May 2008

Often short film sales agents are referred to as 'distributors', however it's rare that they will ever handle theatrical releasing for a short film. If a sales agent likes your film they will include it in their catalogue and manage all aspects of the sales process, including some of the marketing.

In order to work with a sales agent you must have a full set of deliverables. Without a complete set of these delivery requirements your film can not be exploited for broadcast. For a list of requirements look at

Sales agent's commission fees vary, however you should expect a figure of between 20% and 40% of any license fee achieved to go to your sales agent. It's also worth noting that most sales agents will only pay you (the film maker) in the quarter after they have been paid for the sale of the film.

Before securing the services of a sales agent it is imperative you discuss your theatrical and festival ambitions for your film. Most festivals choose to exclude films (even short films!) that have been broadcast or exhibited theatrically within the same territory.

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Gabriel Tupinamba

(One-Year Practical Filmmaking) has seen great success this year with both films he made on his course. And The Colours... appeared at the Cannes Short Film Corner and both shorts have been screened at other festivals including the Digital Festival in Florence, Evil City in New York, and Sapporo Film Market in Tokyo.