Yesterday, Tuesday, we learned about the new selection for the Goya Awards 2019. In total, 32 short films were selected, comprising 15 fiction short films, 7 documentary short films (although according to the rules, this could have been up to 10), and 10 animation short films.
Last year, 35 short films were selected.
As every year, I am very pleased, as I distribute short films in all three categories, with a total of 7 selected. However, on the other hand, I was hoping for more selections, which did not happen. We must be aware of how difficult it is to reach this stage.
These are the 32 short films selected by the Film Academy:
Fiction
- 9 pasos, directed and produced by Marisa Crespo and Moisés Romera
- Bailaora, directed and produced by Rubin Stein
- Cerdita, directed by Carlota Pereda; produced by Luis Ángel Ramírez and Mario Madueño
- Cunetas, directed and produced by Pau Teixidor; produced by Marta Ramírez
- Distintos, directed by Josevi García Herrero; produced by Mila Luengo and Sergi Miralles
- Downunder, directed and produced by Fernando González Gómez
- El niño que quería volar, directed and produced by Jorge Muriel; produced by Jaime Bartolomé
- Hay algo en la oscuridad, directed and produced by Fran Casanova
- La inútil, directed by Belén Funes; produced by Carla Sospedra
- Marta, directed; produced by Lucía Forner Segarra
- Matria, directed and produced by Álvaro Gago; produced by Alberto Gago and José Gago
- Scratch, directed and produced by David Valero Simón; produced by Miguel Molina Carmona
- Silencio por favor, directed and produced by Carlos Villafaina
- Una noche con Juan Diego Botto, directed and produced by César F. Calvillo; produced by Teresa Bellón
- Vida y muerte de Jennifer Rockwell, directed and produced by Javier Roldán; produced by Carmela M. Oliart and Félix Tusell Sánchez
Documentary
- 592 metroz goiti, directed and produced by Maddi Barber; produced by Ainhoa Andraka, Cristina Hergueta, and Zuri Goikoetxea
- Aliens, directed and produced by Luis López Carrasco
- El tesoro, directed and produced by Marisa Lafuente and Néstor Del Castillo
- Gaza, directed and produced by Carles Bover Martínez and Julio Pérez del Campo
- Kyoko, directed and produced by Joan Bover; directed by Marcos Cabotá
- Sub terrae, directed by Nayra Sanz Fuentes; produced by Javier Sanz Fuentes and José Luis Sanz de Garnica
- Wan Xia. La última luz del atardecer, directed and produced by Silvia Rey Canudo
Animation
- Cazatalentos, directed by José Herrera; produced by Manuel Sirgo González
- El olvido, directed by Cristina Vaello and Xenia Grey; produced by Bea Martínez and José Antonio Saura Saura
- I Wish…, directed by Víctor L. Pinel; produced by Emilio Luján Canalejo
- La noche, directed by Martín Romero; produced by Iván Miñambres
- La noria, directed and produced by Carlos Baena
- Mars Love, directed by Mario Serrano; produced by Emilio de la Rosa, Emilio Luján Canalejo, Manu Carbajo and Pablo de la Chica
- Si no soy, no puedo ser, directed and produced by Mario Torrecillas Alarcón
- Soy una tumba, directed by Khris Cembe; produced by Iván Miñambres and Nicolás Schmerkin
- Viacruxis, directed by Ignasi López; produced by Ana Vega
- Zombie Time, directed and produced by Alfonso Fulgencio; produced by José Luis Farias
Promoting the short films selected for the Goya Awards
Now that you’ve made it this far, you’re probably asking yourself this question:
What can I do now to promote my short film and secure nominations?
In this post, I will try to answer this question, although it is very complex and depends on the situation of each director and production company.
First of all, it is important to understand how the selection process used by the Film Academy works to choose the nominees.
In the first phase, the short film is submitted. From this point, a secret selection committee, made up of a few Academy members, selects a shortlist with a maximum of 15 fiction shorts, 10 documentaries, and 10 animation shorts. Promotion is not possible during this first phase.
This was the list we learned about yesterday, Tuesday, and which is provided above.
The second phase begins now, once the selected short films are published. In this second phase, the short films are voted on by all Academy members, just like other Spanish films vying for a Goya, not by a committee.
Therefore, the more Academy members who know about and watch your short film, the better your chances of being nominated. This is the key to the process that begins this week.
In this post, I have compiled different options to promote your short film among Academy members and increase your chances of being nominated:
#1 Send a DVD and promotional materials to Academy members
This will be one of the first options you consider. The Academy offers you the option to send promotional material via courier.
These shipments can only be made with one of the companies with which the Academy already has a prior agreement for the processing of personal data, so you don’t have much room to get good prices. Additionally, you have to design and print the promotional material and make DVD copies.
This is the most expensive option of all, as there are over 1000 voting Academy members, so costs multiply. If you have less than €3,000 for promotion, do not consider this option.
Every year I see directors and producers who have spent more on shipping and copies than on the actual production and distribution of their short film, which is outrageous.
Is it worth it?
In principle, you can increase the chances of Academy members seeing your short film, and therefore, voting for it. But, in reality, there is no guarantee of this, and it is too expensive.
If you don’t have the budget, don’t do it, but if you can afford it, it’s not a bad idea. It’s a complicated decision; keep in mind that many of the DVDs sent will end up in the trash.
On the other hand, I have known cases of production companies that have sent a flyer with only a viewing link and a password, but no DVD, to save costs. It doesn’t make much sense, as many Academy members don’t usually watch films via streaming, which is why sending a DVD might be a good idea.
#2 Hire a press agent
Keep in mind that there are two main objectives once you are selected: reaching the maximum number of Academy members and achieving the greatest possible media impact during the coming weeks. This impact can greatly help you, whether you are a director or a producer, and especially to start moving your next project.
Therefore, it can be a good idea to hire the services of a specialized press agent. They usually have contacts with Academy members and can run press and social media campaigns to help you reach them.
It’s important to make noise, and an agent can be a good ally at this time.
But be careful not to evaluate an agent’s work based on whether you ultimately get nominated or not. A nomination is very difficult, and no one can guarantee it. The evaluation makes more sense based on your presence on social media and the press campaigns you have launched.
The problem is the cost involved, but don’t hesitate if you can afford it.
#3 Rent the Film Academy screening room
The Academy also offers you the option to rent its screening room to hold a screening and invite Academy members, a good option on paper.
You have the opportunity to offer the best viewing quality so they can properly evaluate your short film. Additionally, you have the advantage of appearing in the Academy’s activity program and being able to send a mailing with information about the short film and the screening.
But… the reality is that no one attends the screening; it’s very difficult to fill a room with Academy members to watch a short film. The few cases I know of producers who have done it found it practically useless.
In addition to the cost, you would also need to hire a press agent to help with the convocatoria. The expenses keep adding up.
#4 Do nothing
This is another option to consider, especially because it is the cheapest of all.
Academy members can watch all short films through VEOMAC, EGEDA‘s online platform that the Academy uses for online screenings. Therefore, all Academy members have access to your short film to vote for it.
The problem is that many Academy members are elderly and not accustomed to watching films via streaming, which is why many believe it’s better to send a DVD by courier. However, I truly believe this is becoming less common; the Academy has been modernizing in recent years, and there are increasingly more young people. Furthermore, watching films via streaming is more normalized.
In any case, even if you do nothing, you should still run your own campaigns on Facebook or Twitter and contact as many Academy members as you can; you probably know more than you think, or have friends who know Academy members.
Having a nomination so close and doing nothing is difficult, but it is another option; some directors have not had a press agent or sent out materials and have still achieved it.
Mobilize your entire technical team, the actors, and all the friends you have working in cinema. Any help is valuable.
So… what should I do?
You will have realized that all options involve spending money. Promoting a short film for nominations can be very expensive.
Ultimately, like everything, it also depends on your budget.
If the short film has performed well and you have some budget from awards or sales, then you can invest in a press agent and in sending materials to Academy members. But, if you don’t have a budget, it’s not worth taking out a loan to do it.
However, nothing you do will guarantee you a nomination. Keep in mind that there are always short films that come in very strong due to their successes; with little effort, they have many chances of getting a nomination.
The most important thing is to make the most of the selection to promote your short film and yourself as a director. If you also get a nomination, all the better, but don’t forget that reaching this stage is already a success.
Good luck!