Figari Short Film Fest: Short Films Are Not Cinema's Poor Relation

The Figari International Short Film Fest, held June 15-20 in Golfo Aranci, Sardinia, concluded its 16th edition with 35 short films selected from over 2,000 submissions across 40+ countries. Artistic director Matteo Pianezzi emphasized the political battle to define a short film as under 20 minutes for Italian tax credit eligibility, preventing serial TV and docu-series from absorbing resources. The festival has evolved from a showcase into an infrastructure supporting the short film supply chain, connecting producers, distributors, buyers, and broadcasters. Pianezzi criticized Italy's public funding narrative, arguing that commercially successful works don't need subsidies, while niche films require cultural exception. Giuseppe Tommasini, co-founder of Advista Studio, stressed that films become products when meeting audiences, and that marketing potential should be leveraged in pre-production. The festival's market component included projects from Cannes Marché, Brussels, and Spanish festivals. Awards included the Premio Looking4 to producers Selin Van Laethem and Sven Spur, Premio WeShort to Jacopo Cullin's 'Prove tecniche di empatia', and Premio Rai Cinema and Premio France TV to Matteo Memé's 'Tempi supplementari'. Pianezzi identified two gaps for Italian shorts: political will to prioritize them and international vision. Tommasini noted the most common error is trying to tell too much, emphasizing the difficulty of closing a short well.