06/08/2023
It is essential to take part the DokuFest talks and master classes which are led by experts and professionals. We get to know what happens behind the scenes, the processes of getting a film to the screen and so much more.
Today’s master class focused on the importance of carefully planning how the life of any film will unfold after all the final touches are in place.
Invited to lead this master class were Mathieu Janssen, artistic coordinator at Go Short - International Short Film Festival, and Emilia Mazik, a freelance short film programmer and industry expert, currently working for many film festivals in Poland, the UK, The Netherlands, and more.
The masterclass started with a short introduction on the ways in which a young filmmaker can make a short film successful. They focused mainly on the less commercial part of circulating a short film in festivals and exhibition spaces. Janssen explained this approach from a programming perspective and shared the difficulty of getting a film to be selected and eventually screened.
The experts discussed practicalities of getting a film to the screen as well as their own experiences. The people who attended the masterclass asked many questions about the most effective approaches for your short film to be selected. The experts discussed choosing titles, creating movie posters, writing successful synopses and creating a professional proposal. They suggested that one should avoid heavy metaphors, over-explanations and repeated information.
Both Janssen and Mazik spoke about their experiences of being a judge and how they schedule in time to attentively and thoroughly watch hundreds of films to select those for the film festival program. Mazik spoke candidly about her experience of judging films professionally while emphasising the need for creative and inspiring work.
Janssen and Mazik shared a list of many short film festivals and also underlined the need to make a thorough plan for distributing your short film. Mazik explained that a plan is especially necessary when the festival only accepts a few films and may have over 10,000 applications.
During the application process, the experts and audience discussed the impact of social media platforms on presenting short films in the future. When asked if they would be open to accepting a film that experimented with the guidelines of visual storytelling on social media, Janssen and Mazik expressed hope at how the approach to film may be transformed in the future.
The masterclass at DokuKino brought together many filmmakers and film enthusiasts for an open conversation on short films, festivals, and everything in between.
By: Blerina Kanxha
Photo: Agon Dana
