Open call: SMART7 launches second program of workshops for festival organisers
The workshops will focus on sustainability, audience development & programming
SMART7, the network of like-minded European film festivals supported by Creative Europe MEDIA, announces the second phase of their workshop program dedicated to festival organisers. With a focus on sustainability, audience development & programming, the two-day event will take place in Reykjavik, Iceland, November 25 – 26, and is open to all festival organisers across Europe.
SMART7 has members from seven different countries: Poland (New Horizons IFF), Iceland (Reykjavik IFF), Portugal (IndieLisboa IFF), Romania (Transilvania IFF), Spain (FILMADRID IFF), Greece (Thessaloniki IFF) and Lithuania (Vilnius IFF Kino Pavasaris). Its aim is to connect festivals that share similar objectives and visions, while coming from different cultural and geopolitical areas of Europe.
Seeking to take full advantage of each member’s strengths and promote peer-to-peer collaborative learning, the workshop program started in 2023 in Poland, with workshops coordinated by New Horizons, IndieLisboa, Thessaloniki IFF and Transilvania IFF on promotion & sales and sponsorship & fundraising.
The 2024 workshops are co-organised by Reykjavik IFF and FILMADIRD with the contribution of all festivals in the network.
The main topics of the first day revolve around building sustainable festivals – with input from all seven members and presentations by the likes of Thessaloniki IFF.
Audience development and programming are the main topics of the 2nd day, with presentations from by FILMADRID, Reykjavik, New Horizons and ideas sharing sessions from all participants.
The full agenda of the program will be available soon.
SMART7 invites external international film festivals to participate in these closed doors and hands-on sessions, which are expected to be a valuable exchange among key players of the international film festival scene.
The number of external participants is limited to 10 film festivals and festivals' representatives can reach out to [email protected] until October 20th. Registration is free. Participants would need to cover the costs of their transport and accommodation.
SMART7 is a network of seven European Film Festivals, co-funded by the Creative Europe Media. The network’s objective is to create a multidimensional field for sharing experience and communication among members by organizing four workshops around current and vital topics: Programming & Audience Development, Sponsoring & Fundraising, Promotion & Sales, Sustainability & Green Practices. This activity aims to provide a qualified training ground for professionals working in the film festival arena, staff members directly involved in the specific areas that can inspire and be inspired and, in the long term, help shape improvements in their own organizations and have a visible impact on the European film industry landscape.
