Official Statement
Dissolution of the Association Tout en Très Court
Paris, October 11, 2025
It is with deep emotion that we announce the dissolution of the association Tout en Très Court, based in Tours, which for more than twenty years organized the Très Court International Film Festival — a unique event dedicated to celebrating ultra-short formats.
Founded in 1998, the festival held 27 editions through 2025, bringing together thousands of spectators each year around films under four minutes long, full of creativity, commitment, and boldness. Over time, the Très Court became a true international network, with screenings in more than 100 cities, 3,000 films received annually (150 selected for screening), engaged discussions, and a platform for many emerging talents through initiatives like l’Instant Très Court and the Défi 48h. All these efforts were carried out with passion and pride.
Despite this valuable legacy, the Board of Directors of Tout en Très Court was forced to take the painful decision to dissolve the association after discovering, during a difficult 2025 edition, that the organization had been in serious trouble for several months. The Board therefore took over management on an emergency basis, mobilizing all its resources, networks, and expertise in an effort to stabilize and revive the festival it holds so dear. Yet, in an unstable political and financial climate and faced with a lack of human resources, these actions were not enough to ensure the continuation and sustainability of the Très Court’s activities under acceptable conditions.
This was a difficult but necessary decision.
After carefully examining every possible option, and despite several months of active and voluntary involvement, the members of the General Assembly unanimously and regretfully voted for the inevitable end of the Très Court International Film Festival and the closure of the association Tout en Très Court.
We wish to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has been part of this collective adventure: the successive organizing teams and volunteers, our institutional, cultural, and private partners, the host cities, filmmakers from all over the world, and, of course, the loyal and curious audience who, year after year, demonstrated their attachment to this project.
Even though the association comes to an end today, the spirit of the Très Court remains: a collective energy, an unrestrained view of the world, and the desire to tell stories differently.
The Board of Directors
Association Tout en Très Court
Note from Marc Bati,
founder of the Très Court festival
25 years for the Très Court is far more than Pascal Toutain and I could have imagined when we decided to launch this new event in Paris.
We need to remember the context of the time, the early 2000s, when YouTube didn’t exist yet (it was created in 2005) and smartphones were even further off. At that time, the mini DV camera boom was democratizing video creation.
People were realizing that anyone could make films at home. At the same time, personal computers were starting to have enough power to serve as editing stations, with formats far removed from today’s Full HD or 4K. These technological advances gave rise to a whole new production of films, often very short ones. However, these films had no distribution system yet. Short film festivals looked unfavorably on these creations that didn’t meet silver film’s standards. Thus, the first Très Court edition took place in 2000 at the Forum des Images. To our great surprise, the event sold out.
The rest of the adventure, you probably know. The very short format developed at great speed, other events emerged, television also embraced the format. Then came TikTok, Instagram Reels, and ultra-short proposals flooded in until today’s current submersion… 2025, the Très Court drops the curtain, and we’re not a little proud of the journey traveled, the emotions shared, the talents revealed. No doubt the creation adventure continues and renews itself in countless new directions.
I take this opportunity to thank a few people among all those who contributed to keeping this incredible adventure alive: Jean Yves de Lepinay, Gilles Rousseau, Raluca Mateiu, Katia M.M, Philippe Caza, Anne-Sophie Jacques, Sophie Labruyère, Charly Playe, Diya Angeli, Reem Saad, Olivier Maccaud, Marina Melon, Bruno Quiblier, Yseult de Pélichy, Jean-Marc Diamédo, Mélanie Gravelat, Aurélie Martin, Fabrice Placet, Marie Cervetti… The list is too long, I can’t name everyone… I hope you won’t hold it against me.
My last thought goes to Paul Gemperlé without whom this entire adventure certainly wouldn’t have been so magnificent.
Marc Bati
Everywhere at the same time
The Très Court International Film Festival is a borderless event.
Very short films in competition are subtitled in 9 languages and broadcast in more than 60 cities in 20 countries.
Maybe we are right next door…