Still: Hooba - Sem Assink

February will soon be kicking off with a line-up of Dutch productions and co-productions being shown in several programs, both in competition programs and out of comeptition programs at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.

International competition
Anarchic and satisfyingly subversive Wander to Wonder* by Nina Gantz (NL Co-Prod. Circe Film and Kaap Holland Film) is one of the three Dutch co-productions in International Competition. The film world premiered in the Orrizonti Shorts section at Venice Film Festival and continued its successful international festival run with the award for Best Short film at Seminci Valladolid International Film Festival and different selections. SEE NL interviewed her about the film a few months back, before heading to Venice.

The Miracle* by Nienke Deutz (NL Co-Prod. Kepler Film) is the second. A festival favorite that had its international premiere at Annecy International Animation Film Festival, followed by selections and awards at festivals throughout the world. Previous to Annecy, SEE NL spoke to Nienke Deutz about her film that follows Irma, who is confronted with herself at an all-inclusive resort for families. 

Beautiful Men*, a short animation by Belgian director Nicolas Keppens, (NL Co-Prod. Ka-Ching Cartoons) screened earlier this year at IFFR. Three balding brothers travel to Istanbul to get a hair transplant. Stuck with each other in a hotel far from home, their insecurities grow faster than their hair.

Sales and festival distribution for both The Miracle and Beautiful Men are handled by Miyu Distribution.

The last film in this section is Pigeons are dying, when the city is on fire by Stavros Markoulakis. On the warmest day of the year, two boys meet. A few hours later a pigeon gets trapped with them. On this heatwave, all creatures dream of escaping from the city that's burning. The film is co-produced by nami films, sales are handled by Shortcuts Distribution.

Lab competition
As far as the world reaches by Brazilian artist Daniel Frota de Abreu deals with Brazilian natural history in Dutch art and science collections, tackling some of the everlasting effects of colonialism in the way nature is represented and perceived today. The documentary is a co-production between the Netherlands and Brasil. The film was made and produced by the artist, in residency at the Jan van Eyck Academie Stipend and Het Nieuwe Instituut Research Fellowship.

Young Audience Section
Sem Assink's debut animation short Hooba* can be found in the Young Audience Section. In the film a small group of inhabitants of the 'Low Countries' are fighting the elements and hunger in the years 3000 BC. It is produced by il Luster Films (sales: SND Films). Balcony Cacophony* also got selected for this section. In Quentin Haberham's animation two neighbours on adjacent balconies literally and figuratively disrupt the rhythms of each others’ lives. The film is produced by Family Affair Films (sales: SND Films).

Other programs
And last but not least, the animated VR Flow* by Adriaan Lokman (NL co-prod. by Valk Production) is sceening in the VR program, Beş (Ayla Çekin Satijn, prod. Key Film) is part of the European Short film Audience Award program and Eliane Ester Bots' In Flow of Words* (prod. near/by film) is included in the Eur♀visions - European Women with a Movie camera program, a thematic retrospective dedicated to strong female figures, a tribute to the diversity of the female gaze on the world and the plurality of European cinema.  

See NL in Clermont-Ferrand
See NL is present at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market from Monday February 5 through Thursday February 8 at booth #H3 See NL - The Netherlands. Find out everything about brand new Dutch shorts, pick up your copy of the 2024 edition of the Selected Dutch Shorts and meet Dutch filmmakers and other representatives from the Dutch delegation at Clermont-Ferrand this year: Cinekid Festival, Go Short International Short Film Festival Nijmegen and short film distributor Kapitein Kort. 

Find the Dutch line-up at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival here. Or discover the festival on https://clermont-filmfest.org/en/global/home/

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*Film is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund
**Film is supported by the Production Incentive