The Short Film Corner | Rendez-vous Industry is a forum dedicated to short film professionals. A non-competitive section, its aim is to foster links between the creative sector and the industry. In 2025, it will be held from 18 to 21 May during the 78th Cannes Film Festival. We spoke to its director, Florian Fernandez.

Cineuropa : How are Cannes Creative Programs adapting to recent developments in the European audiovisual sector, particularly in terms of sustainability, diversity and inclusion?
Florian Fernandez : The Creative Programmes bring together short films in development (Focus SCRIPT), works-in-progress (Focus WiP) and first feature film projects (Focus COPRO'). The New Producers Room brings together producers to co-produce short films and future feature film projects.

Within each of these programmes, we receive projects that adapt themselves to today's world and that, in fact, bring into play the notions of diversity, inclusion and sustainability, which are essential and societal issues. This is how the selection of projects comes about naturally, through the interest aroused above all by the film visions we receive, which are in constant observation of today's world.

Each year, the projects in the Creative Programmes show a wide range of origins (from Haiti to the Philippines, Brazil to South Korea, Western Europe to Lebanon), voices (11 female directors, 11 male directors this year in the Creative Programs, and 9 female producers and 1 male producer in the New Producers Room), by the panorama of subjects tackled, from the personal to the universal (feminist fable, relationship with oneself, with others, with nature, social drama, mysticism, satirical dystopia, initiation stories) etc.

What importance do you give to emerging talent and inter-regional initiatives in the selection of projects supported by the programme?
Supporting and revealing emerging talent has always been part of the Cannes Festival's DNA, and the Festival has created the Cinéma de Demain entity to bring together its initiatives in support of young filmmakers.

Among these initiatives, the SFC | Rendez-vous Industry plays a key role in forging links between filmmakers and the industry, by organising numerous networking events, dedicated workshops and mentoring sessions given by key experts to help projects and those behind them grow.

There is also always the ambition to make these projects and these visions of cinema radiate beyond the Festival, so that they can find an echo in other events abroad. To achieve this, the SFC | Rendez-vous Industry is constantly building bridges with other industry initiatives, which in turn support and reward some of the projects chosen within the Creative Programs or the New Producers Room, and travel to boost the development or distribution of short films and first features. Our collaborations include the Pop Up Film Residency, ECAM Industria, MIDPOINT Institute, HFF München, European Short Pitch, BOGOSHORTS, etc. TransPerfect, EAVE and Eurimages also support our initiatives.

The market catalogue includes 500 to 600 short films, and over 50 institutions and 82 countries from all over the world are represented, offering a panorama of international creation.

Do you see an evolution in the way European professionals use the Cannes platforms to build bridges with other regions of the world, notably Latin America, Africa and Asia?
Films from these continents, particularly Latin America and Asia, have often been represented at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the selections. Latin America also has a special place in the Marché du Film, since the creation of Ventana Sur. Africa is also increasingly represented, and we are establishing links within the SFC | Rendez-vous Industry with festivals, distributors and institutions in African countries, or hosting projects or professionals from the African continent.

From impAct to Spotlight Asia, programmes run by the Marché du Film to strengthen links between these targeted territories and the international film industry, there is considerable interest in feature films.

This interest is just as keen in short films, and is expressed not just by a desire for “elsewhere”, but by the great innovation, quality and boldness demonstrated by the voices of filmmakers from these regions of the world, in their way of tackling subjects, building a world, and visually transposing reveries and realities.