30 students from the BA (Hons) Film Production course spent 6 days immersed in the world of short films at the 2025 Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France. The students were granted complimentary industry accreditation, allowing them to enter all the screenings, networking events, workshops, marketplace and parties.
The festival attracts filmmakers from around the globe, offering audiences an eclectic mix of cultures, genres, and styles. This diversity in the selection allowed the students to gain a global understanding of cinema and new perspectives and ideas. The festival serves as a platform for new voices and emerging talent, which means it's a great place to discover fresh and innovative content before it hits the mainstream. The students were surrounded by world cinema and experienced the diverse array of stories being told from all corners of the globe. These new perspectives are often key contemporary influences for students when undertaking their own filmmaking projects back at university after attending the educational visit.
"I gathered lots of inspiration for upcoming coursework projects and personal projects. It also enhanced my cultural understanding by allowing me to see how filmmaking happens across the world. It gave me a confidence boost; with all the independence I had to explore the festival and city and needing to speak to people who spoke different languages really pushed me to develop my communication skills." Harry Kirkland, First-Year Student
"We have run this educational visit for over 15 years, and it never fails to have a significant impact on all that attend. Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival brings the global short filmmaking community into one city for a week, allowing our students to gain a global perspective about the topics and subjects that are important to filmmakers in the own countries and regions as well as discover innovative approaches to filmmaking." Colin Mottram, Course Leader
In addition to film screenings, the festival also offers filmmakers, producers, distributors, and other industry professionals the opportunity to network. The University of Staffordshire students attended industry panel discussions, workshops, networking events and masterclasses, which helped them build connections, collaborate, and discover new trends in the film world.
Access to the Short Film Marketplace allowed students to speak to distributors, film festivals programmers from all over the world. Different countries held happy hour networking events at their stands daily, where students could meet film directors, producers from across the globe. The chance to network, attend industry-specific events, and see cutting-edge short films makes it an invaluable experience.
"It's loads of fun, the city is really nice, the cathedral is really impressive you definitely have to go and see it. I watched lots and lots of really great films, met interesting people from all over the world, it's a lot of fun going to all the different screenings and events. It has motivated me to come back to the University and make a good film that I can submit to film festivals and competitions all over the world." Taylor Smith, Second-Year Student