Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Fest Protests Funding Cut Amid Claims Move Is Politically Motivated
13.05.2023 - 16:21
/ deadline.com
France’s Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, the world’s biggest festival devoted to short films, is protesting an unexpected funding cut, amid claims by politicians that the move is politically motivated.
The festival learned on Friday that Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council had voted to cut its funding by half to $121,000 (€111,000 euros), during a meeting allotting the region’s cultural spending.
Unfolding at the end of January in the central French city of Clermont-Ferrand, the event has evolved into the biggest short film festival in the world since its creation in 1979.
Over the years it has shown the early works of a raft of now-established, award-winning filmmakers including Jane Campion, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Mike Leigh, Abderrahmane Sissako, Olivier Assayas, Jessica Hausner, Vladimir Perisic, Keren Yadaya, Mati Diop, Léa Mysius and Ladj Ly.
The festival organizers say they are in shock and have put out a statement decrying the damage it could do and noting it did not make sense given the cultural and economic benefits the festival brings to the Auvergne region, which is one of the poorest in France.
“We do not understand this decision, the motivations remaining unclear and without being able to have a real dialogue with all of our referring regional elected officials,” read a statement put out under the name of festival President Éric Roux and the “Sauve qui peut le court métrage” team.
“This decision has an impact on an entire territory which benefits each year from more than 11 million euros ($12 million) in direct economic benefits thanks to the festival and its Short Film Market which attract thousands of professionals from all over the world.”
The regional council said the budget cut