Jan 27, 2022

Academy Awards Shortlist Interview How to Improve Short Film Distribution

This year, 15 animated shorts were shortlisted for the Academy Awards, instead of the usual 10.

As we await the nominations on February 8, we posed three questions to all directors. This is the third of those questions.

The first one is about creating a story for a short film, which you can read here; the second one is about developing a visual language for a film; and the third one is about the process of creating a film that is not only about the director, but also about the filmmaker.

The third question is here:

Reza Riahi (musician):

Someday, as long as animated feature films are in theaters, I would like to see a selection of animated short films shown. There are so many wonderful animated shorts with beautiful images, stories, and sounds. They deserve to be seen on the big screen alongside feature films in movie theaters. Many animators continue to make short animated films because they love this form of storytelling, not because their goal is to make a feature-length film later. The only major difference between short and feature-length animation is length.

Eric O. (Namu):

I wish there was a proper market for short films. Right now, the only way to watch short films is through film festivals and certain screening events. As a result, the general audience is unfamiliar with short films and does not know where and how to watch them. If there were a marketplace or streaming service for short films, it would be great for both filmmakers and audiences.

Hugo de Fauconpret ("Mama Makes It Rain"):

The first step is to get as many audiences as possible to see short films. As in the past, try to show a short film before a feature film. Show one short film (animated or live) before each feature film to reduce the amount of brainwashing advertising. Second, make short films more accessible to the general public, both children and adults, starting with animation film festivals around the world. They should not be niche or fan-only events. And one last thing to producers, broadcasters, and distributors: a cute cat video on Youtube should not get more views than a great short film that has been buried in the grid.

Simone Giampaolo ("Only a Child"):

In the age of Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc., I wish that larger streaming platforms would embrace short films. While the thirst for feature films and limited series has (of course) increased over the past few years, I feel that short films (both live action and animated) are still underrepresented. I would also like to see more carefully selected short films shown in local movie theaters prior to (and not necessarily as part of) feature film screenings. It may be naive, but I think it would be a nice surprise for the audience.

Joanna Quinn and Les Mills (Affairs of the Art):

I would like to see short animated films shown in theaters alongside feature films, as they were a few years ago. It would be wonderful to see truly original animated shorts in movie theaters, whereas these days we are only shown cheesy advertisements and glossy trailers for upcoming films. Also, what if the government commissioned a good animator to make a very short coveted public relations film to persuade people to act responsibly, wear masks, etc., like the ingenious ads Len Lye made for the GPO in the 1930s and 1940s? It would de-ghettoize short animated films and make them available to cinema audiences in the hope that they would be remembered as vividly as TV commercials.

Zach Parrish ("As Again"):

There are so many great animated short films being made around the world. The beauty of short filmmaking is that more people can have their voices heard. With the proliferation of online dissemination, we hope that all short content will become more accessible, and that future filmmakers will be inspired to find and share their own voices.

Zacarias Knuk ("Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman's Apprentice"):

Now that everything is online, it's easy to share films with people around the world. But our first audience lives in the Canadian Arctic Circle, where internet speeds are slow and expensive, so it is not possible to watch anything online. We have to find other ways to show our films, such as showing them on local TV channels or on projectors in community centers and schools.

Alberto Mielgo (Windshield Wiper):

It is difficult to quantify or give value to a 5 or 10 minute experience. Longer formats are the norm. After the film is completed, you just want it to live. Of course, as a filmmaker, I want the film to reach the right audience, but that is all unknown to me. I literally have no idea about sales, strategy, or marketing. But I do feel that new codes, new speeds, and the tastes of today's life may call for shorter, more impactful experiences. We are on the right track now, whatever we do.

Claude Cloutier (Bad Seeds):

It would be really interesting if animated shorts could be shown on streaming platforms like Netflix. To compensate for the short screening time, they could be grouped into 60- to 90-minute programs, each with a common theme or year of release. For example, "The Best of Annecy 2021," "The Academy Awards Short List," etc.

Weija Ma ("Step into the River"):

It's hard to say. I think there are many types of animation. There are some that are more narrative, that should be shown in cinemas. Some are more experimental and require a specific screening space. Perhaps we should not limit our expectations of animation and always be open to new possibilities.

Hugo Covarrubias (Bestia):

I would like to see an approach where content that is usually considered "less commercial" can have a place in global distribution. I hope that more introspective and poetic content will be more appreciated and that there will be a desire to distribute, see, and consume content that contributes to social change. I think we are so accustomed to being shown stories that correspond to classical structures that when a work deviates from that norm, it is often seen as "wrong."

Bastien Dubois ("Souvenir Souvenir"):

I want everyone to make an animated short film in their life. A more serious answer is to increase distribution channels. More slots in cinemas, on mainstream platforms, on network schedules, before feature films. More attention from the media, more funding, more awareness training on film, different film forms for future audiences. More of everything.

Anton Diakov, Box Valley:

My "thing" is to make these animations more widely accessible. Film festivals tend to reach only festival audiences, but at the cost of reaching a general audience that is unaware of them. It is not enough to simply show short films in theaters or online. Independent animated shorts are full of new ideas and are at the forefront of the film language. This consequently enriches mainstream cinema as well, meaning that everyone can benefit from the increased visibility.

Mikey Please (Robin Robin):

While there are signs of hope with the curation of some streaming platforms, short films still do not have the right platform or cultural place for this beautiful art form Anthology collections like [Netflix's] "Love, Death & Robots" and "The House" are exposing audiences to the joys of short film. What I would like to see, however, is an anthology of independent films that come directly from the artists and through the festival circuit. I've seen countless short films at great festivals, and it's disillusioning to see these diamonds in the rough of artistry and storytelling go relatively unnoticed. I would love to see a fantastically curated and noteworthy short film anthology series broadcast on every streaming service and primetime BBC1. Nightly.

Sandra Desmazières (Flowing Home):

It should be shown in theaters. We paint fine details in a small format, but imagine it on a big screen. Sound design, music, and mixing are all done to ensure the final film is shown in a dark room with warm acoustics. Outside of film festivals, there are very few opportunities to see short films in theaters, and watching them in a room is a completely different feeling.

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.