Profile

The association in short...
The German Short Film Association (short: AG Kurzfilm) unites different members working with short films to represent the interests of all makers of short films. It has been existing since 2002.

Members are:
  • organisers of film festivals
  • film academies and universities
  • art academies
  • companies distributing short films
  • companies selling short films
  • film industry institutions
  • cinema industry institutions

Some examples of the functions of the AG Kurzfilm are:
  • the improvements of the awareness for German short films in Germany and in other countries
  • the coordination of the campaign "The Shortest Day - the Short Film Day"
  • realisation of the online short film magazine www.shortfilm.de
  • the promotion of German short films in Germany and abroad
  • the compilation of the annual short film catalogue "German Short Films"
  • the organisation of the Short.Film.Tour. - The German Short Film Award. In Cinemas.
  • the support of media education at schools

The AG Kurzfilm is a contact for politics and film industry as well as a service centre for makers of short films, film festivals and cinemas.


...and a little more extensive
The German Short Film Association – with members including film festivals, film and art schools, short film distributors and sales companies, as well as film industry institutions – is the representational and lobbying body for German short film. Its ambition is to improve the public awareness of German short film, both nationally and internationally. In this regard, the association functions as a service centre for makers and producers of shorts, as well as for various short film institutions. Furthermore, it is a contact source on German short film for political bodies, the film industry, cinemas and film festivals.
We understand short film as an independent and innovative medium, as a form of artistic expression and a field of experimentation even for established filmmakers. Our film-political lobbying work is therefore aimed at improving the conditions for short film in terms of production, distribution, marketing and promotion, as well as strengthening the position of short film both within the film industry and the public broadcasting services. AG Kurzfilm will also continue to participate in the amendment process of the German film funding law, as well as in the discussion concerning sustainable film funding and the cinema landscape in Germany.
AG Kurzfilm is also a shareholder of German films, holds a seat on the administrative council of Germany’s main federal film funding body FFA and on the media council, as well as on various expert committees of the German cultural council (Deutscher Kulturrat). The second important component of the association’s work is the marketing of German short films at home and abroad. The diverse promotion and marketing activities have been adjusted according to the current conditions and become completely accessible online. These include the annual short film catalogue German Short Films with a current selection of 100 German shorts, the compilations, as well as our presence at international film festivals, markets and national cinema fairs.
The KURZ.FILM.TOUR., the cinema tour of the German Short Film Award, has been part of AG Kurzfilm's permanent portfolio since 2008 and brings award-winning short films directly to audiences. Since 2012, AG Kurzfilm has also coordinated the nationwide KURZFILMTAG (Short Film Day), which takes place every year on 21st December, the shortest day of the year. For these and other presentations of Germany's diverse short film production online solutions have also been found, some of which have reached new user groups.
The bilingual online magazine shortfilm.de has provided in-depth and inspiring articles about all aspects of short film and its players for many years now. These are supplemented with portraits and short news itemsfrom the German and international short film scene, in addition to a comprehensive service section with important dates, deadlines and contacts.

... those who want even more details ...
... can find extensive information in our activity report of 2023.

Activity Report 2023