VITERBOshort Festival del cortometraggio (1)

Festival start: 30 September 2024      Festival end: 14 December 2024

SHORT FILMS: AN EVOLVING ART FORM

Short films, or "cinema breve," represent one of the most fascinating and dynamic forms within the contemporary cinematic landscape. Despite its concise duration, the short film has a unique ability to convey deep emotions, tell complex stories, and challenge narrative conventions in innovative and surprising ways.

THE ESSENCE OF SHORT FILMS

The magic of the short film lies in its ability to capture the essence of a story in a limited amount of time. In just a few minutes, filmmakers must engage the audience, convey a message, and leave a lasting impression. This challenge stimulates creativity and ingenuity, allowing filmmakers to explore new approaches to storytelling and visual aesthetics.

ARTISTIC AND INNOVATIVE POTENTIAL

Short films are often fertile ground for artistic innovation. Filmmakers can experiment with unconventional narrative techniques, bold visual styles, and non-linear structures, free from the time and budget constraints typical of feature films. This creative freedom allows for the exploration of complex themes, deep character development, and stories that defy expectations.

A SHOWCASE FOR EMERGING TALENT

Short films also serve as a valuable platform for emerging talent. Many successful directors began their careers by making short films, using them as a showcase to display their skills and attract the attention of producers and audiences. Short film festivals provide an important opportunity for these artists to present their work to a broader audience, build a network of contacts, and launch a career in cinema.

A MEETING POINT BETWEEN CULTURES AND GENERATIONS

Short films are an art form that transcends geographic and cultural boundaries. International short film festivals not only celebrate artistic diversity but also create a space for dialogue between filmmakers from different nationalities and backgrounds. This interaction enriches the cinematic experience and fosters intercultural understanding.

SHORT FILMS AS A TOOL FOR SOCIAL REFLECTION

Many short films address relevant social and cultural issues, providing a space for reflection and debate. Through brief but powerful stories, short films can raise awareness about current issues, stimulate critical thinking, and promote social change. This ability to tackle and communicate important topics concisely is one of the distinctive characteristics of the short film.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, short films are an art form that combines creativity, innovation, and emotional impact. With their ability to tell meaningful stories in a compact format, short films offer a unique perspective on the world and human experiences. Short film festivals, such as VITERBO SHORT FILM - Festival del Corto, play a crucial role in supporting and promoting this art form, offering filmmakers and audiences the opportunity to explore and celebrate the magic of short films.

FIRST EDITION

Festival Date: Final night on December 14, 2024
Location: Teatro San Leonardo, Viterbo

We are excited to announce the first edition of VITERBO SHORT - Short Film Festival, a cultural event aimed at becoming a reference point for Italian and international filmmakers. The festival will take place in the charming Teatro San Leonardo in Viterbo and will celebrate the magic of short films, showcasing works capable of telling powerful stories in just a few minutes. The Artistic Direction is entrusted to Michelangelo Gregori. The festival is organized by the theater management, in collaboration with the publishing house Annulli Editori.

FESTIVAL OBJECTIVES
The VITERBO SHORT - Short Film Festival was born with the aim of:

Promoting short films as an innovative form of artistic expression.
Highlighting the culture and territory of Viterbo, involving schools and local communities.
Providing an international platform for emerging and established directors.
Raising awareness on social issues through cinema and the involvement of new generations.
FESTIVAL SECTIONS
The festival will be divided into 5 sections:

Open Theme
Open to short films of any genre and style, with no thematic restrictions. This section celebrates creative freedom, from fiction to documentaries, as well as animation and experimental, innovative techniques.

Theatrical Shorts
Dedicated to short films inspired by the world of theater and theatrical pieces, texts, and authors from ancient, modern, and contemporary theater, exploring the intersection between these two arts.

Shorts Inspired by Literary Works
This section is reserved for short films based on classical or contemporary literary works, including unpublished ones, merging the worlds of literature and cinema.

School Section
Aimed at short films made by film school students or schools, focusing on relevant social themes.

Social Theme
Dedicated to short films that focus on important social issues.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

A jury of experts will award the following prizes:

Best Short Film (Open Theme)
Best Theatrical Short
Best Literary Short
Best School Short
Best Social-Themed Short
Audience Award

A certificate of participation is provided for all finalist short films, any other prizes will be communicated on the social pages and on the website soon

FINAL EVENING

The final evening of the festival will be held on December 14, 2024, with the screenings of the selected short films and the award ceremony. It will be a special opportunity to celebrate the talent of the directors and the works in competition, offering the public the opportunity to see the best of short film production on the big screen for free and will be linked to collateral events and a convivial moment at the Bistrot of the Theater.

FULL REGULATIONS

Duration and Format Short films must have a maximum duration of 20 minutes, including opening and closing credits. The formats allowed for screening are MP4, AVI, and MPEG. Files must be sent (only if admitted to the official selection) via WeTransfer or similar platforms to the following email address: viterboshort@gmail.com.

Selection of Works

Eligibility for Selection

The Festival will take place in Viterbo on December 14, 2024. Films produced after 2020 will be considered. Works that have been previously selected at other festivals are eligible for submission.

Preselection Process

The final deadline for submitting materials via the Festhome platform is November 30, 2024.

Registration is mandatory through this platform, where all required information must be provided, and the film uploaded. For more information, contact viterboshort@gmail.com.

Official Selection

The selection of works will be at the sole discretion of the Artistic Direction, which will notify the producers/distributors of the selected films no later than December 2, 2024.

Upon notification, the selected films' producers/distributors must send the following materials to viterboshort@gmail.com:

File of the work with english subtitles (via WeTransfer);

Biography, filmography, and photo of the director;
Director's note on the work;
Three film stills;
Film poster;
Trailer of the work (maximum duration of one and a half minutes for short films).
Categories and Finalists

A maximum of four works per category will be selected, and all will be eligible to use the OFFICIAL SELECTION logo. Only two works per category will be considered FINALISTS and will be screened during the final evening. One work per category will be declared the winner. The Audience Award will be selected from all 10 finalist works screened on December 14.

Promotion and Use of Materials

The Festival may distribute these materials to third parties for promotional purposes. The images and texts will also be used for Festival publications (e.g., screening programs) and online media (social channels, online newspapers), where they will remain available without time or territorial limitations.

Participation Certificate

Each work selected for the competition will receive a certificate of participation at the end of the event. Participants may use the Festival’s laurel on all promotional materials for their film (poster, trailer, etc.).

Submission of Screening Copies

The files and screening materials must be submitted by December 9, 2024. All works must have Italian subtitles. The preselection copy must be identical to the one submitted for the official selection.

Hospitality As this is the first edition, no reimbursement for travel or accommodation is currently provided for the finalist directors.

Final Provisions Participation in the Festival implies acceptance of these regulations. It is the responsibility of the producers, distributors, or other parties submitting the film to ensure they are legitimately authorized to enter the work into the festival. For any dispute regarding the interpretation of the regulations, the original Italian text shall prevail. The Festival Director reserves the right to address any cases not covered by these regulations and to make exceptions to the regulations in special and justified circumstances.
For any legal disputes, the Court of Viterbo shall have jurisdiction.