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We predicted it, and we were right: there was indeed hope, joy and love at the Cinémas Studio in Tours! And while the festivities are now over, we can't resist looking back on two days of joyful celebrations at the screenings and awards ceremonies for our three selections in competition.

First of all, hope: on the evening of Friday June 9, the public was invited to discover the Women's Words Competition in the cinema's large auditorium, which provided a warm welcome for the 20 films selected for their accuracy, humor and seriousness on subjects that concern women first and foremost: menstruation, motherhood, our relationship with our bodies and sexuality, the discrimination and violence against which we must fight relentlessly, and generosity and sisterhood.

The Women's Words Jury: Chloé Ponce-Voiron, Valérie Rey-Robert, Élise Pereira-Nunes, Laura Raim, Reine Prat and Victoria Netto

The directors Nora Dahleim (Text Me When You're Home) and Baya Massamba (Miroir)

Manon Ribis of the Bédelire bookshop

Once the awards had been handed out, the Jury, chaired by Chloé Ponce-Voiron, answered a series of questions from Manon Ribis, of the Bédélire bookshop, to outline the actions that will help make cinema inherently feminist and inclusive. Certainly, the lines are moving, and the juries are hopeful that one day there will be no need to present a selection like that of Women's Words, but in the meantime, we must continue to make female directors more visible, ensure that films at least pass the Bechdel test, and aim for parity - that famous 50/50 that the Très Court International Film Festival managed to achieve this year, all selections included.

Joy, again and again: on Saturday June 10, at 5.30pm, the giant screen of Room 7 of the Studio welcomed the International Competition, 40 films that make up the best of the year's world production. The two-hour program, interrupted by a welcome intermission, took the audience from laughter to tears, cheering as the credits rolled. The lively atmosphere was testimony to an excellent 2023 season, and choosing your three favorite films was no easy task. The most scrupulous spectators took notes on the program or on the ballot paper before slipping it into the ballot box set up near the buffet.

The Jury the the International Competition : Céline Cloarec, Quentin Delcourt, Delphine Malaussena, Fabrice Maruca, Nixon Singa and Jérôme Parlange

 

Last but not least, love: at around 9pm, the audience gathered to discover the films selected as part of the Défi 48h Très Court Environnement challenge. The previous weekend, over 80 teams had signed up to make a Très Court in just two days, while respecting four constraints. This year's theme, inspired by Challenge sponsor and activist Camille Etienne, was action time. Teams had to place chocolate, involve a tourist, and use the following line: "I'm a little afraid of how this is going to be used." In the end, 61 teams managed to finalize a film, and 22 of them were selected to be screened in cinemas, including 13 animated films.

In short, the atmosphere was electric! Some twenty participants had come to see their film on the big screen, and to find out if they had won one of the 6 prizes for this selection. At the end of the screening, the winners were announced. The International Competition Jury, chaired by Fabrice Maruca, opened the ball with the announcement of the Prizes for Originality, Animation and the Grand Prize. After singing a short song, the jurors detailed the qualities of each winning film, and their authors were able to express their gratitude and joy through a short video projected onto the screen. It was as if they were here with us!

The Jury of the Défi 48h Très Court Environnement challenge: Camille Étienne, Solal Moisan, Sixtine Dano, Lénie Chérino and Lison D'Andréa

The Jury of the Défi 48h Très Court Environnement challenge: Claude Gruffat and Nicolas d'ImagoTV

Solal Moisan, Camille Étienne and Sixtine Dano discussing with Guillaume Dubois and Rachel Dano (La cerise sur le gâteau)

Then it was time for the winners of the Défi 48h Très Court Environnement challenge to be announced. The emotion and nervousness before the results were revealed were obvious in the room. Delphine Benassy, vice-president of the Centre-Val-de-Loire region in charge of culture, was keen to welcome the Festival to the region, which was good news for everyone. Then Claude Gruffat, jury member for the Défi 48h and MEP for the Les Verts/Ale group, along with Camille Etienne and Solal Moisan, reminded the audience of the importance of cinema taking up ecology-related issues, so that views evolve, discourse changes, and we end up collectively finding ways of responding to the climate emergency.

One of these actions is love, and this is the theme of the film L'amour fécond, which won the CNC/Talent grant. When his name was announced, director Arthur Pereira, accompanied by Mathilde Offer, let out a cry of astonishment, and both arrived on stage speechless, thinking they'd made an off-topic with this "dramatic and romantic comedy in a dystopian world, to propose an imaginary future, in its everyday actions". An emotional moment that continued over drinks in the garden, where delicious pieces of chocolate were served, as the audience chatted with the jurors and the directors present.

We certainly didn't want the evening to end, but when it was well past midnight, we had to say goodbye, a little sad to be parted, but so happy about the moments we'd shared.

The great room of the Cinémas Studio

Arthur Péreira, winner of the CNC Talent Award, accompanied by Mathilde Offer

The young folks at the Studio Ciné-Club: an incredible team of volunteers!

> Discover the festival palmares

> (Re)experience this festive weekend through pictures

If you missed the Tours ceremonies and our article on these two evenings made you want to discover The Très Court, don't panic!

Our entire team heads down to Valence to join the two co-organizers of the Défi 48h Challenge, Camille Chao and Hugo de Faucompret. These two animation filmmakers mobilized all the region's animators to take part in the 5th edition of this crazy competition, in which filmmakers had just two days to make an environment-related film within 4 constraints. This year, the theme was "Action Time". Teams had to place chocolate, involve a tourist, and use the following line: "I'm a little afraid of how this is going to be used".

To discover the 22 shortlisted films, join us at 7pm at the LUX Scène Nationale for the screening and awards ceremony, attended by activist Sixtine Dano, producer Marianne Chazelas and author Corinne Morel Darleux. The evening continues at the La Barrack pub, where you can meet the filmmakers over a drink. But that's not all: a concert, a JAM and a DJ set are waiting for you to party the night away! Single ticket price €4

It's a joy!

Very often, when we present the Très Court to those who are not familiar with this format, the reactions are more or less always the same: "a film of less than four minutes? It's a kind of video clip, or a commercial? Well, no. It's a real film, with a script, actors, production, sound design, cinematography, and a director at work of course. But, beyond the technique, it is above all a condensed version of the 7th art in its most concise, most amazing and most creative form.

And for 25 years now, the Très Court has been honouring these films that never cease to surprise and move us. This year, the trend is towards joy and hope. Once again, this 2023 vintage offers a multitude of views from all over the world, sharp looks at what we are going through, from the climate crisis to the feminist revolution, and the selected films give off an urgency to fraternity and sisterhood, a need for love too, a need to say it, to film it, and to share it with you. Let's make the most of it!

The International Competition will take to the skies from 2 to 11 June 2023 in ten cities in France and some forty abroad. From Montreal to Venice, from China to Romania, from the Seychelles to New Caledonia, expect to vibrate to the rhythm of the Très Courts which, this year more than ever, will reveal the talent and relevance of a whole generation of filmmakers. To find out more about the festival's venues, take a look at our world map.

Discover all the members of the Jury, chaired this year by director Fabrice Maruca and accompanied by producer Marianne Chazelas, CICLIC's emergence and short film coordinator Jérôme Parlange, producer Colette Quesson, writer-director Quentin Delcourt, composer Delphine Malausséna, director and scriptwriter Nixon Singa and editor Céline Cloarec

Attend the Awards Ceremony on Saturday 10 June at the Cinémas Studio in Tours (France) after the screening of the International Competition at 5.30 pm, and meet all the members of the Jury and the directors. Tickets are on sale at the reception of the Cinémas Studio, but also online!

It's all very well announcing the opening of the Très Court's 25th edition, but in fact, where does the festival come from?

What are its origins? Who created it? How did the creators manage to set up this project? Actually, some members of the team didn't know anything about our beginnings... that's why we investigated this festival whose story starts with a huge rake.

It all began in 1998 when Marc and Pascal discover very short films at the Tourné Monté Super 8 festival. The principle is simple: participants shoot scenes of their film in order of editing during 3 minutes with a Super 8 camera. Filmmakers and public discover films all together during a festive evening. Charmed, the two friends propose the festival to join them to enter in the digital era. They take a big knock-back but they are not discouraged at all. No matter, they will do it themselves.

The association Tout en Très Court was born one year later with the idea of organizing an annual party of screenings and awards ceremonies. The two founders scoured Internet and all VHS tapes in search of the best films under 4 minutes. By word of mouth, filmmakers and production companies sent their Très Courts to participate at the event. After collecting about 50 films, the festivities begin.

The festival inaugurates its first edition on October 21, 2000 at the Forum des Images in Paris. The room is packed with spectators who applaud between each film. With all the excitement of the audience, everyone has a good time.This evening marks the beginning of the Très Court adventure which, each year, offers an extraordinary collective experience and the discovery of a little known cinematographic style in 14 different countries.

The Très Court is a format that allows you to go far. For the audience, watching a very short film means going beyond your usual passivity, it means being active, laughing, crying, discovering, getting a slap in the face, understanding, loving and feeling a whole bunch of emotions that make you feel alive. For filmmakers, making a film under four minutes means opting for spontaneity, concision and efficiency.

Marc and Pascal have resumed their main professional activity, writing and illustrating comics for one, computer science for the other. They left the helm to our new captain, Anne-Sophie, who is happy to lead the Très Court alongside Paul, Célia, Sarah and Julie. The history of the Très Court continues to be written in the present with the 25th edition planned for June 2 to 11, 2023 throughout the world.

Want to participate to the festival? You have until February 19, 2023 to send us your movie of less than 4 minuntes. So don't wait any longer and embark with us for the adventure of the Très Court.