Clermont-Ferrand svela i titoli del suo concorso
- Il più grande festival di cortometraggi al mondo si prepara a proiettare più di 140 titoli in tre sezioni competitive dal 31 gennaio all'8 febbraio

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As is par for the course for the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival (31 January-8 February 2025), the three competition programmes that form the heart of the festival contain an eclectic and diverse collection of short films from across the globe, giving its large and fulsome audiences – counted at 160,000 visitors in 2023 – the opportunity to experience a snapshot of what makes up the short-film world in the current age. The titles deal with pressing subjects of the time – such as war, displacement and angst – as well as exploring the themes of love, life and death that ring eternal.
In the International Competition, new and upcoming titles include We Beg to Differ by Ruairi Bradley (Ireland), a brilliantly empathetic documentary about the illegal activity of “diffing” and the community behind it. Like many great docs, the film gives a voice to those who are often denied one, and is marked by humanity and humour. While it’s gained notoriety on the UK circuit over the past few months – and also garnered itself a candidacy for a nomination for Best Short at the 2025 edition of the European Film Awards – next year should see the film gain more international acclaim. Also empathetic and human is Clàudia Cedó’s fictional short Made of Sugar (Spain), about 30-year-old Maria who, suffering from an intellectual disability, decides she wants to be a mother. This fierce and powerful work explores self-determination for a community that is often ignored and talked down to. Also powerful – but in a more sweet and emotional way – is Sorry I’m Late (But I Brought a Choir) by Håkon Anton Olavsen (Norway), about a man who is late to a party and – yes, you guessed it – brings a choir. It’s a powerful use of the short-film medium, as it takes a silly and quirky idea and makes it into something profound.
More recognisable titles in the International Competition include The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent by Nebojša Slijepčević (Croatia), which – with a Palme d’Or, European Film Award for Best Short win and a recent Oscar shortlisting (see the news) all under its belt – seems bound to continue its well-deserved domination of the short-film circuit. The 2024 European Film Award nominee On the Way by Samir Karahoda (Kosovo) also continues to charm audiences with its wistful humour and sharp satire while the animated documentary Percebes by Laura Gonçalves and Alexandra Ramires (Portugal/France) – a poetic look at the life cycle of a barnacle – also still proves to have massive popularity after winning the Crystal for Best Short at this year’s edition of Annecy (see the news).
With France being one of the most prolific short-film producers in the world, it’s unsurprising that there are many delights to discover in the National Competition. These include Ambroise Rateau’s Death of an Actor, a wonderfully snarky deconstruction of modern culture with a masterful, “meta” performance from Philippe Rebbot in the lead role. Loïc Espuche’s sweet animation Yuck! will continue to enchant audiences old and young with its story of first kisses, while a much darker animation is Volcelest, Eric Briche’s evocative exploration of the reality of the natural world.
Experimental fare takes centre stage in the festival’s Labo competition, which this year will include Tako Tsubo by Fanny Sorgo and Eva Pedroza (Austria/Germany), a chaotic examination of modern life that premiered in competition at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, and Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel’s disturbingly brilliant animation The Exploding Girl (France).
(Tradotto dall'inglese)
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