A short film is a cinematographic work that lasts less than 60 minutes. Just like with feature films, fiction, animation, documentary, or experimental films are also part of the genres short films have to offer. This industry is a mine for tomorrow’s talents (producers, directors, technicians, artists, actors, etc.) while some directors go back to short films throughout their entire career.
However, the widely spread common idea consists in saying short films are invisible, that “it used to be better”, before, “we used to watch shorts before features”. It is true that a short film is a fragile work, which doesn’t benefit from the same broadcast system as feature films. Short films don’t come out on a weekly basis with daily screenings at each show.
In 2016, in its annual research study on short films, the CNC counted, 3.5 millions admissions for shorts before features or curated programs screenings. These partial figures represent 2,698 short films distributed in French theaters (aside from festivals and occasional screenings) and 98,747 programmed shows.