10:00 - 17:30

BAFTA and British Council Film present Short Sighted, an annual all-day event dedicated to maximising the impact of your short film, in association with Shooting People.

Across six sessions you’ll hear from festival programmers and directors on how best to navigate the festival circuit and what they look for in a short film, local award-winning filmmakers on strategising to ensure maximum exposure at festivals and online, meeting your crowdfunding goals and what the next generation of debut filmmakers have learnt from their short film experience.

Full programme:

10.00 Registration

10.30 Welcome from Katie Campbell, Skills Development Manager, BAFTA

10.40 The Festival Circuit

What do festival programmers look for in a short film and how can you make the most of your festival experience? A panel of UK and international short film festival directors, producers and programmers advise on navigating the festival circuit.

11.40 Break

12:00 Festival favourites

Sit back and enjoy a selection of UK shorts currently enjoying success on the UK and international festival circuit.

13:00 Lunch break

13:45 Fireside Chat

Two filmmakers whose work has travelled extensively to top international festivals talk us through their journey in short film, including how to make the most of your festival journey and top tips on gaining the maximum exposure for your film.

14.45 Deliverables

Your film’s been selected for a festival, what now? Some of the most esteemed festival programmers and directors provide their top tops on what a filmmaker needs to stand out from the crowd and how to market your film successfully.

15.10 Coffee Break

15:30 Crowdfunding your way to success!

Looking to top up your production pot or even raise your entire budget through crowdfunding? Meet two filmmakers who have built a passionate online fan base and reached their funding targets. You’ll hear about the do’s and don’t of crowdfunding as well as advice on reaching a wide online audience with a unique story.

16:30 Taking the plunge: shorts to features

So you’ve made your short film, what next? A panel of debut filmmakers discuss their journey from award-winning short films, to making their debut features and the lessons they’ve learnt along the way.

17:30 Networking Drinks

Round off the day’s events with a spot of networking and a drink (or two!) on us.

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