Clermont-Ferrand Competitive Short Films Market

Overview

The Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market (Le Marche du Film Court) is the world's largest short film market, operating alongside the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival each February. Founded in 1995, the market brings together over 2,000 industry professionals from approximately 70 countries and facilitates the international commercial distribution of short films through direct meetings between producers, sales agents, broadcasters, and distributors.

Short film distribution is a specialized sector that operates differently from feature film distribution. Television broadcast rights, streaming platform licensing, airline and institutional distribution, and educational rights all provide revenue streams for short films, but navigating these markets requires specialized knowledge and relationships. The Clermont market provides the primary global infrastructure for short film commercial distribution.

Over 9,000 short films are registered in the market's catalogue each year, with professional screenings and meetings conducted across the market's five-day run. For short filmmakers seeking to move their work from festival circuit to commercial distribution, participation in the Clermont market is often the most direct path.

Key Sections

• Market Screenings -- professional screenings for buyers
• Meetings -- scheduled one-on-one appointments between sellers and buyers
• Online Catalogue -- searchable database of available short films
• Workshops -- educational sessions on short film distribution
• Industry Events -- networking and professional development for short film professionals

What Filmmakers Should Know

Short filmmakers with finished work can register their films in the Clermont market catalogue independently or through a sales agent. Registration gives buyers access to screening copies and contact information. Having a sales agent or distributor attending the market on your behalf significantly increases the likelihood of deals being made.

The market operates alongside the festival competition, meaning buyers attending the market can also watch competition screenings to discover new work. Films winning or competing at Clermont-Ferrand are directly visible to market participants.

Broadcasters attending include major European public television networks (ARTE, BBC, ZDF, SVT, etc.), VOD platforms, and international distributors with short film catalogs. Deals made at Clermont often cover multiple territories and rights packages.

Festival History

The market was established in 1995 to formalize and scale the commercial activity that had been occurring informally around the Clermont-Ferrand festival since its founding in 1979. The market has grown to become the dominant global infrastructure for short film distribution.

See Also

For the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, see Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival. For distribution guidance, see Distribution Deals Explained.