11/08/2023

Can short filmmaking be a career? This question was asked to panelists this Thursday at DokuTalk. Under the moderation of Dea Gjinovci, they shared their perspectives based on experience and of course their views as filmmaking professionals.

Doue Dijkstra, Nina Rodríguez, Mathieu Janssen, and Sanne Jehoul were the guests of this panel that discussed a very important question.

As discussed by the panelists, surviving and making a living making short films seems to be challenging in many countries. The challenges faced by the industry and filmmakers are not small at all, so much so that they sometimes turn into existential questions, about whether or not to pursue a career in short filmmaking.

However, there seems to be hope. Of course, there is hope, as long as short films continue to be made and will continue to be made. But, supportive policies seem to be what at best help the situation and the filmmakers. 

A model that is applied in several countries with seriousness and determination. Such seems to be the case of the Netherlands, which was brought to attention by Doue Dijkstra.

"I want to say that the support structures in the Netherlands are there and now I have started to use them. I think it's such an interesting conversation because of these structures, for example, film festivals and distributors and film financing. They work with all these structures, and also these labels like a short film, and medium length and, and all these things. For me, it's always kind of a conflict between being an artist or a director. And once I was completely unaware of them and I got to know them with my first film. My first film was originally a video installation on three screens that you can't show in a cinema, but then there was a film festival that asked me, can a film also be turned on one screen, and then I thought it was, if I turn it into a movie on one screen, then it might be suitable for a film festival as well.”

This Thursday's discussion kept the attendees interested for about an hour, who also became part of the interactivity of the conversation. This Friday is reserved at DokuTalk for another meeting, with filmmakers, this time to talk more intimately.

By: Ana Haxhimali

Photo: Agon Dana