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The French city of Clermont-Ferrand - which is home to one of most prestigious international short film festivals in the world - has unveiled plans to build a bigger year-round HQ for the organization overseeing the event.
Under the project, La Jetée (The Pier), the current home of the Sauve Qui Peut le Court Métrage (SQPCM) association which runs the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, will be renovated and expanded in a $13.5M (€12M) project to become the Cité du Court (City of the Short Film).
La Jetée, named after Chris Marker's eponymous 1962 futuristic short film, is also home to one of the biggest short film documentation centers and collections in the world, including the archives of the past editions of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
Clermont-Ferrand's mayor Olivier Bianchi, who is also President of the wider regional organization the Clermont Auvergne Métropole, has hailed the project as a game-changer in terms of the city's relationship with the short film sector and its wider cultural and economic aspirations.
"This Cité du Court project is much more than just a building: it's a strong, structuring act in favor of our region's cultural future," he said.
"It embodies our ambition to make Clermont-Ferrand not only the capital of short film, but also a reference center for cinematic innovation and diversity of formats. Through this facility, we are supporting an industry of excellence that is creative, dynamic, accessible to all, and deeply rooted in our local fabric. The Cité du Court will be a tool for transmitting knowledge, supporting creation and professionalizing emerging talent."
The 47th edition of the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival earlier this year enjoyed record attendance with 173,000 admissions.
Since its creation in 1979, the festival has built a reputation as one of the most important short film festivals in the world, showcasing the early works of directors such as Céline Sciamma, Wes Anderson, Jaco Van Dormael, Mathieu Kassovitz and Cédric Klapisch.
SQPCM's mission has also expanded over the years to include year-round programs for both local audiences and international professionals.
The expansion of La Jetée will double the size of the building, with a renovated screening room, larger documentation center for the public; new spaces designed for image education and professional training; an educational and experimental film set for filmmakers, as well as more spacious offices for the festival team and a new café.
The work is due to begin in 2027, with the aim for it to completed in time for the festival's 50th anniversary edition in in 2029.
The new improved facility is sponsored by Clermont Auvergne Métropole with the support of the Conseil départmental du Puy-de-Dôme, the French government and the city of Clermont-Ferrand.
The architectural project is led by MU Architecture, which has previously designed homes, schools, university buildings and mediathèques across France.
"For several years, and even more intensely in recent months, the Sauve qui peut le court métrage team has been working with our partners to imagine and build the Cité du Court," said SQPCM President Eric Roux.
"The main aim of this project is to extend the festival's exceptional energy throughout the year.Open to all, the Cité du Court aims to be a lively cultural venue, where distribution, transmission, training and creation come together. A dynamic space, at the heart of the region, which will enable audiences from diverse backgrounds and professionals from all over the world to meet and, above all, exchange ideas"