able to attend the conference by Sam Morril, programming director of Vimeo, about the advantages of being part of the Staff Picks channel, where approximately 1,000 short films are selected each year. Since I published the post about the online promotion … Read more

Class A Festivals to Premiere Your First Feature

This past weekend, Carla Simón’s feature film Summer 1993 won the prestigious Best First Feature Award at the Berlinale. This is great news for Spanish cinema and for the film’s trajectory, as well as, of course, for its director. Carla Simón is the first Spanish female director to receive this award. Achieving … Read more

Your film’s website: 8 essential pieces of content

Nowadays, having a website is essential, not only for the simple fact of having an online presence, but also because you need tangible elements to support the viewing of your film. A few years ago, when DVD copies were still being sent out, it was very important to take care of the … Read more

New Festivals Qualifying for the Short Film Academy Awards

A few weeks ago we learned about some of the new accredited festivals for the Short Film Academy Awards, although they were not yet updated on the official website listings. Finally, after my return from Clermont-Ferrand, I verified that they were now available and was able to update the listings. In total … Read more

The festival run of the animated short film UKA

Last Saturday, the Goya Awards ceremony took place, where Uka was nominated for Best Animated Short Film.

Although it did not ultimately win the Goya, simply being among the four nominees has been a complete success, continuing a fantastic festival run.

Distribution was handled through the OFF ECAM program, achieving no fewer than 92 selections to date. The first submissions were made to festivals with an April deadline; therefore, it has reached this figure in less than a year.

Uka is made using the stop-motion technique and has strengths that define its festival distribution: a total duration of 3 minutes with no dialogue, and a profile very well-suited for children.

This segment is increasingly on the rise, and many festivals now include a children’s section in their programming.

Distribution started very well, with immediate results from the first submissions. One of the first festivals where Valle Comba, its director, traveled was the WatchOut! Film Festival in Macedonia, winning an award.

The preselection for the Goya Awards was achieved thanks to the selection at the Chicago Children’s Film Festival in the United States, aimed at children.

Along these lines, its premiere in New York City is now scheduled at the New York Children International Film Festival, which begins on February 24.

In these two charts, you can see the evolution of the short film from the start of its festival run to the present:

UKA-monthly-2016

The growth in selections did not stop in the first few months, reaching 18 festivals in October alone, with 16 of these selections in competitive sections.

The start of 2017 has continued the momentum of last year, with 8 festivals in February, and we already have 9 confirmed for March:

The success of the short film has been primarily in international festivals, participating in no fewer than 62 festivals worldwide:

uk-international

As you can see in the chart, Italy leads the ranking with 11 selections, followed by the United States with 8, and Mexico with 6.

We are still in the middle of the distribution process, and there are several months left to complete the first year. Above all, it is worth highlighting how well it has performed at festivals in the audience segments most suited to the short film.

5 Processes for Film Festival Submissions

Until very recently, there was only one procedure for film festival submissions. DVD copies were the only medium programmers had for screening. Films were sent along with a paper form, which was filled out with the main details, signed, and taken to the post office. During the busiest months, I remember taking … Read more

Next week I will be at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market.

The Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market is the most important in the world, and it is where distributors, programmers, producers, and short film directors meet. The market, which takes place from February 6 to 10, schedules many of its own activities and maintains the stand model. Other short film markets have opted for … Read more

How to manage film submissions to your festival

Over the past year, the number of film submissions to festivals—many of them in Spain—has increased again. In recent months I have spoken with festival directors, who have seen how the number of films submitted has doubled and even tripled in just one year. This is an issue that has been widely … Read more