World of Shorts - the Cannes 2013 issue

WORLD OF SHORTS a shortfilm magazine published by daazo.com - the european shortfilm centre

the cannes 2013 issue

on page:

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CanneS who & what to look out for this year

Mapping yOur Mind Cinéfondation directors draw

CrOSS-Media everything you need to know about it

Be prepared the ultimate guide to pitching

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meet two prize-winning filmmakers: Jakob Beckman & Wassim Sookia

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a workshop agenda and collection of postgraduate studies

82

a festival guide by Reelport

FilM Training

SHOrT FilM FeSTivalS in 2013

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been selected for the Quinzaine’s programme this year. You can also find a nice visual explanation of the Cannes Film Festival’s short film related elements.

A Film is more thAn the sum oF its pArts written by Dániel Deák, editor in chief

If you say Cannes, I know what you mean. Cannes is a kind of magic word in the world of filmmaking. If you are in Cannes it means that you are in the business. Everybody knows that something really glossy and significant is going on there every year, but just a very few insiders know what exactly. ere is a well-woven cobweb of the competition film screenings, the film market (Marché Du Film), the national pavilions and the crowd of filmmakers, film enthusiasts, distributors, and journalists on the Croisette, which is quite fascinating and confusing, not just for the newcomers. It needs time and preparation to understand how it works.

Even from the point of view of short films, the picture is very vivid. Here in Daazo’s World of Shorts magazine we try to explain it all to a short film maker. How to get started and how to handle a chance. For instance, you can read about the experience of being selected to one of the programmes. ere is an interview with Maryna Vroda, director of the Palme d’Or winning short Cross Country, and a presentation of Soft Rain by Dénes Nagy, whose film has

Besides covering the Festival, we try to give you an overview about the short film world.

You can read about shorts in transmedia, an interview with the editors of ARTE television channel, which is a kind of paradise nowadays for short films. Find loads of info and practical guides on pitching (by Laurent Crouzeix, leader of Euro Connection and Wim Vanacker, head of scriptwriting at the European Short Pitch), a fascinating case study of a giant Polish-Swedish short film co-production

by Joanna Solecka - and much more.

However, World of Shorts does not only help theoretically to understand and follow the short film business. We also provide some very practical tools indeed to go forward in the business. at is why we have created the second edition of the Pitch Page project, in which we highlight carefully selected short film plans (Maike Mia Höhne, the curator of Berlinale Shorts was the Head of the Jury selecting the pitches). Also, we offer the chance to promote the films of Short Film Corner participants - this is how we aim to build a bridge between filmmakers and distributors.

Back to theory: in Cannes, it is very clear that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. e competitions wouldn’t mean that much without the market and the market wouldn’t work without the competitions.

And this is true for all the rest of the events of the festival. It is the key to the Cannes magic; to cross-media, when several shorts form an artwork; and to filmmaking itself: many people, many co-production partners team up to create the whole from the sum of their parts. And the result is what we love the most: the film itself, which is always more than any mathematical procedure.

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cAnnes Arguably the grandest film event in Europe, Cannes offers it all. Besides all the glamour, star-studded red carpets and celebrated competition features, short films also play an important role at the festival. Read about shorts, shorts and more shorts on the following pages!

9 facts about the official selection, page 5 maryna Vroda, palme d'or winner, page 8 laurence reymond, the short film selector for the Directors' Fortnight, page 10 Daazo proudly presents Soft Rain, page 12

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text: Anita Libor

9 things

you DiD not know About cAnnes - so FAr! e prestigious Cannes Film Festival organises several short film competitions, but we know very little about the whole process behind the Official Short Film Selection. is year, the Cannes Film Festival received around 3500 shorts under 15’, representing productions from no fewer than 132 countries An 8-member selection committee screens all of the submissions and decides on a shortlist of around 20 to 30 titles, of which the selection committee chooses the final 9 or 10 to be screened at the festival

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e whole selection process starts early January and lasts until the beginning of April

9 films will compete in 2013 for the Short Film Palme d’Or, to be awarded by Jane Campion, President of the Jury, at the Closing Ceremony of the 66th Festival de Cannes on 26th May

e jury members are: Jane Campion - film director (New Zealand) - President Maji-da Abdi - actress, director, producer (Ethiopia) Nicoletta Braschi - actress, producer (Italy) Nandita Das - actress, director (India) Semih Kaplanoğlu - director, writer, producer (Turkey)

For the first time, a Palestinian film will take part in the Short Film Competition

is year, the first feature by Chloé Robichaud, Sarah Would Rather Run from Canada has been invited to the Un Certain Regard section of the festival - Chloé was in competition last year with her short film Herd Leader

ere is no particular genre or theme Cannes is looking for - they try to find the filmmakers of the future through the qualities of a film

e Official Selection aims to launch careers: some examples are Jane Campion, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Xavier Giannoli, Lynne Ramsay, and Antonio Campos

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plAn unDer 15 minutes!

An interview with maryna Vroda

by Anita Libor

Cross Country won the Palme d’Or for short film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.

Regarding storytelling, Cross Country is a very peculiar film. Was it hard to write a script for a story like this?

It was very easy for me to write and we went on to shoot directly through the script, we didn’t experiment. It was precisely prepared because we financed it ourselves. But the idea came because I wanted to be understandable not just around my people, I wanted to say something in poetry form, something universal. I was thinking about it even before the idea. I wanted people to understand it without translations. What I was looking for was a simple, interesting poetry form.

But I like to change the forms. It is not the question of hard and easy, it is the question of my interest in the topic. I am a young filmmaker, and I don’t know what is normal or easy for me. I would like to make new films in new ways, I try to go to a territory I didn’t know before. Cross Country was a new form for me in the beginning. Each time I do something, I try to find a form that connects one to the idea.

What is your relationship with cross country running?

I did run a lot in my childhood, in my school years. It is a beautiful childhood memory for me. I like to run long distances and one of my favourite films is e Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. I love that film, but I only watched it aer I’d made Cross Country. Running is a philosophy, because you run short distances and long distances in a different way.

Could this be a metaphor for your filmmaking attitude? What do you like the most in making shorts?

Shorts are a great form for independent things.

In shorts you have an idea, and you can do it even with your friends. I started to do short

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films because you can see the result faster.

And it gives you the power, the energy to do something big, the belief that you can do something bigger and stronger.

I think people should not change things in their film just to get in the competition - there are many other programmes like the Critics’ Week etc. ere is no reason to break your film.

Are you ready to do something big now?

It is great to do feature films, and between them documentaries and shorts, where you can experiment more. At the moment, we are working on a new story with Kirill Shuvalov, a feature film called Stepne. e Institut-Francais helped me with this new project and we sent it to the Cité International des Arts. So now I’ve been here in Paris since February, and I will stay until the end of June 2013.

But you can only win the Palme d’Or if you are in the competition.

Yes, it is a good reason to edit the film if all you want is to win this prize. But first, you should think about an idea that can be concentrated very clearly in these 15 minutes. Fortunately, in our school we had to make films under 10 minutes, and I always had problems with the editing. is 15-minute-length was the best format for me. If you want to win in Cannes, plan under 15 minutes!

When you were making How did the Palme d’Or Cross Country, did it ever change your life? cross your mind that it could It is good to think about what you win the Palme d’Or? will do with it, because it does not I am connected to reality, I am a immediately mean any money. young Ukrainian director making Maryna Vroda It brings a lot of attention, attention her first steps towards independent

by Denys Karlinskyy even if you don’t want it. It takes all cinema. Of course I was thinking about and hoping to be invited to some festivals, your time: you have to talk with a lot of people about your upcoming projects. So it is better just as with my previous shorts. But I did not to be prepared with a lot of projects, because plan at all to participate in Cannes, and I if you win, people want to know who this especially did not concentrate on winning. person behind the film is. It offers you some I concentrated on expressing my message in possibilities, but you have to be ready for them. a really short and simple form. My producer The Palme d’Or was good for the film, the Florence Keller was very sure we would get in, I don’t know why, but I did not take her seriously. country, and the people working on it. But I had a life before it. The Palme d’Or does not I always made jokes about it. change your life - you have to change your life.

I noticed that your short film is exactly What is your best memory of Cannes?

15 minutes long - was that intentional?

When I had already received the prize, and When we were editing, Florence told me a lot we spoke with many big stars behind the of things about Cannes, but we were free with scenes: actors, directors - and they were all the timing. She told me to make my own such normal people! And the cinema, the spirit decisions with the editing, and when I finished of the audience - they were really expecting it, it was exactly 15 minutes, only 10 seconds something. at moment of silence, when they longer with the title. With this length, it was are waiting for your film, it is very beautiful. perfect and everything I wanted it to be.

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‘A gooD short Film

stAnDs out immeDiAtely’ interview by Zsuzsanna Deák and Cristina Grosan

Please tell us about your background!

I studied cinema history and film criticism in Lyon and Paris. Aer university, I worked for a film distribution company - I was involved with production. At the same time I wrote papers and reviews about cinema. All of this lead me to film festivals. First, I did the selection for a middle-length film festival, the, European Middle Length Film Meetings of Brive. It was a unique thing: a young festival, only 9 years old. Working with middle length films is very difficult: they are too short to be screened as a feature, but too long for TV. It is a competitive festival, with a money prize and many TV buyers present. I did the selection for them in 2011 and I loved doing it! Then I was invited to join the Directors’ Fortnight in 2011 and at the same time I started another job in Montreal: there I select feature films for the Festival du nouveau cinéma.

Is there a different approach in selecting medium-length films and shorts? e difference is in the time and the concentration it takes. e middle-length film festival was very restrictive, only European films were

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We met Laurence Reymond, the short film selector for the Directors’ Fortnight aer a panel talk in Sarajevo last year, and had coffee together on the pavement in the heat of the Balkans summer. You can read some of our enjoyable and insightful chat below.

accepted and less than 300 films submitted.

Now, for the last Directors’ Fortnight, we got 1800 films from all over the world. Selecting from 300 is not the same as from 1800!

Could you say the Directors’ Fortnight has an agenda? For example, do you ever suggest anything like “this year we would like to put together a selection that talks about a specific issue” or similar?

We try not to add taglines, but of course we are – historically – dedicated to finding new directors, and to show innovating and daring

films. e idea for our programmes is to show as many different films as possible.

To me, an ideal programme would include fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, and even a video clip. Good films stand out – it doesn’t matter what their message is or what genre they are. ere are not too many good films. Once you have picked those out, you put everything together, and think about the variety. In the end there are only around ten films.

If there is no specific Directors’ Fortnight agenda, and as a member of the audience I wouldn’t be able to tell in what way this is different from the official selection, why do the two sections exist then? ey are two different festivals. As I mentioned before, the official selection is very restrictive for short films. Also, they give a prize: the Palme d’Or, which is a great acknowledgement for the director. The Directors’ Fortnight is different. We look for new directors and we make a point that short film is something to care about. We think it’s very important to have an eye on short films.

You do the selection on your own.

How is that even possible? ere must be thousands of films to watch!

I do a pre-selection, and then the selection results from discussions with Edouard Waintrop, the artistic director of the Directors’ Fortnight. I watch films for three months nonstop. From morning to midnight – at one point it was very difficult to handle, but I’ve got used to it by now. Let’s be honest: watching films is far from being a „hard” job. My job is based on passion. Without it, it could be very boring.

You mentioned that a good film stands out.

In what way?

Well, of course it’s inevitably very personal: something that I haven’t seen before, something that touches me, moves me. But there is no formula.

You have a huge responsibility: to the 10 directors you select, a lot of doors will open immediately.

Of course, the Cannes screenings open many doors. That’s why we really want to be in love with the films we select. We have to be honest about our selection. We don’t want to think about who made this film.

But when we find out more about the person of the director, it always adds a new layer.

We are very proud and happy about the new directors we discover. But we cannot be responsible for what happens to them next.

We have to have the confidence to show good films to the audience and prove that they are worth all this attention.

What do you think about the online promotion of short films? Many filmmakers are still reluctant to make available their short films, even aer their festival run, 4-5 years aer they’ve been finished.

What do you think of that?

I think showing one’s films online is very useful.

It’s becoming more and more important to see films online. It’s important for the audience too, to be able to watch more short films. As there are not too many television screenings, making your previous short films available online can further your career. But of course, only aer the festival life of the film, which is not very long.

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Daazo proudly presents: soFt rAin Daazo.com - the European Short Film Centre proudly celebrates the selection of the short film So Rain for the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. Dénes Nagy's So Rain won the main prize at Daazo.com’s mini-festival called Fresh Meat that took place in Budapest earlier this year.

It is also part of Daazo Sales Portfolio (more on page 61)!

So Rain is one of the rare short films to have been made as an international co-production. e budget for the production was raised in a Hungarian-Belgian collaboration and the film was produced by Campfilm Production (Budapest) and Novak Prod (Brussels).

So Rain is based on the short story by Sándor Tar. e protagonist is Dani, an adolescent boy who grew up in an orphanage. He has recently been transferred to a foster family in a small village. Dani’s behaviour is strange, flagrant, and at times pathetic. He craves love but doesn’t know how to get it - it has never been taught to him. He falls for his class mate Zsófi but, unable to express his feelings in a normal way, he dris irreversibly towards self-inflicted injury.

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Dénes Nagy studied at the the University of eatre and Film Arts in Budapest (SZFE) and the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB). His previous short films have had successful festival selections. Dénes is currently working on the post-production of his documentary Rural Design, which documents the metamorphosis of objects, interiors and exteriors through various art tools. At the same time, he is working on the pre-production of Harm, a feature documentary discussing the psychological background of self-harm.

Watch the short films of Dénes Nagy on Daazo.com today! www.daazo.com/denes-nagy

Campfilm Production was established in 2007 by Sára László, Marcell Gerő and Tamás Dobos. e three founders of the company graduated together from the University of eatre and Film Arts in Budapest (SZFE). e main reason they decided to start a company was to preserve the workshop-like working method they had developed during the five years of their training. The main profile of Campfilm Production is the development and production of creative documentaries dealing with social issues. Currently they are in production of a feature-length documentary Cain’s Children (Co-produced with Jba Production and ARTE France), searching the long-term impacts of time spent in prison, in development of Harm, a documentary about the emotional background of self-cutting, and in post-production of Invasion a documentary following the life of Asian-African immigrants trying to cross the Schengen border illegally. So Rain is the first fiction project of Campfilm, the first step towards making feature films.

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image by Patrick Winfield

mApping

your

minD To better illustrate the relationship between directors and their films, the filmmakers from the CinĂŠfondation section of the Cannes Film Festival were asked to spontaneously draw something about their films - using a pencil and a piece of paper (or any other medium they could think of). Anything would do - a symbol, a landscape, fresh and raw, out of their imagination.

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stepsister

Joey izzo USA

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Fearing her own displacement, Anna torments her stepsister’s new fiancée. Stepsister is a portrait of a makeshi family that struggles for its own unification all the while burdened by misplaced desires and sexual jealousy.

DAnse mAcAbre

malgorzata rzˇanek Poland

A humoristic adaptation of the popular mediaeval theme "the dance of death".

A patchwork of symbols illustrates human passing. Following a three-legged character we discover the murky world of the deceased.

Seemingly separate elements turn out to be part of a perfectly synchronized organism.

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in AcVAriu In the Fishbowl

George and Cristina are trying very hard to break up. But despite their eorts they don't really make it all the way.

tudor cristian Jurgiu Romania

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bAbAgA

Babaga, a strange and wild woman, lives in the forest.

Wandering around, she finds the body of a handsome young man.

She nurses and awakens him and in time they grow close.

gan de lange Israel

Before uncovering his sealed eyes, she tries to make herself worthy of love.

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Ă“ sunce Ham Story

My story is about imagination.

About the imagination which has been chained for so long and set free with so much strength.

About playing God in a childlike and pure game.

elisˇka chytkova Czech Republic

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exil Exile

A young African migrant’s first couple of hours on a European beach.

Vladilen Vierny France

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Au-Delá De l’hiVer After the Winter

An old Chinese couple is in a small village, waiting.

Jow Zhi wei France

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en AttenDAnt le Dégel Waiting for the Thaw

Long divided siblings meet because one of them is moving. e atmosphere is tense.

Valery, Victor and Vincianne take to the road, not knowing that the trip will be hazardous...

Waiting for the aw is questioning the development of family disagreements in the context of a critical and incongruous situation.

sarah hirtt Belgium

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the mAgniFicent lion boy

Whilst leading an expedition to Africa, anthropologist Leonard Orlov discovers a feral child living a brutal and primitive existence. Horrified, he brings the creature back to Victorian London, intent on civilizing the child.

Ana caro UK

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AsunciÓn

Asunción is the lonely receptionist of a Catholic residence for college students. e only person she spends time with is Manuel, the young security guard of the residence.

Asunción has strong feelings for him even though she knows he masturbates while watching the girls who live in the residence.

When Carmen, the nun in charge, asks Asunción to keep an eye on Manuel, she covers for him, slowly losing control of her repressed desires.

camila luna toledo Chile

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the norm oF liFe

A young man, having come home, finds the body of his father in the apartment. His sister pretends that she knows nothing. Later he witnesses a strange conversation between her and her husband. He starts to suspect that his father’s death wasn’t a natural one. But despite all the guessing and proof, nothing will change the tragedy of the fact for him.

evgeniy byalo Russia

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seon The Line

Yoon-jin finds Ji-hoon sitting on the staircase in front of her apartment. e boy stays there, saying he does not have his keys. Aer a while, Yoon-jin offers him to wait at her place. As hours go by, it’s getting dark and yet she hears nothing from Ji-hoon’s parents.

soo-Jin kim Korea

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pAnDy Pandas

ey are the product of millions of generations before them and yet they’re le all alone in the forest to fend for themselves. One day an all too active primate, the human being, finds them and they quickly become a pawn in man’s games.

matúš Vizár Slovakia

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Duet

Minoo takes her husband, Hamed, to meet his ex-sweetheart, Sepideh. î ˘is meeting revives old memories...

navid Danesh Iran

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A plAygrounD For creAtiVity how shorts challenge the minds of filmmakers

interview by David Andersen

You are not a "typical" filmmaker, meaning that you started out as a musician. How did you end up in the film industry then?

Music was my life. However, aer 9/11, many areas of the US slowed to a halt, including music.

When the tours I was slated for cancelled I was forced to find other work. After a few years dabbling in web and print design I came across some archive footage of my band from our last summer tour. I decided to give a go at video as I wanted to create a commemorative DVD for all the guys in the band. Aer working on it for about 6 months I had found a new love and creative outlet. Fast forward a couple more years, I hooked up with some friends and we took a shot at doing a 48 hour film project here in Nashville, Tennessee. I helped write, storyboard, film and edit that short. Aer that experience I fell in love with the process of creating a story, capturing it on camera and then seeing all of that footage come to life through the edit process.

As the Cannes crowd is reading this, you are busy working on your latest project, a short called Fruitcake. Tell us a bit about it, what it is about, when and how will people be able to see it?

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Bobby Marko is not your average filmmaker. A musician who re-invented himself as a visual „composer”, approaching the challenge of shooting films without the traditional reservations of old Hollywood and with cutting-edge tools that re-shape the way films are made. Read about his latest short destined for the festival circuit and how it got from script to „Action!”.

Fruitcake is the story of Adam, an eccentric, mid 30's, lonely man who tries to create relationships in the most unorthodox way. We have begun filming and hope to finish in late summer.

We're hoping to have it completed in time to start festival submissions early fall. Aer we have an idea of how the film will do in festivals, we're looking at online distribution channels such as Daazo.com.

Why a short? What do you think is special about short films?

I love the simplicity that short films offer. It's a challenge and a playground for creativity.

It's a challenge because you have to keep the idea simple but not too simple that the audience figures out the entire plot within the first few minutes. A short forces the writer to engage with the audience the entire 10, 15, 20 minutes, that is not easy. In a full length feature there is a give and take, a writer can allow the audience to have some breathing room and let them think on their own without having their full attention. A short also allows for much creativity because a filmmaker can take more risks. You have 10 to 20 minutes to not only tell a compelling story but

also wow them visually. You don't have much room to allow for "canned" or "throw away" shots, you have to plan each shot for each scene carefully. So for me as a cinematographer, knowing each shot counts, I pay much more attention to details and cra the shot as best as possible to get the most out of that screen time.

knew the potential the Production Minds Platform contained. It wasn't long before I emailed David at PMP to let him know I was in pre-production for a short film and I would like to use our project as a way to beta test the soware.

Aer a few email exchanges, both of us were excited about the potential of this collaboration.

Fruitcake is special from at least one aspect: you have been using a new approach to prepare for the shooting. Can you tell a bit more about that?

Absolutely! Aer director David Wilkinson wrote the story and a rough script, we started going through it and refining it a little bit at a time.

A few drafts later we had the script in a place where we could start talking about how we wanted to see those scenes visually. So I began making some rough sketches in a separate iPad app from which we had written Bobby Marko on the set of Fruitcake and refined the script. photo by Ashley Wright is was nothing new as this process is the same as I had used on other productions. I would have to use separate apps for different elements of the pre-production process.

is PMP platform was so new that you actually started prepping Fruitcake while it was not even released to the world.

Wasn't it a big risk using a system you have never worked with before?

Absolutely, it was a huge risk. But I'm a firm believer in the old saying, "Risk nothing, gain nothing." I tend to go against the norm when it comes to film production. Remember, I did not grow up becoming a filmmaker so I guess my naiveté to the normal process puts me in a position to not know any better. I take chances because I know the result will be greater than if I had not taken the chance at all. Not taking the chance means I did it the same way as before… what can I learn from that?

It was about that time I was approached by David Andersen of Production Minds. He had seen a blog post I had written about using apps for filmmaking and asked me if I would be interested in beta testing some software his company was developing. He sent me some links describing the software and after only a few minutes of looking over the plethora of features the soware would contain, I knew this was a tool I had been hoping someone would develop.

One application that could contain the script, storyboards, crew lists, talent lists, location details, and more, even in its infancy I immediately

A while back I put together a live shoot using 7 RED cameras and I was told by many that it had never been done, why would I do that.

I had quite a few reasons for choosing to go with RED cameras but just because it had never been done before wasn't an obstacle for me. I don't consider myself that much of an innovator or even that I take that much risk but for some reason going against the grain is a reoccurring theme in my career.

You can read the whole interview on the Daazo.com blog: blog.daazo.com

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Daazo.com at the Coup de Pouce Workshop of the Short Film Corner 23 May, 2013 at 2 p.m.

A group session, one expert and 30 minutes to focus on digital distribution.

Meet you there!

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image by Adela Goldbard

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cross-meDiA We are surrounded by screens. Sometimes, this huge visual impact can be a little bit annoying, but it also gives filmmakers a great opportunity to find new ways to express themselves and distribute their work.

How to use them? How to put together short films to create new formats?

What are the most appealing examples of cross-media projects?

World of Shorts has the answers on the following pages. cross-media and shorts, page 37 interactive platforms, page 40 the challenges of a high profile short film, page 42 From short to long and from long to short - An interview with Arte, page 44

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cross-meDiA AnD shorts:

The time is now written by Domenico La Porta image by Imre Drégely

For the first time this year, Cannes’ Film Market adopts a Cross-media Corner in addition to the traditional Doc Corner and Short Film Corner, when the first could actually very well be the corridor between the two others.

In 2013, distribution is still the main issue for most short film makers. Making a film to be seen is a principle that makes sense but, in practice, is in fact an exception to the rule.

A cross-media or transmedia development allows a return to this principle, which is particularly crucial in the case of short movies, which do not benefit from the distribution architecture and business model of feature films. We know it; the public has not suddenly stopped loving stories that are told to them, even if movie-theatre attendance is decreasing. is desire for storytelling is ubiquitous, but also more diversified than ever. At a time when video games have become genuine participatory audiovisual experiences, the gaming market has exploded. e time spent on these platforms has increased and it used to be during this same segment, dedicated to leisure activities, that the public once granted more time to other content such as literature, short films, feature films, series or (web) documentaries. Technological progress and its democratisation has simply changed our habits of cultural consumption, but these habits remain identifiable and it is through them that the creation process must begin, not by addressing an audience, but by addressing a community to which authors belong or will belong.

Today in France, there are on average seven screens per household. One household in ten owns a tablet for 18 million smartphones in the country. There are more than 26 million active members on Facebook and 5 million have a Twitter account. The public is clearly multi-platform and it passes from one to another naturally and automatically according WOSH by Daazo.com 37

to its consumption habits that are cross media.

The so-called second screen can virtually double the time spent in leisure activities, via simultaneity. Everywhere, there is a suitable place to support your story or part of it. It may be contextual elements, a prequel, a sequel, a spin-off ...everything is possible, provided that it is deployed with enough creativity, coherence and logical links between the platforms. Every eective cross-media campaign should incorporate elements of marketing and scenario alike.

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So the film, along with its consumption, can be scripted to form a better movie experience for the viewer – one whole that is better than the sum of its parts. Cross-media clearly bets on teasing and call to action by an audience that becomes reasonably participative. By involving an audience, we turn its members into potential ambassadors, who will freely share their experience with their own community and channels. Today, each Internet user who has a Facebook account is his own publisher of content, artistic or not.

He has a power of distribution. Writing, creation and strategy combine in one transmedia device, but these forces come together for one purpose only – to make the experience visible and entertaining enough for it to be self-spread via good old word-of-mouth and virtual modern methods. Your movie can become a level of a shared experience with your community, but you will have to work to build it, to moderate it and to entertain it around your story world, which may arise long before the making of the film itself, when it is funded through crowdfunding, for example. is is the main task of a community manager.

In the feature film context, today’s cross-media consumers are tomorrow’s cross-media authors, but as far as it concerns the short film, the

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time is now. You want your film to be seen?

Then think about meeting with the public’s habits by deploying your story the right way on the platforms where people are spending time. Do not broadcast 15 minutes of film on a platform such as Facebook, where the public does not have more than a minute of attention to pay to a single video. Make all these places gateways to your story instead. Cross-media has changed the working arrangements.

An audiovisual work should be adapted and created from its inception onwards into many other art forms, all considered in terms of distribution and it is you, the author, who must upgrade to the status of Experience Architect, a title that will have a good effect on your business card in distinguishing you from thousands of other directors out there.

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The Future oF ViDeo is lAunching soon written by Mátyás Mao Kálmán image by István Lábady

Along with the boom of cross-media and multi platform storytelling in recent years, several online platforms have been introduced focusing on interactive storytelling, which significantly simplifies the making of interactive documentaries and fiction projects. ey are also available to a much broader audience and also help online journalists with their work. e most widespread form of interactive documentaries is a network consisting of links in which the user can independently navigate between various media content.

e structure of interactive documentaries forms a narrative, gives emphasis to certain plot points and is able to bring content in the documentary genre (photos, comments, documents) which couldn’t be used in a film, even though it makes up a significant part of the story. In the case of interactive documentaries, the user decides which content to watch and how long to watch it, so the user’s interest determines the information, parts of the story and pictures offered by the documentary.

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With new platforms getting more attention, new ways of storytelling are also emerging, which in most cases prove to be better at presenting subjects in detail. ey also succeed in getting the user more involved personally than what linearly constructed documentaries are capable of. Like the Chinese quote borrowed by Andre DeVigal, Director of Multimedia at the New York Times says:

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand” The variety of new platforms is quite wide: starting from the simple “drag and drop” interfaces made for the average user, timelines and mind map types of story editing devices are also being introduced. A big chunk of these new platforms is HTML5-based and is compatible with tablets and smartphones as well, but it is clear that currently every company is making platforms based on their particular visions so they could set the trends of how we will use media in the future.

Zeega is one of the simplest, most user friendly platforms in which we can grab web content from YouTube, Instagram, Flickr, Soundcloud or Tumblr to make our own interactive stories. Zeega also lets us add text, streetview, colour layers and pop-ups which create a connection between various contents. stroome, the winning project of the 2010 Knight News Challenge is currently on hold, but their promise is to come back as the “web’s most collaborative video editing site”. meograph’s own simple user interface focuses on the space and time in which the stories are placed. While this might be the least suitable platform for creating flexible and interactive projects, it could be really useful for journalists and for creating educational content. galahad’s Immersive Video Player and Builder was introduced with a stunning comic movie and according to plans, Galahad will also be the online distribution engine of the future for the publication of the related content of various films, TV-series, publications and games, through a constant communication with the audience.

Atavist is a tool that has been primarily made for journalists to integrate photos, Wikipedia articles, comments and videos and present them together on one platform.

Djehouti is currently only available in French, but there are quite a few finished stories on their site. Videos, subtitles and sounds can be merged into one interactive unit nicely. e pre-made transitions can be used to build interactions and movements into the story.

Honkytonk Films, the designer of klynt, gained attention with its interactive documentary Journey to the End of Coal. Users of the platform already include mediums like La Repubblica, France24 and NGOs like WWF, Greenpeace or UNICEF. e user interface of the platform is rather complex yet friendly.

Mind-map-type of story editing and real time video control help the editing and the player interface is fully customisable as well.

3wDoc has an easy-to-use interface, while also having a great variety of functions.

In addition, it lets the user edit multiple stories at one time. 3WDOC has been created by a French agency, Hecube, who originally designed the platform for their own productions.

While most of storyplanet’s functions are not yet available, the platform looks very promising. e designers imagine every story as a grid and each of these grids depict a screen. In the grid, we can freely arrange the elements of our story horizontally and vertically, thus creating our own interactive structure. Simple graphic elements can also be created, and like with Djehouti, we can add transitions and actions to each element as well. popcorn.js developed by Mozilla, has an interface which looks a little like a dra, but due to its open source code, anyone can create their own plugins, which holds great possibilities for the future. Currently, there are numerous webbased services which can be integrated, from Processing scripts, to LinkedIn. e list, of course, doesn’t end here. For example, YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley’s new project MixBit could spark some interest in the area of social video making. For now, their website only says: “e future of video is launching soon.”

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the big leAp the challenges of a high profile short in polish-swedish co-production written by Joanna Solecka WAJDA STUDIO

„You must be crazy!” at‘s what the director and the producers have heard over the past four years, spent with the production of a 13-minute short called e Big Leap.

BelieF „Does God exist?” - everything started with this universal question that the director, Kristoffer Rus, wanted to ask in the era of a global financial crisis. With the help of pitch black humor, e Big Leap stresses the moral dilemmas that erupt when the protagonists realise that everything they have fought for is gone. ey meet on the roof of a skyscraper. ey have the same intention - to commit suicide due to a major financial crisis. e conflict quickly deepens when they discover that they all represent a different conviction about the hereaer: Sarah is the believer, John the atheist and Ben the uncertain agnostic. e only way to find out who’s right is to take e Big Leap. viSiOn The whole film was made in green screen technology. The actors and parts of the set were real, but the whole space around them was created using computer technology. As the action takes place on the roof of a skyscraper, the whole world around it had to be created in CGI. e Big Leap is for sure special effects heavy. Yet, all these computer effects were only a tool to tell the story. It’s first of all an actor-driven story with a wonderful cast of rising stars - Tilly Scott Pedersen, Gustaf Skarsgård and Arkadiusz Jakubik.

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paTienCe

THinK Big

What does the term short really mean?

In the case of e Big Leap, it took three years to close the budget, one week to shoot the film and one year for post-production.

How to keep up the steam through the years of production? For the creative team it must have been like the Chinese water torture, with different phases of production continuously dripping onto their heads…

ink Big was for sure a motto for all the people involved. is short film about the financial crisis combines an up-and-coming director, international well-established actors, live action and animation and two countries to finance it. Also, the promotion strategy for e Big Leap was made as if it were a feature. e Big Leap is proof that you can reach for an even higher production value than in the long format and you can talk about a serious topic in a light way with mesmerizing visual tools.

So what the team learned from the production was to think big, have patience and faith in the project and to let it take its time. Not to rush it just because it’s „only“ a short. As Mark Twain put it: “I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

The BiG LeAp (2013, 13’, Poland / Sweden) Directed by Kristoffer Rus produced by Prasa & Film, East of West Cinema AB, Telewizja Polska S.A., ATM FX, WFDiF World Sales: New Europe Film Sales pR & festivals: Wajda Studio

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building bridges from Short to long and long to Short an interview with sabine brantus & catherine colas, programming managers at ZDF/Arte interview by Dániel Deák images by Mauricio Alejo

Short Film - as a format - has been modified in the last few years thanks to the new platforms. Can you share with us what short film means to a traditional television channel like ARTE? ARTE is a channel open to new adventures.

Short film itself is in motion. e genre has always been multiple and throughout the last few years, it has taken more and more mixed and hybrid forms…We buy worldwide and try to present films which are, in some ways, “state of the art”. ARTE, being as you said a traditional TV programme, is still encouraging young filmmakers to find new ways and a cinematographic approach. ARTE and the slot Court-Circuit (Short-Circuit) definitely play the role of a discoverer. Our aim is also to build bridges from short to long and long to short, mainly within the European Art House Cinema. Being screened on ARTE helps filmmakers, along with a presence of their work at festivals, to take a step in the industry.

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How do you work with shorts? If I have a script, can I approach you, or should I wait to finish my film to contact you?

ARTE is a channel which produces, co-produces and buys short films. So, yes, you can send a script, either by knocking on the door of ARTE France or ARTE Germany.

In order to know how to proceed, have a look on our website. ere, you can find the name of the commissioning editors on both the French and German sides.

What do you look for if you want to buy a short?

We look for an author, for an artistic point of view, for an engagement. A look into society.

Even imperfection is good! It can be animation, fiction, experimental - from 2 minutes up to 60 minutes. As a matter of fact, ARTE broadcasts a middle-length film every Friday night, aer the slot Court-Circuit!

ARTE has been existing for more than 20 years. Do you have an always changing target group or has it been the same since the beginning?

As a French-German cultural channel, ARTE has a very strong profile and a target less fluctuating than other TV broadcasters.

Do you get feedback from your viewers regarding the short films you programme? Is it possible to say what kind of films they like? is is a difficult question, especially for ARTE, being a channel crossing frontiers.

Considering our slot on Friday nights, we can see that the audience is a community of very open-minded viewers, who want to know and to discover more. Of course, we have ratings. We can evaluate which films have more viewers on screen and off-screen, as our films can be found online on the ARTE website. But while choosing the film, the author, or the project we want to promote, thinking of the “likes” would be too much of a selfcensorship, which is not welcome on ARTE. You have a late night programme for short films called Court Circuit. Would it not be possible to put it to a more frequented time slot? Would it not be possible to screen some really short shorts individually, in between two feature-length programmes?

We are happy to have a weekly magazine dedicated to short film on TV! A 52 minutes running magazine enables us to present

a large scale of shorts and not only the “short shorts”, as you say. Furthermore, “short shorts” have their place on ARTE between programmes during day time.

In addition to this, short series like MAMMAS, Minute Vieille or Silex and the City are running during prime-time on a regular daily basis.

Cinema. Television. Internet.

VOD platforms. Do you think these platforms can live alongside each other happily? How do you see the position of ARTE in this constellation?

Is it going to stay a traditional TV channel or are you planning to enter new platforms?

ARTE is quite beyond its time concerning the use of technology. We have ARTE+7, Live streaming, the Arte website of Court-Circuit, etc… ese platforms can live happily together. eir target groups may be different, and they may offer a broader choice. ARTE plays the role of a curator: selecting the works, presenting them, not reducing them to an Internet-aesthetic …

You have a new media platform called ARTE Creative.

What is the role of short films in it?

“Court-Circuit Labo” presents a range of experimental short films on this platform.

„A good short film stands out immediately.” interview by Zsuzsanna Deák and Cristina Grosan We met Laurence Reymond, the short film selector for Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight) aer a panel talk in Sarajevo last year, and had coffee together on the pavement in the heat of the Balkans summer. You can read some of our enjoyable and insightful chat below.

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nam cursus. Morbi ut mi. Nullam enim leo, egestas id, condimentum at, laoreet mattis, massa. Sed eleifend nonummy diam. Praesent mauris ante, elementum et, bibendum at, posuere sit amet, nibh. Duis tincidunt lectus quis dui viverra vestibulum. Suspendisse vulputate aliquam dui. Nulla elementum dui ut augue. Aliquam vehicula mi at mauris. Maecenas placerat, nisl at consequat rhoncus, sem nunc gravida justo, quis eleifend arcu velit quis lacus. Morbi magna magna, tincidunt a, mattis non, imperdiet vitae, tellus.

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In posuere felis nec tortor. Pellentesque faucibus. Ut accumsan ultricies elit. Maecenas at justo id velit placerat molestie. Donec dictum lectus non odio. Cras a ante vitae enim iaculis aliquam. Mauris nunc quam, venenatis nec, euismod sit amet, egestas placerat, est. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. image by Mauricio Alejo Cras id elit. Integer quis urna. Ut ante enim, dapibus malesuada, fringilla eu, condimentum quis, tellus. Aenean porttitor eros vel dolor.

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Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus filmmaking career or where to lookerat aer your Quisque dignissim congue leo. et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. first successes? World of Shorts offers inspiring In posuere felis nec tortor. Pellentesque faustories and invaluable tips for your consideraMauris vel lacus vitae felis vestibulum volutcibus. Ut accumsan ultricies elit. Maecenas at tion andpat. from which to pick and choose...

Etiam est nunc, venenatis in, tristique eu, justo id velit placerat molestie. Donec dictum imperdiet ac, nisl. Cum sociis natoque penatilectus non odio. Cras a ante vitae enim iaculis bus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur aliquam. Mauris nunc quam, venenatis nec, wim Vanacker on pitching, page 48 ridiculus mus. In iaculis facilisis massa. Etiam euismod sit amet, egestas placerat, est. Pellenthe pitch page project, page eu 50 urna. Sed porta. Suspendisse quam leo, motesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et selling us all short, page 60 lestie sed, luctus quis, feugiat in, pede. Fusce netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. eurourna. connection - the challenges tellus. Sed metus augue, convallis et, vehicula Cras id elit. Integer quis Ut ante enim, benefits of co-production, page 62 ut, pulvinar eu, ante. Integer orci tellus, trisdapibus malesuada, and fringilla eu, condimentum

be prepAreD

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beFore and AFter the european short pitch makeover written by Wim Vanacker

“Do I have an original thought in my head?

My bald head. Maybe if I were happier, my hair wouldn't be falling out. Life is short.

I need to make the most of it. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I'm a walking cliché …. If I stop putting things off, I would be happier…. I need to turn my life around.”

Very profound Charlie, and meaningful, in the right context, but the way it usually ends, especially aer a long while of introspection, is where it all began. “To begin ... To begin ...

How to start? I'm hungry. I should get coffee.

Coffee would help me think. Maybe I should write something first, then reward myself with coffee. Coffee and a muffin. Okay, so I need to establish the themes. Maybe a banana-nut. at's a good muffin.” Know the feeling?

Funny how we always reach out to our most basic, primitive needs when procrastination, the fear of the white page or self-flagellation takes over. Let’s call it the art of survival.

Our first step towards artistry. Today’s guide through the universe of ailing scriptwriters, Charlie Kaufman in Charlie Kaufman’s Adaptation and his never-ending quest for self-preservation. Sounds way too familiar, doesn’t it, this being stuck in a cave, trying

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So what’s your story about?

Death and mortality? Stuck in the “kind of, but not really” mode?

Confused? Questioning your own originality? e three shades of white scare you? In need of a trim, some polishing and a transformation?

We might have the answer, or at least the European Short Pitch does: a first aid kit for emerging scriptwriters.

to give meaning to Plato’s allegory while trying to avoid the trap of coming up with imaginary friends, or twin brothers for that matter. It could be fun, this internal good cop, bad cop routine, but better avoid this splitscreen personality syndrome and take a risk and step out in the real world, where the grass is still green and the birds are still singing, because, before you know it you’ll start writing yourself into your screenplay while looking for an instruction manual on how to deal with trick photography. It’s a difficult balancing act, this eternal struggle between your internal voice-over, some would call it hearing voices, and real-life interaction.

But there is a remedy, if only Charlie would have known, a remedy proven to be better and more constructive than Xanax, Valium, Prozac or any other chemically induced elixir to fight off depression and anxiety, the emergency hotline for young, European scriptwriters: NISI MASA’s European Short Pitch, a oneweek rewriting session bringing together twenty-five emerging, young, European scriptwriters followed by a co-production forum and its pitching sessions.

One could call it a very international self-help group, but it’s definitely better than having your loved ones or significant others, out of the goodness of their heart, aer reading twentyfive pages of your blood, sweat and tears, be ruthless and as honest as they can. All your worst fears would be realized, and insecure as we are, that’s not going to help you.

What you need is someone giving you constructive feedback, someone thinking from within, someone trying to help you turn your story into the story you want to tell, the way you want to tell it. Someone who’ll recognise your intention and help you connect with and gain insight into the story on the page.

We’ll take you back to its roots to decipher its essence, we’ll help you shape the internal logic of your story, we’ll help you turn the personal into the universal. rough trial and error.

Your screenplay is a living thing and your intention must equal the result. You need to unplug from your subjective view to gain an objective overview and we’ll be that stepping stone. Yes, you’ll be swinging on a pendulum of emotion, shifting between elation and despair. But you’ll learn about yourself as a scriptwriter, your natural tendencies, your escape routes, your short cuts. Of course, all depends on you, as you’re the creative mind, the one overlooking that arduously and tediously built universe of yours. But as we all know, every Don Quixote needs a Sancho Panza and that’s exactly what we have on offer. at’s it for my sales pitch, but as we’re all looking for a reason to start narrowing down our focus and start acting like predators closing in on their prey, let’s make that reason European Short Pitch. And as we all need a deadline to keep our bodily fluids flowing, let’s meet on the 30th of September at midnight Central European Time. European Short Pitch it is. As Charlie would say, “I like this. is is good.”

What you need is someone giving you constructive feedback, someone thinking from within, someone trying to help you turn your story into the story you want to tell.

WOSH by Daazo.com 45

the

PITCH page BeHOld THe SHOrTS OF THe FuTure!

‘Be creative, visual, and personal!’ is was Daazo’s advice for filmmakers applying for the pitch page section of World of Shorts. e Pitch Page offers an innovative opportunity for filmmakers to present their film plan without having their heart in their throats, using visual creativity instead of an overwhelming acting appearence.

We got a huge number of groovy pitches: here is our shortlist of seven, chosen by Maike Mia Höhne, the curator of Berlinale Shorts and the Daazo team. which one would you like to see realised?

Find out more on daazo.com!

WOSH by Daazo.com - the European Shortfilm Centre 46

4 THe Queen OF england STOle My parenTS » Ernestas Jankauskas

THE Projects

Milda, a seven-year-old girl who is le by her parents who have emigrated, is raised by her aunt. One day she meets a strange woman who convinces the girl that the Queen of England stole her parents and that a rescue mission needs to start. They embark on a journey towards the airport where the Queen should be. e two travellers reach the airport - but will Milda meet the Queen?

5

Happy BirTHday » Leszek Korusiewicz

1 nina and OndrO

» Veronika Obertová and Michaela Čopíková (OVÉ Pictures) Love and fear are the deepest of all human emotions. These are the two motivating forces that move us forward. Nina & Ondro is a coming-of-age love story about a worldfearing boy who has a chance to be saved by a courageous girl. But his fears might be stronger than her love.

2 SnailS

» Marina Stepanska

A 27-year-old man is working for a Corporation engaged in the illegal occupation of rural land. Leaving for another "object", he discovers a huge, unfinished cathedral on a seemingly infinite field. He needs to decide what to do with the cathedral, as well as how to subdue a farmer who rightfully owns the land.

3

alaBaSTer SMiTH » Stephanie Wilmers

When cigarette advertisements get banned from television in 1970, advertising icon Albie (for Alabaster Smith) watches his life go up in smoke before he signs off the airwaves forever.

Nineteen-year-old Ania sets off by train to the other end of the country and the start of a new chapter in her life. Two men are travelling on the same train. One of them is celebrating his birthday. ey decide to mark the occasion by murdering someone. Ania gets into the same compartment. Happy Birthday is inspired by true events from a few years ago.

6

THe nOiSeMaKer » Karolis Kaupinis

e teachers of a tiny provincial school are puzzling about the choosing of a new tone for a modern school bell. It is to be brought by an official delegation in order to replace the old noisemaker. In fear of the officials, the principal tries to hide the fatal truth: there are few pupils le. Too few for a school to exist.

7

TraFFiC ligHTS » Alina Manolache

Mara has the power to transform the world she lives in, as if everybody could experience her emotions. Due to her thrills, a hot summer day in the bus gains surreal dimensions.

As things begin to flutter wildly, something extraordinary happens.

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coming - of age story • SLOVAKIA

nina and OndrO 1

contact: artichoke@artichoke.sk WOSH 52

fiction, existential drama • UKRAINE

SnailS 2

contact: stepanska.m@gmail.com WOSH 53

drama • USA

alaBaSTer SMiTH 3

contact: stephaniewilmers@gmail.com WOSH 54

THe Queen OF england STOle My parenTS 4

contact: info@stolenparents.lt WOSH 55

short fiction • LITHUANIA

Thriller / drama • POLAND

Happy BirTHday 5

contact: m.fabijanska@sfp.org.pl WOSH 56

short fiction • LITHUANIA

THe nOiSeMaKer 6

contact: marija@ciobreliai.lt WOSH 57

short fiction • ROMANIA

TraFFiC ligHTS 7

contact: trafficlightsfilm@gmail.com WOSH 58

4 THe Queen OF england STOle My parenTS Director: Ernestas Jankauskas producer: Justinas Pocius, Jurgita Jutaite, Monika Sakalauskaite Country: Lithuania Contact: info@stolenparents.lt production company: Dansu, LLC Budget: €55,000 covered: €35,000 needed: €20,000 estimated length: 28 minutes Genre: short fiction

PRODUCTION

Fact Sheet 1 nina and OndrO Director: Veronika Obertová and Michaela Čopíková producer: Juraj Krasnohorský, Danuta Gęgotek, Henrieta Cvangová Country: Slovakia Contact: artichoke@artichoke.sk production company: Ové Pictures [sk], Artichoke [sk], Colab Pictures [pl] Budget: €70,000 covered: €50,000 needed: €20,000 estimated length: 15 minutes Genre: coming-of-age story

5

6

2 SnailS Director: Marina Stepanska producer: Marina Stepanska Country: Ukraine Contact: stepanska.m@gmail.com production company: Stepansky Production Budget: €18,000 covered: 20% needed: 80% estimated length: 15 minutes Genre: fiction, existential drama

3 alaBaSTer SMiTH Director: Stephanie Wilmers producer: Cameron Ross Country: USA Contact: stephaniewilmers@gmail.com production company: Limelight Budget: ca. €7,600 ($10,000) covered: ca. €1,500 ($2,000) needed: ca. €6,100 ($8,000) estimated length: 20 minutes Genre: drama

7

Happy BirTHday Director: Leszek Korusiewicz producer: Ewa Jastrzebska Country: Poland Contact: m.fabijanska@sfp.org.pl production company: Munk Studio - Polish Filmmakers Association Budget: €36,000 covered: €36,000 needed: 0 estimated length: 30 minutes Genre: thriller / drama THe nOiSeMaKer Director: Karolis Kaupinis producer: Marija Razgute Country: Lithuania Contact: marija@ciobreliai.lt production company: Ciobreliai Budget: €58,000 covered: €30,000 needed: €28,000 estimated length: 25 minutes Genre: short fiction TraFFiC ligHTS Director: Alina Manolache producer: Anita Draghici Country: Romania Contact: trafficlightsfilm@gmail.com production company: Budget: €25,000 covered: 10% needed: 90% estimated length: 7 minutes Genre: short fiction

WOSH 59

selling us All short written By Jude Lister, ENCOUNTERS SHORT FILM and ANIMATION FESTIVAL

Last month a well-known le-wing, liberal, pro-arts UK newspaper published a blog post dismissing short films as ‘derivative, soulless and humourless’. The piece, which complained of a lack of compelling storytelling, was a deliberate provocation focused on a prestigious British awards shortlist.

Yet the author made wider generalisations and assumptions, such as: good filmmaking must have a traditional dramatic narrative; short films are made only to indulge students practising their craft and for technical experimentation; shorts struggle to find an audience because they’re not worth watching.

Unfounded as these statements are, it’s interesting to see the strong reactions they incited, as the short film community leapt in to point out the abundance of high quality, intelligent and entertaining short format work. When it comes to shorts - mostly labours of love for which the creators get little remuneration people can’t help getting a little defensive.

From the point of view of a leading competitive short film festival which has been established for almost 20 years, all of this is both

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proof of the continued need for events like our own and a worrying indication that we’ve not yet found the recipe for success in terms of bringing great shorts into the mainstream.

Although evidence actually shows that shorts are finding strong audiences online and at festivals, they are still seen by far too many as a niche product.

So what are short film festivals for anyway?

Well, despite the good work of curated websites such as Daazo.com, Short of the Week and Mubi, for the average user online content can be a confusing jumble. High quality work benefits from a physical platform, as well as contextualisation through thoughtprovoking and innovative programming.

Call us purists, but there’s also nothing quite like the collective experience of watching films on a big screen and participating in live debates with the artists. Shorts festivals contribute to diversity in the exhibition sector by enriching cinema screening schedules and bringing audiovisual work into new spaces. ey provide film education for audiences young and old, and are a major port of call for organisations seeking resources and content.

Short film festivals are also evolving and taking on new roles, expanding with funds, residencies and markets (the Cannes Short Film Corner is a prime example of the latter).

In many ways this connecting of the dots between exhibition and parts of the development, production and distribution chain makes sense, as festivals have their fingers firmly on the pulse when it comes to the needs of the industry. For Encounters, a fundamental aim has always been to provide a breeding ground for emerging creatives. is is done not only through our internationally recognised awards but also opportunities to network, pitch projects and gain knowledge via workshops and masterclasses. We even create training programmes to address existing skills gaps, such as in creative animation production and film journalism.

So what are short film festivals for anyway?

In discovering, highlighting and aiding the development of great short films, festivals are a key player in opening up horizons for audiences and for filmmakers. e talent is out there, you just have to know where to look for it.

The 19th Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival takes place in Bristol, UK, from 17-22 September 2013.

The Call for Entries is still open until 3 June for films completed this year. www.encounters-festival.org.uk

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Still from Yuri Lennon's Landing on Alpha 46,

by Anthony Vouardoux

euro connection exploring the challenges and benefits of co-production written by Laurent Crouzeix

th

Euro Connection took place for the 5 time this year at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market. To date 31 films have been completed from the first three editions of this co-production forum for shorts. Euro Connection shorts have grabbed selections and awards all over Europe: Golden Bear in Berlin, selections at Annecy, Locarno and Venice, Best European Film in Brest, Quartz for Best Short Film (Swiss Film Academy), Robert Bosch Co-production Prize, Best Original Film Score in Clermont-Ferrand, etc. e list of major recognitions testifies to the quality of the projects presented in ClermontFerrand.

From the onset, Euro Connection has attracted a generation of filmmakers who are keen to explore the challenges and benefits of co-production for shorts. 150 participants converge each year to meet potential partners at this stimulating event. Results do not always show up instantly. A co-production deal can extend the development period and some projects actually start production one year aer they are pitched.

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Various types of collaboration emerge.

Over a third of the completed films are co-productions between two or more countries. Others bring together creative people from various European backgrounds in their cast or crew. TV channels also play their part, especially in France, where several “Euro Connection” shorts were broadcast on ARTE, Canal+ and France Télévisions. is is how Lee Cronin, director/producer of the project Ghost Train described his recent experience: "Being part of Euro Connection in 2012 turned out to be more than just a wonderful opportunity to network and engage with like-minded filmmakers, it provided the catalyst and platform for my latest film to go into production. Less than 12 months later we enter the final stages of postproduction in an engagement between Ireland and Finland - a fantastic turnaround and exciting collaboration which bodes well for future projects. Being in the right place, at the right time to meet the right people is my abiding memory of attending Euro Connection without the event, it is quite likely my film would not have been made".

Anthony Vouardoux’s Yuri Lennon’s Landing on Alpha 46 (Euro Connection 2009) is an example of a successful career for a co-produced short. is Swiss-German co-production was sold to Arte and TSR. It was licensed for world sales by the KurzFilmAgentur Hamburg and was eventually awarded the “Quartz” for Best Short Film by the Académie du Cinéma Suisse in 2011.

Yorgos Zois’ Casus Belli further illustrates the possible impact for filmmakers in the long run. This fragile Greek project was pitched at Euro Connection 2009 where it secured a minor participation from French company La Voie Lactée. Casus Belli swept awards at home and prestigious selections abroad (Venice, Rotterdam, Clermont-Ferrand, etc.), becoming a festival hit. Director Yorgos Zois has been invited by the Cinéfondation to present his first feature project Stage Fright at L’Atelier in Cannes this year. e next Call for projects for euro Connection will be

Lee Cronin at Euro Connection 2012

published in Sept. 2013 at www.clermont-filmfest.com

euro connection in brieF Euro Connection is the european Short Film Co-production Forum taking place each year at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market. is industry platform aims at fostering partnerships between European production companies, funders and broadcasters for short film projects. e event includes pitching sessions and business meetings. e annual Call for Projects is issued in September of each year at www.clermont-filmfest.com and through a network of correspondent film and media organizations in associated countries throughout Europe who actively take part in the selection process.

Producers located in one of the associated countries for the next edition can apply with a short film project : a) b) c) d)

with partial funding secured in its country of origin; that is being developed with a serious approach to European co-production; for which shooting shall start no earlier than June the following year; whose total duration is under 40 minutes.

e producers of the selected projects are invited to Euro Connection. Invitation covers hotel and meals for the duration of their stay and includes full Market accreditation as well as access to all Euro Connection facilities. e Book of Projects and Producers is published and made available online early January.

Euro Connection is organised by Sauve Qui Peut le Court Métrage in association with the MEDIA Desk France and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée, with the support of the MEDIA programme and the PROCIREP. More information: www.clermont-filmfest.com Contact: Laurent Crouzeix, l.crouzeix@clermont-filmfest.com

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introducing the

Daazo Sales Portfolio

1 Keeper

With five years of experience in the field of short film distribution and many contacts and industry relationships in our pocket we feel it’s time to “twist and turn” Daazo.com’s activity for the future! Here we now proudly present our short film sales portfolio, including five films we considered worth representing to buyers, festival programmers, and decision makers.

Four of them are the winners of our various film contests on Daazo.com. Soft Rain - selected for the Directors' Fortnight - won the audience award at our very own film festival Fresh Meat in Budapest, A Night to Remember and Keeper shared the first prize at Daazo.com's World of Shorts contest, The Light won our Sarajevo Cocktail contest in 2012, and Rabbit and Deer has been selected for Annecy this year.

Five films, five great experiences to share.

Find the Daazo Sales portfolio in the Short Film Corner video library!

Meet us at our mini screenings in the Short Film Corner!

2 Soft rain

3 The light

4 a night to remember

5 rabbit and deer

SFC Highlights is a service offered by World of Shorts magazine and Daazo.com to promote the films entered into the Short Film Corner in order to help them find an audience and industry interest. 40 films have been included in the SFC Highlights of World of Shorts and their posters displayed on two pages, together with the directors’ contact info.

SFC HigHligHTS Turn THe page

e project is presented in the online showcase of Daazo.com as well, which contains all the films included in the SFC Highlights. The films are password protected, so if you would like to watch them, contact the director to request the code.

You can find the online showcase at: www.daazo.com/sfc2013 WOSH by Daazo.com 65

sFc highlights

Roman Brovko

Kissari Salim

Samir Tlatli

Javier Badillo

Sidharth k Dhanda

romanbrovko.pl@gmail.com

salim.kissari@gmail.com

contact@samirtlatli.com

contact@javierbadillo.com

sidharth@speakingpictures.in

Lit Kilpatrick & Sara Jewell

M. Asim Abbasi

Tim Klein

Spiros Charalambous

Yoann Luis

abbasi@illicitusproductions.com

tim@imagimotionmedia.com

spiros.c@email.com

yoannluis@gmail.com

Jody-Lan Castle

Paula Onet

Jason Kempnich

Jean-Marc Simonneau

Jo Southwell

jody@cingh.com

paula.onet13@gmail.com

jasonk@yarnmaker.com.au

jeanmarc@ofilms.cl

jo@josouthwell.com

Youssef Jabre

Takahisa Shiraishi

Olivier Perrier

Tomohide Masui

David Tamayo

youssef@yousseî‚šabre.com

takafilmart@gmail.com

operrier@ymail.com

tomo_masui@hotmail.com

d.tamayo@wanadoo.fr

sjewell89@gmail.com

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sFc highlights

Oliver Mochizuki

Elena Bouryka

Kevin Resnick

Nicolas Villarreal

Michele De Angelis

films@ozuki.co.uk

betteryoushutup@gmail.com

kevin.resnick@yahoo.com

nicolas.villarreal@gmail.com

vikar.kinoglaz@gmail.com

Cristian Pascariu

Hardeep Giani

Miriam Heard

Alexander Scherer

Antonis Tsonis

cristian.pascariu@live.com

hgiani@yahoo.com

echoartfilms@gmail.com

studio.scherer@t-online.de

tia@ficinofilms.com

Christine Farina

Benoit Desjardins

Bruce B. Gordon

Dan Carrillo Levy

Ryan Geiger

cfarinac@gmail.com

info@welcomeyankee.com

brucegordon.media@gmail.com

danfilm@me.com

geiger27@gmail.com

Christoph Drobig

Geo McGee

Clarity Jane

Gauri Chadha

Kamell Allaway

mail@christophdrobig.com

spidercirclefilms@gmail.com

crystle@symmetryenter tainment.com

gaurichadha@chasing framesproductions.com

kamellowtail@gmail.com

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sFc highlights

Sariel Keslasi

Said Faraj

Meisam Komeili

Inderveer

Elisa Unger

animsariel@gmail.com

said.faraj@hotmail.com

myskom10@gmail.com

inderveersingh2074@ gmail.com

elisaunger@yahoo.de

Marusya Syroechkovskaya

Jon Rabaud

Amanda Pennington lillianmovie@gmail.com

Cyrus Saidi & Gautam Pinto

Todd Blood

jon.rabaud@hotmail.com

toddblood@me.com

cyrus.s@canadafilm.com

syroechkovskaya@gmail.com

Natalia Chinchilla

Ryan Ellis

Stephanie Robinson

Lawrence Michael Parker

Mizuho Endo

chinchillafilms@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/ryan. ellis.3150

stephanie@unusualityproductions.com

risa@tiramisuthefilm.com

emizuho@gmail.com

Christopher Gazdowicz

Matthew Butler

Kristoffer Rus

Benjamin Goalabre

Barnabás Tóth

starrynightmovie@gmail.com

matthew@fizzandgingerfilms.co.uk

jan@neweuropefilmsales.com

goalabre.benjamin@gmail.com

barnabeka@gmail.com

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WOSH by Daazo.com 20

Daazo.com’s top users JAkob beckmAn interview by Zsuzsanna Deák

Filmmaking - there's nothing else I'd rather do

Jakob Beckman’s A Night to Remember is based on the idea of faux pas.

In his short film with a powerful ambience, Beckman directs his actors with a sure hand for drama and tension in situations that make viewers sit on edge and flinch, a remarkable achievement for a debut filmmaker.

I spoke to him aer he’d found out that his film won at Daazo.com’s World of Shorts contest.

Please tell us about yourself.

Where do you come from, where and what did you study, what other works have you made so far?

I have lived most of my life in Stockholm, Sweden except for a year in Paris where I studied French while searching for myself and drinking cheap wine.

After high school I avoided filmmaking and went to university to study Philosophy, Literature and stuff like that for a couple of years, but I never really liked it, so I went to scriptwriting school. I just finished my studies this winter. As a writer I'm quite well educated but as a director I'm self-taught.

A Night to Remember is my only film so far, but I have a lot of projects in development that will, hopefully, go into production.

How did you come up with the idea for A Night to Remember – is it based on anything you yourself experienced?

I actually started writing the script because of the European Short Pitch script contest I applied to.

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The theme was "Taboo" and I was thinking about a character who broke every kind of social taboo (without realising it) at dinner parties. You know, a too expensive gi, getting too drunk, hitting on the wrong person - those kinds of social taboos. I started thinking about all the faux pas I myself had committed in my life, and I remembered a particularly embarrassing episode when I actually performed the "trick" that Lovisa does to Lars in the film. But I was never caught - I guess this film is a way of punishing myself fieen years later!

Can you tell me more about your European Short Pitch experience? How did it change your film plan and what did you learn at the workshop? e ESP was an amazing experience. e script grew a lot during those sessions and my tutor Marie Dubas has a very big impact on the outcome of the story. I think the most important thing we talked about was character and point

of view. It's such a luxury to be able to sit in a room eight hours a day and just discuss your story with your fellow writers; you learn so much from reading others’ work and letting others comment on yours. Every scriptwriter needs to get out of their dark and gloomy writing studio and meet and discuss with other people.

What are your plans for the future? Are you making any films now?

At the moment I'm writing a lot. I'm working on two ideas for TV series with a colleague and I'm also writing a feature film for British/French director Gaëlle Denis. Plus I'm working on nother feature film that I want to direct myself.

I just need to find time really! (And money!)

Do you watch other filmmakers’ short films? What inspires you and how do you work?

I don't go to a lot of film festivals, and short films aren't always easy to come by, so I don't watch a lot of short films - but I do watch them! at's why I love a site like Daazo.com because of the easy access. Keep up the good work!

I get my inspiration from a lot of different sources. e feature film I'm working on started with a song I heard. I read a lot, see a lot of films and TV - I'm very inspired by other filmmakers. Also, deadlines inspire me a lot.

I don't work very well. At least, I'm not very fast.

I need to think for days, weeks before I can start to put words on paper. And I really need to force myself to write, there's no joy in it. At least not in the start, then when you enter the flow - it's amazing for a short period of time. And then you realise it’s all shit and you have to start all over again. en I write something completely different only to realise that the first idea was much better. And so on - it's really tiring!

But there's nothing else I'd rather do.

What does short film mean to you? Would you like to continue making shorts or do you use the genre as a step towards a feature film career?

Short film to me is like any other kind of narrative media: a way to tell a story. I don't really make any difference between a short medium or a long one, the only thing that matters is the story. If the story fits the format, then it's the right format. But short fiction is a very difficult format, it's really hard to be interesting and short, you need to be very precise.

The ideas I get tend to be longer than the short film format and right now I'm interested in testing something different, but if I get an idea that would be perfect for a short film, I don't see why I wouldn't do it. But generally, I'm into filmmaking because I think it's a wonderful medium to reach a lot of people and to tell your story to people you would not normally meet. Short film, and also theatre, is kind of an acquired taste today, in my opinion, and the audiences are quite small and homogenous. I prefer large and different!

How do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

What are your dreams and what do you think the reality will be?

When I turned 30 in 2011, I set a ten-year goal to celebrate my 40th birthday in the Hollywood Hills as a successful and groundbreaking writer/director. Now I'm about to turn 32 and I think I'm getting closer, one small step at a time. Seriously, if in ten years I would be able to earn my living as a filmmaker, then I'd be really happy. And I don't think that's impossible.

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Daazo.com’s top users wAssim sookiA interview by Zsuzsanna Deák

“Never give up making films, however hard it may be!”

Meet Wassim Sookia, whose sensitive and touching film Keeper shared the first prize with Jakob Beckman’s A Night to Remember at Daazo.com’s World of Shorts contest last month. wassim

film in mauritius

I am from Mauritius and I’m 37 years old.

I’ve been making short films since 1995. ose days, I used two videos to edit the tapes for one master copy! I studied electronics to master cameras and later shied to literature to improve my storytelling and analytic skills.

Inspired by metaphysical poets and indie music, I decided to make films when I discovered the works of Kieślowski, Jarmusch, Kaurismäki, Hal Hartley and Kiarostami among others.

I work for an advertising agency as a senior copywriter, so I spend my days thinking of ideas for commercials. It has always helped me as I am able to write my own dialogue very quickly and think of unique situations.

ere are quite a few filmmakers here and their number is constantly increasing. ere is the Mauritius Film Development Corporation that has been organising short film competitions, and Ile Courts, a new short film festival helping newcomers to give filmmaking a try.

But the National Television does not support short films at all, and there is no real help to encourage us to carry on making films. It was in 2002, aer my short Tanga that I realised that Mauritian cinema was not at all visible throughout the world. Since then, I have set myself a goal: to show Mauritius to the world through my films. My 4 last films have been bought by TV5 Monde.

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Illustration by Diana Ghyczy

social responsibility

short film

I believe in making films that can hold people’s attention even just for a while and make them think. I don’t make films to show the beaches of Mauritius. I show real people who have real stories to tell. And I try to tell stories that are universal. I don’t really strive to change the world but I try to bring a little bit of optimism to people’s lives, however small it may be.

Short film is a nice way to allow me to make a film every year as it involves less shooting time. I love the idea of getting lots of information in a very short time. Getting an idea across with a single image is what I really enjoy in filmmaking. But I’m really longing to direct my feature film and my great dream is to send my first feature to the Camera d’Or at Cannes one day.

working with amateur actors and kids

the golden rule of filmmaking

I prefer using amateurs as I find it easier to shape them to my story. I try to play with them in a way to get them to side with the characters of my film. Of course, directing children is very difficult but I’ve always liked the challenge. I like to use amateurs as their innocence is always true.

My advice to emerging filmmakers is to observe people and reflect on their life and inner feelings. And to never give up making films, however hard it may be. Being with people, listening to them, sharing their sorrows and happiness help a lot to understand people and to eventually create the characters of my films.

future plans

the short film scene in cannes

I try to make a short film every year but of course I want to make a feature. I got close a few years ago when Sundance Film Festival contacted me for one of their labs and asked me to send a script. I wrote it in 10 days. ey said they really enjoyed it, and I was close to be among the 3 winners out of some 155 candidates. So, I have a feature script ready and I’m waiting to get the funds to shoot it.

It is a great place to be and share ideas. It is also a great place to have films seen. I was there in 2008 and enjoyed the dynamism and movement around short films. Festivals like this help us understand the importance of short films. I didn’t really fancy the red carpet and all that stuff as to me it is really far from the whole filmmaking reality. At least, from what I know here in Mauritius.

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67 WOSH by Daazo.com 20

sweet home

for

FilmmAkers written by Dániel Deák

After you've somehow managed to realise your plans it seems so difficult to do something with your films. In every filmmakers’ life there are moments when they think it is hopeless to get back the enormous effort they've put into their shorts. We at Daazo.com do our best to foster the world of short films.

We are there at every stage to support you or to offer opportunities. Let’s see how!

Do you have a brilliant short film plan?

Earlier this year we started a new initiative called the Pitch Page Project. As we have the website, the magazine, our blog and Facebook page on our side and all the producers, distributors, buyers - so people from the short film industry - who follow our activity on the other, we have decided to offer the opportunity for 7 promising, creative short film projects to be promoted. The Pitch Page Project had a successful start at the Berlinale and an even more successful and visible edition in Cannes with a Pitching Wall in the Short Film Corner.

We do believe that we have created a new format to explain short film plans. We are about to develop it further - to make it even more serviceable for the young talents who would like to launch their projects.

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Some people think it is easy to create short films. You just grab your camera (everybody has one nowadays), shoot something with your friends (we do hope that everybody has at least one nowadays), and open your editing soware (see above). It certainly isn't too complicated at this stage if you are creative, strong-minded and persistent enough.

Do you have a short film?

Ok, you’ve made it! You’ve spent all your (and your parents’) savings, and a year on it.

It was more difficult than giving birth to a baby. Congratulations. Now what? Festivals?

Okay, good luck, you are busy for one and a half years - and going to festivals is one of the coolest things for filmmakers, so enjoy it and build your professional network. But after the festival tour, there is more to benefit from your film. It would be foolish to create shorts in order to become rich, but it is quite realistic to aim to earn some revenue out of your film. at is why we continually launch new projects like the Daazo Sales Portfolio, which is for selling the best films that have been uploaded to Daazo.com to external platforms - for a certain revenue. e test period is running right here in the Short Film Corner - learn more on page 61. We are eagerly looking for short films which we can offer, and for new partner platforms who would be glad to host our films.

Daazo.com serves one aim: to be the centre of European short films, so it can give the best professional opportunities to the filmmakers and provide the best content for its audience.

8 successful issues since 2011 - reaching more than 100,000 readers. Find us in Berlin, Cannes, Sarajevo and the Visegrad countries! The first commissioned WOSH is about Slovak Short Films, for Kosice 2013, the European Capital of Culture.

World of Shorts Magazine by Daazo.com.The shorts are on us! for collaboration and info, please contact us at info@daazo.com 20 WOSH by Daazo.com

get the previous issues- at daazo.com/wosh!

WOSH by Daazo.com the European Centre20 20 WOSH ShortďŹ lm

by Daazo.com

Aristoteles Workshop Do you consider yourself a socially conscious person? You must love documentaries then. If you’re reading this, you might love making them as well. is means that the Aristoteles Workshop in Romania is just for you, a creative documentary filmmaker. One of the best forums in the business is waiting for you. www.aworkshop.org participation fee: €500 Deadline: June 30, 2013 Reykjavík Transatlantic Film Lab If you’re looking for an international workshop where you can get first-hand experience from experts joining you from all around the globe then this Lab is suited just for you. Learn through 4 days of seminars and masterclasses from the best in the business under the motto “Innovation, Networking, Dialogue”. http://en.riff.is/transatlantictalentlab participation fee: €400 Deadline: July 15, 2013 Talent Camp Odense Get to experience how the Danish do it. is camp is for youngsters, so if you happen to be one of our 18-26 year old readers, Odense is your way to go. Especially because it’s budget friendly, they pay for accommodation and meals. You just need to have some minor experience in filmmaking and to be among the best 32 applicants. But that should not be too hard now, should it? www.talentcampodense.dk participation fee: N/A Deadline: Not yet announced, check the website for more info

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Workshop text by Attila Mocanu

AgenDA

Are you the travelling type of filmmaker?

Okay, who isn't. Now, are you the type of filmmaker who would spend days or weeks in a foreign country to gain real-world experience from the best? Seek new adventures, meet your future collaborators and explore the world through a great workshop.

We rounded some up for you just in case.

New York Film Academy Summer Camp Looking forward to gaining some real-world knowledge about film this summer? Learn from the best then. e NYFA has summer camps in Europe as well. Travel to Paris or to Florence and study filmmaking, acting or even video game design.

Programmes start in June. www.nyfa.edu participation fee: depends on the selected course Deadline: Request brochure from the website European Producers Workshop ‘14 An initiative of EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), this workshop in Luxembourg calls for producers working in the fiction or documentary industry who seek to open up their business for future European collaborations. Among others, EAVE also hosts a Film Marketing Workshop. A must-check organisation for young entrepreneurs in the film industry. www.eave.org participation fee: covered by the workshop Deadline: not yet announced, check the website for more info

The Animation Workshop Taking place in Viborg, Denmark, this organisation has one of the best reputations in Europe when it comes to animation or computer graphics art. is workshop has so many programmes that you will find it hard to choose. From weekend drawing courses to 4-year B.A. degree programmes, you’ll find a wide range of study plans. www.animwork.dk/en/ participation fee: depends on the course Deadline: continuously accepting applications Raindance Film School Producing, writing, directing?

You name it and Raindance has it.

Whether you're free at weekends or nights only, or online... e UK’s main centre for film training is at your service. www.raindance.org/ participation fee: depends on the course Deadline: continuously accepting applications

„A good short film stands out immediately.” interview by Zsuzsanna Deák and Cristina Grosan We met Laurence Reymond, the short film selector for Quinzaine des Réalisateurs (Directors’ Fortnight) aer a panel talk in Sarajevo last year, and had coffee together on the pavement in the heat of the Balkans summer. You can read some of our enjoyable and insightful chat below.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nam cursus. Morbi ut mi. Nullam enim leo, egestas id, condimentum at, laoreet mattis, massa. Sed eleifend nonummy diam. Praesent mauris ante, elementum et, bibendum at, posuere sit amet, nibh. Duis tincidunt lectus quis dui viverra vestibulum. Suspendisse vulputate aliquam dui. Nulla elementum dui ut augue. Aliquam vehicula mi at mauris. Maecenas placerat, nisl at consequat rhoncus, sem nunc gravida justo, quis eleifend arcu velit quis lacus. Morbi magna magna, tincidunt a, mattis non, imperdiet vitae, tellus.

Sed odio est, auctor ac, sollicitudin in, consequat vitae, orci. Fusce id felis. Vivamus sollicitudin metus eget eros.

Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

In posuere felis nec tortor. Pellentesque faucibus. Ut accumsan ultricies elit. Maecenas at justo id velit placerat molestie. Donec dictum lectus non odio. Cras a ante vitae enim iaculis aliquam. Mauris nunc quam, venenatis nec, euismod sit amet, egestas placerat, est. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Cras id elit. Integer quis urna. Ut ante enim, dapibus malesuada, fringilla eu, condimentum

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nam cursus. Morbi ut mi. Nullam enim leo, egestas id, condimentum at, laoreet mattis, massa. Sed eleifend nonummy diam. Praesent mauris ante, elementum et, bibendum at, posuere sit amet, nibh. Duis tincidunt lectus quis dui viverra vestibulum. Suspendisse vulputate aliquam dui. Nulla elementum dui ut augue. Aliquam vehicula mi at mauris. Maecenas placerat, nisl at consequat rhoncus, sem nunc gravida justo, quis eleifend arcu velit quis lacus. Morbi magna magna, tincidunt a, mattis non, imperdiet vitae, tellus.

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Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

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kiDs, stAy in Film school!

A look at what you have in store to get going with your postgraduate studies. in film, of course.

Postgraduate studies are a great way to enhance your skills and chances to be a potential player

written by Attila Mocanu image by Patrick Winfield

in the shaky field of the film business.

What differentiates these courses from workshops and other types of film-related training is that you actually get a certified degree.

We’re talking about university here. To get a postgraduate degree, first you will need a bachelor’s degree in most cases. “Postgraduate” refers to all types of institutional studies that you do aer you’ve got your first, “undergraduate” degree. There is a steadily growing selection of filmmaking courses around the world which is great, because it means there is demand. However, it can also backfire if you happen to choose a place that won’t fit your needs in the end. (Please note that in American English “Graduate” or “Grad School” means the same as “Postgraduate”.)

But why on earth would you need another diploma? You already sat through multiple years of boring lectures and film history lessons. You couldn’t wait to get out of there and actually do what you learnt so much about. Just to be clear: the film business is not theory. It’s the harsh reality. And that’s where your postgraduate education comes in to play.

To be a filmmaker, you have to practice. A lot.

You can’t do that by yourself, since making films

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is the most expensive thing in the entertainment world. You will need some professional guidance as well. e organisers of postgraduate film courses do a great job in recruiting the best instructors possible. So, if you insist on getting first-class knowledge, just check through the teacher lineup when you apply.

To get a postgraduate degree you will need to make a financial investment as well, since most of these schools are very expensive. So is it a risk that’s worth taking? You decide.

Just don’t expect fancy job offers coming in aer you’ve finished. Your tuition is paying for technical costs. e value of your degree is not equal to what you paid for it. It could be less, but if you’re good enough, it could be worth way more than that. Postgrad film training is a great way to network and to get to know people in the film business too. It also offers you the chance to try out all aspects of making films. But “instructors” in these schools are artists and professionals. ey are not teachers. ey assume that you’re a well-educated student, who already has a diploma. They will try to pass their knowledge along, but they won’t be holding your hand. Even if it’s a school,

it’s for the grown-ups. If you are reading this article, we believe you’re ready to boost your career. But that’s just us.

Take the Wajda Film School for example, which has several programmes that will get you a certificate aer 1-1.5 years of studying, depending on the programme. Founded in 2001 by the legendary director himself, this school has a great reputation all around Europe. You can choose from more than 5 various courses, according to your time and interest. e Wajda Film School is a non-profit

organisation, funded by the Polish Film Institute, so training fees are relatively low. ey have recently opened the Wajda Studio as well, home to your future productions.

If you’re interested in the business part of the business, european Audiovisual entrepreneurs is your way to go. EAVE has a year long programme for producers ready to jump start their career. If you’re not that into getting back to school, check out their four day intensive Film Marketing programme in Luxembourg.

WOSH by Daazo.com 79

For more or less established directors, there are two outstanding residencies in Europe where they can pursue their feature film project under professional guidance. Both the Berlinale and the Cannes Film Festival host filmmakers for a couple of months, along with monthly grants and possibilities to learn the language.

Keep an eye out for entry calls So you want an intensive, hands-on training programme. You’re on a tight budget and working all the time. Raindance Film School is suited for you, since they let the student decide what courses they take and when. e UK’s most popular destination for film students might be a little pricy, but since

20 WOSH by Daazo.com

Staffordshire University is their academic partner, you get your certificate in the form of an M.A. or an MsC. First things first, choosing a good place for your postgraduate studies is the key to make yourself who you want to be careerwise. Don’t wait too long with your choice.

You want to be a fresh working force in the industry. As choosing a school is one of life’s tough decisions, make sure you won’t regret it for a second. Always check with the alumni of the school you have chosen and see what kind of a degree you will get when you graduate. Education is important, so make sure you get a nice ending to it.

Keep this in mind and walk away with the best deal you can.

WOSH by Daazo.com 20

cAnnes highlights collected by Zsuzsanna Deák

Maryna Vroda, winner of the Palme d’Or in 2011 says in her interview on page 8 that one of her best memories from Cannes is “that moment of silence, when they are waiting for your film - it is very beautiful.” Indeed, it is an amazing experience. at moment, before the screening starts - when the audience sit there holding their breath and we all wonder whether it is going to be another life-changing experience it is absolutely priceless. We asked our readers about their best Cannes moments and ideas. Read some of their replies below!

To me, the best thing in Cannes is...

Daazo.com Join us on facebook.com /daazo!

Gato Chino … to be part of it!

Like · Reply · April 9 at 13:00pm Cristiana Anghel ... je ne sais quoi Like · Reply · April 9 at 16:43pm Vadócz Péter ... when I am part of it Like · Reply · April 9 at 18:44pm Raindance Budapest … Tuxedos and French wine Like · Reply · April 10 at 22:30pm Nagy Ádám .... that the film as fine arts still exists somewhere.

Like · Reply · April 11 at 21:18pm Cristina Groşan … the adrenalin rush you get when you realize the most important film event of the year is happening right under your nose.

Like · Reply · April 22 at 11:59am Wim Vanacker … becoming a character in the most convincing hoax of them all, Cinema and Cannes, living the dream machine, living life with the dull bits cut out.

Like · Reply · April 22 at 12:38pm Mirona Nicola … the ride on the night bus after free food and booze Like · Reply · April 22 at 14:24pm Libor Anita ...when, although I missed most of the screenings due to my yellow accreditation, I accidentaly got an invitation to the Holy Motors premiere.

It was wonderful!

Like · Reply · April 22 at 16:38pm Zoltán Aprily when you realise that Cannes is not only about stars and premieres, but that there are like 36 thousand people trying to make business out of cinema.

Like · Reply · 1 hour before

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eurochannel hirdetĂŠs

WORLD OF SHORTS editors in chief: Zoltán Aprily, Dániel Deák editors: Zsuzsanna Deák, Anita Libor art director and graphic design: Péter Flanek contributors: David Andersen, Laurent Crouzeix, Cristina Grosan, Mátyás Mao Kálmán, Domenico La Porta, Jude Lister, Attila Mocanu, Joanna Solecka, Wim Vanacker thanks: Maia Christie, Julia Hicks, Maike Mia Höhne, Christian Jeune, Dimitra Karya, Alice Kharoubi photographs: Mauricio Alejo - mauricio@mauricioalejo.com Imre Drégely - dregeye@gmail.com Adela Goldbard - www.adelagoldbard.com Patrick Winfield - www.patrickwinfield.com István Lábady - www.labady.com Péter Flanek - flanek.tumblr.com Denys Karlinskyy - www.karlinskyy.com Ashley Wright Anthony Vouardoux cover photo: Imre Drégely impossible Contest design: Krisztina Jávorszki you can also find this magazine online here: http://issuu.com/daazo/docs/cannes2013 World of Shorts magazine is published by Daazo Film and Media Ltd. Published in Hungary May 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden save with the written permission of the publishers. www.daazo.com | info@daazo.com

Daazo.com - the European Shortfilm Centre is supported by the MEDIA programme of the EU. is material does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the EU. is magazine was printed on recycled paper.