As part of the Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival, a project focused on audience development will be launched, aiming to connect short film creators with audiences, as well as both professional and general public. The project will be built around several key activities, including a dedicated focus group composed of festival viewers, industry experts, and cultural actors, a workshop for short-format creators, and educational activities for the audience.
The focus group will serve as a platform where viewers provide direct feedback on films and their promotional materials. It is not just about evaluating the final film but also analyzing audience expectations, the influence of marketing, and communication strategies. Filmmakers will gain valuable insights into how their work resonates with different audience groups, what their expectations are, and how to improve the promotion of short films.
A workshop for filmmakers will also be part of the project, where creators will learn to better define their artistic style, communicate their films effectively, and engage with audience reactions. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to discuss audience engagement strategies and share experiences from different approaches to promoting short films.
This output also develops the audience itself, helping viewers reflect on their perception of audiovisual content, analyze the impact of promotion, and better articulate their viewing experience.
Focus Group: Insights into Audience Perception
2. 6. 2025, 12:00 – 13:30
Cinema Puskin, Budapest
How do promotion and presentation shape audience’s expectations?
This moderated focus group offers a space for open dialogue between filmmakers and selected viewers, analyzing not only the films themselves but also promotional materials such as trailers, posters, synopses, and others. The goal is to move beyond simple feedback toward a deeper understanding of audience perception, misinterpretations, and the emotional or thematic elements that resonate with different viewer profiles. Filmmakers will gain practical insights into how to better frame and communicate their work, as well as how to improve their marketing strategies for greater impact of their films.
Focus Group will be held in English.
You can register HERE.
Workshop: Understanding Your Audience
2. 6. 2025, 18:30 – 20:30
Cinema Puskin, Budapest
How can filmmakers better understand their audiences and actively engage with them throughout a film’s lifecycle?
This workshop brings together short film creators to explore strategies for effective communication with the audience, with a focus on fostering audience development. Participants will have a unique opportunity to learn how to identify and reach their target audiences, adapt their visual and narrative presentation, and incorporate audience feedback into creative and distributional decisions. The workshop will create a space to share experiences from different approaches to promoting short films and to discuss innovative forms of audience participation and how meaningful engagement can enrich both the viewer’s experience and the film’s journey beyond its premiere.
Workshop will be held in English.
You can register HERE.
Both the focus group and the workshop will be led by Lucia Dubravay Trautenberger
Lucia is based in Bratislava, Slovakia and studied Cultural Management. She has a background in translation and journalism, and has led several international cultural projects. Previously, she served as Executive Director of the Biennial of Animation Bratislava. Lucia is one of the co-founders and owners of Bear With Me Distribution, where she also serves as Managing Director and Head of Sales and International Distribution. In addition, she manages multiple European projects focused on culture, creative industries, and democracy.
The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.
