The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival is one of the most prestigious events in the field of short filmmaking. During its 47th edition, Slovakia will be represented by two films in the main competition section, and the festival will present three Slovak films in total. The Slovak Republic will also be represented in the Short Film Market in the programme for film professionals. The Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival takes place from 31 January to 8 February 2025.
The Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, with its rich history, is currently the largest film festival in the world dedicated to short films. In terms of audience and professional participation, it is the second largest film festival in France after Cannes. It offers a wide range of short works from all over the world, presented in four main sections – International, National, LAB and XR Competition. Apart from these, the festival programme also includes sections for children’s audiences divided by age, thematic sections and many other accompanying programmes.
Slovakia will be represented in the main International Competition by Anastasia Falileieva’s short animated drama I Died in Irpin about events that cannot be forgotten. The film reconstructs a true story of survival using subjective optics, with the magical power of animation that pushes the sober narrative into new meanings. Also competing in the same section will be Hurikan, an animated film with expressive atmosphere, directed by Jan Saska, in which the protagonist Hurikan wants to help the barmaid of his favourite establishment and offers to get her a new keg of beer in one of the wildest parts of Prague, Žižkov. In the section dedicated to children’s audience aged seven and above, the Slovak film Hello Summer by the director duo Martin Smatana and Veronika Zacharová will be presented. The theme of their film is the sea, sun, beaches and a family holiday where not everything works as expected.
The festival also includes an international market for film professionals. During the festival, a two-day co-production forum Euro Connection will take place, where Slovak director Ivana Hucíková will present her short fiction project The Last Night of the Year. The film follows the story of taxi driver Zora during the long and cold New Year’s Eve night. Her car has become a place where diverse people meet, but she secretly hopes that the end of the year might bring closure to an important chapter in her personal life.
Traditionally, the Slovak Republic will be represented for the seventh time at the Short Film Market in the Central European Cinema stand. Our cinema presentation is organized by the Slovak Film Institute in cooperation with three countries: Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The stand will showcase Slovak and co-production films through the Slovak Short Films (2024 – 2025) leaflet and will also serve as a venue for work meetings between Slovak and international film professionals.
More information about the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival can be found at:
https://clermont-filmfest.org/en/global/home/
