FilmEU

October 2024 | Beijing, China – The Institute of Art, Design & Technology’s (IADT) Barry Dignam has been elected as the new GEECT Regional Chair and to the Executive Council of CILECT, the world’s largest association of film and television schools.

A celebrated filmmaker and educator with a career spanning over two decades, Dignam is known for his leadership within the European film education landscape as well as in FilmEU, a European university alliance dedicated to advancing creative education.

Attending the 2024 CILECT Congress at the Communication University of China (CUC) in Beijing, Dignam and Jean Rice led the Irish and IADT delegation.

“This is a great opportunity to continue the work of connecting European film schools and navigating the challenges and opportunities of technological change, increasing diversity and sustainability in our industry,” he said.

“I look forward to collaborating with colleagues to ensure the growth and inclusivity of our global community.”

Dignam received 40 votes compared his opponent Jyoti Mistry from the Valand Academy (HDK), Sweden who received 28 votes.

His election as the new Regional Chair of GEECT, the European chapter of CILECT, also positions IADT and Ireland at the forefront of film and media education in Europe.

This year’s CILECT congress, themed “Artificial Intelligence and Film Education,” brought together over 100 film schools from more than 50 countries to discuss the role of AI in shaping the future of creative education.

Dignam and Rice also actively engaged in discussions exploring AI’s potential impact on media education methodologies, curriculum development, and cross-disciplinary collaborations.

Keynote speakers, including Creative Technologist and Cinematographer Saloni Shukla, emphasized the importance of balancing technological advancements with the cultivation of core human skills like critical thinking and creativity.

As a proud member of international alliances such as FilmEU, ELIA, and CILECT, IADT values the strength of global networks in enhancing the quality and reach of its educational programmes.

These partnerships not only support knowledge exchange and research but also create diverse opportunities for students and staff to collaborate across borders.

Manuel José Damásio, FilmEU Coordinator as well as Head of the Film and Media at Lusofona University was also elected to president of CILECT having previously served as Regional Chair of GEECT between 2020 and 2024.

The 4th FilmEU Summit was held from June 3rd to 6th at VŠMU University in Bratislava, Slovakia, marking a significant milestone as the first summit with all eight partners present: Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário Lisboa, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, LUCA School of Arts, Tallinn University, VŠMU University, VIA University College, LMTA, and the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts “Kr. Sarafov”.

The summit began with an insightful Leadership Symposium focusing on the legal status of European Universities and the European Education Package.

Leaders and vice-deans gathered to discuss the future landscape of European higher education. The afternoon featured productive work package meetings, culminating in the General Assembly of the FilmEU Association aligning our mission and strategies.

The second day officially kicked off with the public segment of the FilmEU Summit. The academic council and steering committee convened in the morning, followed by a keynote from Jakob Isak Nielsen of Aarhus University on “Future Models for the Film Industry in Small Countries.”

The discussions then delved into future R&I capacity and innovation within our European university and FilmEU partners, supported by our specialized toolkits. The day concluded with showcasing the results of the Samsara Challenge by this year’s FilmEU students.

The final day of the summit was a culmination of a week full of activities and discussions. Highlights included presentations from the Seminal Funding Project and a lecture on Cultural Intelligence. Additionally, the FilmEU Audiovisual team had a special moment at the end, screening their work to the students and sharing feedback on the collaboration activities and event coverage.

Watch the recap of each day below:

Kieran Lynch is a Grammy-nominated Irish music producer and mix engineer with over 25 years of experience working in the Music, TV and Film industries. Kieran’s list of credits includes projects with R.E.M., U2, Elvis Costello, The Beautiful South, and The Corrs.  Kieran’s Film work comprises soundtracks for features such as ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’, ‘In America’, ‘The Tailor of Panama’, ‘Frank’ and ‘Sing Street’. Kieran also works in film and television post-production sound and has been nominated for a prestigious Golden Reel award.

Kieran will be talking about his extensive experience in Sound and Music Production for Film, both the challenges and highs.  In addition to this lengthy industry experience, since 2014 Kieran has worked as a lecturer in sound at Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dundalk, Ireland and in 2022 he joined us here at IADT Dun Laoghaire.

Kieran’s recent research focuses on accessibility through audio, particularly in the production of audio-described content. He is an active member of the EBU Timed Text group.

This is an event not to be missed by any music or film enthusiast!!

When: 17th April 2024

Time: 15:30 Western European Time, 16.30 Central European Time, 17.30 Eastern European Time

Where:  IADT and online at Zoom

To Register click this link: https://videoconf-colibri.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qfumsrDsiEtCA8a_pz5TWy0ug2ruDUTeI

Ready for an action-packed adventure into Medieval Ireland?

IADT are screening Pilgrimage (2017) directed by Brendan Muldowney and starring Tom Holland (Spiderman).

So what’s it about?

A novice monk must escort a sacred relic from Ireland to Rome at the Pope’s request. However, he and his brotherhood face a perilous, violent journey fraught with danger and find themselves questioning their faith in the Church and religious beliefs.

The screening (96’ minutes) will be followed by a Q&A session with Brendan the Director, who is a graduate of our very own National Film School. Here you will have an opportunity to ask him about his vivid recreation of Ireland in 1209 AD and any other burning questions about the trade that you may have.

Where;

Live on Campus in room A019 and via ZOOM for our European colleagues and friends.

When?

Wednesday 13.03.2024

• 16h00 Portugal/ Ireland time zone
• 17h00 Belgium/ Denmark/ Slovakia time zone
• 18h00 Estonia/ Lithuania/ Bulgaria time zone

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity and join this free Cineclub!

Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology is delighted to announce the official results of the 2023 Erasmus+ call to support the European Universities.

FilmEU, the European University dedicated to the cultural and creative industries, is thrilled to announce the allocation of €12.8 million in funding from the European Commission. This significant investment solidifies the European Union’s dedicated support for the FilmEU Alliance, marking a pivotal moment in the advancement of arts and culture education across Europe.

Responding to the call by the European Commission to deepen, expand, and intensify existing cooperation, the FilmEU Alliance is delighted to welcome four new partners, thereby expanding from its original consortium of four institutions to a formidable group of eight leading Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Europe. The Alliance, led by Lusófona University from Portugal, includes original consortium members Luca School of Arts in Belgium, IADT – Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology in Ireland and TLU – Tallinn University, in Estonia and welcomes new members VŠMU – Academy of Performing Arts in Slovakia, LMTA – The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, VIA University College in Denmark, and NATFA (National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts) – “Krustyo Sarafov” in Bulgaria. This enhanced partnership will consolidate the diverse expertise and disciplines represented within the cultural and creative industries, further strengthening Europe’s position as a global leader in education, research, and innovation in cultural and creative industries domains.

FilmEU is an extraordinary initiative unlike any other in the field of arts and culture. It unites a consortium of four institutions that have now grown to eight partners. This European Alliance for Film and Media Arts will revolutionise higher education in the sector by fostering collaboration, innovation, and the exchange of ideas in the screen arts. With the backing of Erasmus and the European Universities program, FilmEU is bridging institutions and countries, fostering a metamorphosis of the tertiary sector throughout the member states.

In its initial phase, FilmEU achieved remarkable milestones. Now, with the infusion of €12.8 million, the alliance is poised to create a lasting impact. Over the next decade, FilmEU envisions building a significant educational framework that will shape the landscape of screen arts in Europe and beyond. This initiative will have far-reaching impacts, not only within the partner institutions but also across the cultural and creative sectors, influencing the societal discourse on sustainability, inclusion, climate, research mobility, innovation, and digital transformation.

The core discipline of Film and Media, working alongside a diverse range of subject areas found throughout the participating Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), will benefit immensely from the programmatic approach of FilmEU. It will empower each partner to transcend their individual strengths, permeating external engagement and internal structures. FilmEU is not only shaping its own future but also preparing each member institution for the evolving national and European Higher Education sector. Much like the relationship between the EU itself and nation-states, the EU Universities will coexist harmoniously with home institutions, creating a mutually beneficial environment for all stakeholders.

Film, as an integral part of our cultural milieu, serves as a powerful medium for sharing ideas, emotions, and knowledge. With generous funding from the European Commission, FilmEU ensures that Europe can not only tell its own stories but also positions the creative industries at the forefront of economic and social prosperity. Moreover, FilmEU pushes the boundaries of research, innovation, and enterprise, leading the way in the age of imagination and fostering a virtuous society and economy.

FilmEU+ will build upon the success and achievements of the Alliance’s previous efforts, exploring innovative models for sustainable cooperation between the participating HEIs. By consolidating complementary programs in filmic arts and related fields, FilmEU+ aims to elevate Europe’s profile as a cutting-edge provider of education, research, and innovation in the cultural and creative industries.

FilmEU+ exemplifies the collaborative spirit of like-minded institutions with diverse cultural backgrounds. Embracing different approaches and cultures, the Alliance ensures that all voices are cherished and heard, particularly in the context of emerging technologies. By celebrating diversity, FilmEU+ offers an authentic and unique educational experience, promoting a broad spectrum of storytelling that transcends cultural boundaries.

With the European Commission’s significant investment, the FilmEU European University Alliance is poised to shape the future of arts and culture education, foster innovation, and collaboration, and create a lasting impact across Europe’s creative landscape.

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Between 31st May and 2nd June, our partners, Lusófona University (Portugal), hosted the 2nd FilmEU_RIT Summit. It was an opportunity for the FilmEu_RIT researchers to meet in person again, present their pilot projects and discuss the ongoing work. Three days were full of highlights, from the presentation of the artistic research being conducted by the transnational teams of the Alliance, to the master classes conducted by Catherine David, Teemu Maki and Sara Driver, who presented her film “Sleepwalk”.

On the second day of the Summit, the pilot teams presented the ongoing work. It was the first time, the FilmEU team saw some outputs. We started with Pilot 1 – The European Archive of Short Animation, led by IADt researchers. This project will produce a detailed state-of-the-art report identifying and recording relevant sources of information on the production and exhibition of short animated films, in small European countries. Another project with the participation of IADT researchers was Expanded Memories – Pilot 3.1 that had an interactive presentation. The project aims to experiment with hybrid forms of analogue-digital (animation) film to create objects of tertiary memory.

The Doctoral Summer Seminar had a full day dedicated to the PhD candidates and their presentations. Eight PhD candidates from the four institutions presented the ongoing research and received feedback from the specialists. The other seven students had the opportunity to present their research in a public poster session.

The Summit ended with the round table “From RIT to FilmEU+: FuturePerspectives around Research” with Manuel José Damásio, Daithí Mac Síthigh, Teet Teinemaa and Lies Van de Vijver.

The sessions with Catherine David, Teemu Maki and Sara Driver are available on the FilmEU Youtube channel.

Last week, the Etiketa partners, stakeholders and a group of joint degree students participated in a hybrid Etikéta Focus Group on Future Models for European Degrees.

We gathered to discuss the relevance of a future degree label, the proposed criteria and the ongoing mapping of the existing and future degree labels.

FOCI (Future-proof Criteria for Innovative European Education) also introduced its workflow and project. The Etikéta project is all about collaboration with and learning from external partners.

On Wednesday February 22, LUCA organizes the 3rd edition of the FilmEU Cineclub of this academic year which will be organised in person at LUCA and simultaneously streamed at the FilmEU partner institutions.

Three filmmakers are invited to screen and talk about their films: Julie Verstraten with the animation film Inertia, Brahim Tall with Tukuleur and Géraldine Charpentier with Papa Zaza. Julie Verstraten and Brahim Tall are both LUCA alumni who both won the VAF Wildcard this year. Géraldine Charpentier is an animation film alumna of École nationale supérieure des arts visuels de La Cambre.

All three films deal with deeply intimate personal subject matter. Through dialogue we aim to take a closer look at their praxis and which knowledge they could share with our students.

Synopsis ‘Tukuleur’ by Brahim tall: Hair, posture and skin colour shift, intersect and alternate, creating a choreography of looks and poses based on representations throughout art history and pop culture. By making its central character ever changing, Tukuleur attempts to show how our gaze influences the interpretation of different bodies in different contexts. The film then shows the consequences of these gazes and their linked representations for the personal growth of the character, and their struggle to find a place between acceptance and otherness.

Synopsis ‘Inertia’ by Julie Verstraten: Inertia is about J, a young woman in her early twenties, who loses a loved one. Instead of standing still and reflecting on how this loss affects her, she resolutely looks the other way and suppresses emotions. A shadow manifests itself in her flat and slowly takes over her desk, covering her books and drawing materials. J acknowledges the presence but makes no attempt to ascertain its meaning. She keeps running away until she is forced to reflect.

Synopsis ‘Papa Zaza’ by Géraldine Charpentier: Fleur tells the story of the illness of her dad, Zaza, which disrupts her daily life and that of her brothers as they try to grow up and play, like any child. The disease is shown through a child’s eyes and voice. Here is a new perspective of a common situation: waiting for their father’s return from a hospital is disruptive for children too young to understand everything.

PROGRAMME

• Screening location (IADT):
  • A019 (Atrium building)
• Programme:
  • 16h – 18h

An Cailín Ciúin nominated for Academy Award for Best International Feature Film! This is the first time an Irish-language film has ever been nominated in this category, selected from 92 eligible countries. Several nominations for The Banshees of Inisherin and short film An Irish Goodbye, which was nominated for Best Live Action Short. Congratulations also to the Irish actors Paul Mescal, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan on their Academy Award nominations across the acting categories!

December 9th, join us for the last FilmEU Talks as a part of Lusófona University (Portugal) Audiovisual Week – a week dedicated to students being in contact with audiovisual specialists, researchers and professionals.

This will be an unique opportunity to watch the film “The Angel in the Wall”, directed by Lorenzo Bianchini and cinematography by Peter Zeitlinger. Recently, the film competed at the Camerimage Film Festival in Poland. The film is a great case study and it will be followed by a masterclass with the cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger.

December 5th, join us for the first FilmEU Talks as a part of Lusófona University (Portugal) Audiovisual Week – a week dedicated to students being in contact with audiovisual specialists, researchers and professionals.

Lusofona University will host filmmaker and photographer Nan Goldin for a special masterclass with students and professors from the Department of Cinema and Media Arts.

Nancy (Nan) Goldin, born September 12, 1953, is an American photographer and activist. Her work often explores LGBT subcultures, moments of intimacy, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and the opioid epidemic. Her most notable work is The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1986). The monograph documents the post-Stonewall, gay subculture and includes Goldin’s family and friends. She is a founding member of the advocacy group P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now).^[1] She lives and works in New York City, Berlin, and Paris.

Join us for the live broadcast, December 5^th, at 3:00pm, room C026.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsce6uqj4sHtMMfE3c-Va5NQOgt8mMuiGT?fbclid=IwAR1bkMrr_qdeVg43cfTDL3B5tRrXd2z1CNYZV3GDMYa-Q8quhNzveCG1xZg

Join us for the Portuguese edition of FilmEU’s Cineclub. Berlinale Forum and Visions du Reel 2021, fascinating documentary about an ex New York cab driver, who witnessed numerous Wall Street crashes.

It will take place Wednesday the 16^th of November in room A019, 4pm.

No Táxi do Jack / Jack’s Ride by Susana Nobre

At 63 years old and almost retired, Joaquim is forced to follow job centre rules so he can collect unemployment benefits. Despite knowing that he will never return to active life, he must go from company to company asking for stamps to attest that he is looking for work. In these trips he reminisces about his life as an immigrant in the U.S., where he worked as a cab driver in New York and witnessed numerous Wall Street crashes. 

Visit www.filmeu.eu for more information. Or follow @filmeualliance for more updates.

30th June 2022, the FilmEU team were present at the Campus of the European Universities in Versailles, along with the representatives of other 41 higher education alliances.

FilmEU Team had the opportunity to meet with the representatives, staff and students of all European Universities Alliances and had fruitful discussions on different approaches and challenges the alliances are dealing with. FilmEU representatives had also a chance to meet with the French Minister for Higher Education and Research Sylvie Retailleau.

The Campus of the European Universities was organised by the French Presidency in the European Commission. It was a great opportunity for networking and getting to know colleagues from other alliances.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) announced the 26 winning consortia selected to take part in the EIT HEI Initiative. The FilmEU Alliance is a full partner in the C-ACCELERATE project, coordinated by IDBM and Aalto University. The C-Accelerate project aims to accelerate the role of creative communities through the exploration of entrepreneurial education and radical creativity within European education. The approval of C-Accelerate is a unique opportunity to boost the innovation capacity of our institutions.

Read more here.

Wednesday the 16^th of March in room A021 Cineclub was held.  This time the Cineclub will be held by Baltic Film Media and Arts School (BFM) https://www.tlu.ee/en/bfm

Goodbye Soviet Union is a first feature of director Lauri Randla, based loosely on his childhood. The film was released during Covid cinema-closures, but still managed to become the most seen Estonian film in Finnish cinemas. It went on to win multiple awards and A-list festival nominations, including Camerimage Golden Frog nomination, Tallinn Black Nights Festival Audience Award and many others.

Johannes is born into an Ingrian-Finnish family in the Estonian Soviet Republic. When his mother leaves for Finland, and he’s left to be raised by his grandparents, Johannes is forced to face life on his own. He falls deeply in love with his classmate Vera, takes risks, gets into fights, and gets punished. All the while, in the background, the Evil Empire collapses. As the Lenins fall and the Barbie dolls take over, the crocodile Genas and the Moskvitches are forced to step aside, leaving the road to the West wide open. Lauri Randla’s Goodbye, Soviet Union is a comedy about the adventures of the eccentric Tarkkinen family in the last days of the Soviet Union.

The screening will be followed by Q&A with Elen Lotman, the cinematographer of Goodbye Soviet Union.

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The next FilmEU Cineclub will be held by LUCA School of Arts on 16th February, 17h (CET).

We are proud to present an all-female edition! We will screen 5 animated short films from 5 different directors. Subsequently, all 5 directors will be present at LUCA for a Q&A open for all students and streaming for all FilmEU Schools!!!

The first film is by Sine Öziblige with #21x0x0!  21x0x0 is a surreal and humorous reflection of the 21st century. It depicts a girl and her online search for love in times of social media, speed-dating, cyberlove, hipster culture and post-net attitudes.

The second is Juliette by Lora D’Addazio! Lora takes us on a dark and twisted car ride in erotic animated horror short.

The third is Nienke Deutz with Bloeistraat 11!  Inseparable best friends spend their last summer holiday of childhood amusing themselves around the house. As summer progresses, an awkwardness descends on their friendship. Puberty seems determined to interrupt their bond.

The fourth is Amours Libres by Emily Worms! Amours Libres is about two friends who tell us their way of loving freely. It’s a tale of polyamory and politics.

Finally the fifth is Joke Van Den Hof with Mamada Perdida! “A melting paradise with a love game of two in it, who lose themselves in the passion of being each other’s first love.”

Location:
Cinema Fernando Lopes (Lusófona University)
Campus Sint-Lukas, C-3.17 (LUCA School of Arts)
IADT Dun Laoghaire
Tallinn University

Cineclub #2 is taking place on Wednesday the 10^th of November.  Four film nights are being organized throughout the academic year 2021-2022.  Each partner of the FilmEU alliance invites students and staff to watch a film that will take place simultaneously at the four institutions.  Students will not only watch an international film but they will also get a chance to participate in a masterclass with a question and answers session with guest speakers.  The second film of this series, is the Irish produced film Arracht and the Director Tom Sullivan will be available for discussion after the show.

Cineclub is where four film nights will be organized throughout the academic year 2021-2022.  Each partner of the FilmEU alliance will organize a night where students and staff can watch a film that will take place simultaneously at the four institutions.  These screenings will take place on the 20^th of October, 10^th of November and the 9^th of February and March.  Students will not only watch an international film but they will also get a chance to participate in a masterclass with a question and answers session with guest speakers.  The first film Vitalina Varela is Portuguese and the Director Pedro Costa will be available for discussion after the show.

Ruben Vandenborre is a Flemish screenwriter and director and a graduate of The Luca School of Arts. After graduating with his short film ‘Vriend van Goud’, he gained experience as a producer at Woestijnvis and on the set of fiction productions such as Gent-West.

His heart belongs to the children and family genre and he has written the screenplays for the Flemish-Dutch Netflix Christmas films ‘The Claus Family’, ‘The Claus Family 2’ and ‘The Claus Family 3’. He also directed the second movie and start shooting the third next July.

Besides that, he’s also the producer of ‘Hacked’, the first youth series of his production company Dingie, which won the Short form competition at Cannes.

Emer Reynolds is an Emmy award-winning Director and Film Editor, based in Dublin, Ireland.

Having studied Theoretical Physics in Trinity College, Dublin, Emer enjoyed a successful and multi-award winning 20 year career as a Film Editor, spanning features, TV Drama and documentaries, before transitioning into directing.

THE FARTHEST, her multi-awarded feature documentary on the Voyager spacecraft, won the 2018 EMMY for OUTSTANDING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY DOCUMENTARY and the prestigious 2018 National Academy of Sciences Communication Award.

Emer’s debut feature documentary, the Grierson nominated HERE WAS CUBA – which she co- directed with John Murray – tells the story of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and garnered widespread acclaim for its riveting and visceral storytelling.

Her critically acclaimed third feature documentary SONGS FOR WHILE I’M AWAY – a poetic, celebratory and intimate look at the life and work of iconic Thin Lizzy frontman, Philip Lynott – has just enjoyed a wide international cinema release and was recently broadcast on BBC2.

Emer has just completed her debut narrative feature JOYRIDE written by Ailbhe Keogan, which stars Oscar-winner Olivia Colman alongside newcomer Charlie Reid, and is due for cinema release in Summer ’22. Her next film project, an adaptation of passionate novel MONTPELIER PARADE by Dubliner Karl Geary, is slated for shoot in Winter ‘22.

Joachim Vleminckx is guiding the art team through the deep dungeons of game creation since 2014 for Larian Studios. Larian Studios was a small game company in Belgium till their first crowdfunded success, Divinity: Original Sin, won over 150 awards and nominations and grow out of one of the best RPG game studios in the world.

Joachim worked as an Environment artist for almost 10 years before he started to work as an ART Director for the successful game Divinity: Original Sin 2. This game was launched with a 93 Metacritic rating, as well as over 160 awards (Including the Bafta for Best Multiplayer Game) and counting! Thanks to the success of these two games, the Larian family has grown to over 300 people around the world, working in Ghent, Quebec, Dublin, Kuala Lumpur, Guildford and Barcelona studios.

Currently Joachim is working on the game, Baldur’s Gate 3 that is in Early Access.

Making any game is an adventure. Joachim will talk about his art adventures in creating believable game worlds for international RPG games.

Eímear Noone is a Dublin based conductor and award-winning Irish composer, composing extensively for film and videogame. As one of the world’s premier composers of games scores, Eímear is responsible for some of the most enduring soundscapes on World of Warcraft and other best-selling video games. Through her music on World of WarCraft, Eímear’s music has reached over a 100 million people and continually inspired players to invent and build new worlds for nearly 15 years. Her composition portfolio of 26 film and video-game titles have received multiple industry accolades including the “Hollywood Music in Media Award” for “Best Video Game Score”.

Recently, Eímear composed the score for the animated feature film, ‘Two by Two: Overboard’, which topped the UK Box Office in October 2020. She has also worked on film scores for directors such as Gus Van Sant and Joe Dante, orchestrating for Oscar nominee Javier Navarrette (composer of “Pan’s Labyrinth”) creating haunting music for thrillers Mirrors and The Hole.

Alongside composing, Eímear conducts orchestras worldwide – notably in 2020, Eímear made history by becoming the first female conductor to perform at the 92nd Academy Award’s ceremony.

As a leading conductor of video game programmes, Eimear has conducted orchestras including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Danish National Symphony and she was chosen by Nintendo to conduct the first ever 3D filming of a game score and has recorded game scores for Sony Interactive. She has also toured as conductor for The Legend of Zelda, Symphony of the Goddesses, a full four-movement symphony created from the themes from this iconic videogame. Eímear was invited to conduct on the 25th Anniversary recording, which set industry records for soundtrack sales.

As one of the first night mayors in the world, Mirik Milan has played an instrumental role in the reshaping of Amsterdam’s nightlife scene into one of the most vibrant and economically robust in the world, and his innovative position is been replicated in major cities around the world, like New York, Paris and London.

Nowadays Mirik Milan is a nightlife consultant, co-founder of VibeLab and author of the paper ‘Governing the night-time city: The rise of night mayors as a new form of urban governance after dark’. In January 2020 the journal Urban Studies released this first qualitative study on night mayors around the world. To date 65 cities installed a similar position in their cities in the recent years.

VibeLab is a purpose drive consultancy agency, developing strategies and trailblazing a largely untapped research field: life at night. In 2017 VibeLab launched a research methodology named Creative Footprint (CFP) for measuring creativity in cities at night.

The CFP is a data drive initiative that maps and indexes creative space to measure the impact of nightlife and cultural activity on cities globally. The methodology goes beyond economic impact, prioritizing original content, interdisciplinary connections, and cross-functional spaces for thriving local scenes. CFP empowers grassroots movements that fuel innovations for the creative and cultural industries. The study benchmarks cities to better understand the health and mechanisms behind successful creative places. CFP was conducted data mappings of Berlin, New York, Tokyo and Stockholm is forthcoming.

In 2020 VibeLab launched an online hub of international knowledge exchange, for anyone interested in the planning and protection of life after dark named: Nightime.org.

The event is free, but registration is necessary: Link here

STEN KAUBER / Junior Research Fellow/ Freelance Film Critic /Centre of Excellence in Media Innovation and Digital Culture /Tallinn University

What will cinema-going look like after the crisis and what will lure audiences back to cinema theatres? The talk envisions future elements of cinema culture by drawing on the speaker’s ongoing PhD research project, which deals with how film experiences are being shaped by production, distribution, exhibition, and consumption practices.

Sten is currently finishing his PhD dissertation, which examines Estonian film audiences multidimensionally by focusing on the practices that shape and encourage film consumption. His research interests include audience studies, production studies, film culture, film criticism, and material culture.

The event is free, but registration is mandatory. Link here.

TIM WAGENDORP | Sustainability coordinator | Flanders Audiovisual Fund | Belgium

“Having an environmental background, I feel somehow atypical in the audio-visual sector.” After working as an environmental scientist and policy expert for a federation of reuse companies, Tim Wagendorp has been the sustainability coordinator at the VAF since March 2017. “My main focus is on VAF-supported film and media productions, but I also raise awareness at other VAF-related areas like at physical cinemas, during the screenwriting process, games, animation and in education. We use the Sustainable Development Goals as a moral compass for our work. We exchange our knowledge as much as possible and play an active role within Green Screen (and EURECA), Cineregio and EFAD. ”

The event is free, but registration is mandatory. Link here

Lenny Abrahamson is one of Ireland’s best known and respected film and television directors. He is known for directing such praised independent films as Adam & Paul (2004), Garage (2007), What Richard Did (2012), and Frank (2014).

In 2015, he received widespread recognition for directing Room, based on the novel of the same name by Emma Donoghue. The film received four nominations at the 88th Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director for Abrahamson. In 2020, he directed six episodes of and executive produced the television series Normal People, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series.

The event is free, but registration is mandatory. Link here.

Manuel José Damásio holds a Ph.D in Media studies by the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and a tenure by Universidade do Minho. He is an Associate Professor and the Head of the Film and Media Arts Department at Lusófona University. He holds a vast experience in consulting and production concerning several areas of the field of audiovisual and multimedia production. He is the author of several papers and chapters in international peer-reviewed publications and was the principal investigator in numerous international R&D projects. He is the chair of GEECT – the European association of film and media schools and a member of the board of CILECT – International association of film and media schools. He is the coordinator of FILMEU.

The event is free, but registration is mandatory. Link here.

FilmEU believes Europe has all the right leads needed in order to play a key role at international level in the area of Film and Media Arts. These include the rel­evance of Europe’s historical filmic cultural heritage, the dynamism of its production sector, which services all creative outputs from pure entertainment to the highest artistic formats, and the unique educational offer already in place.

We share the belief that cinema and media arts lie at the centre of social transformations and economic growth which the creative sector can spur if proper collaborative networks are successfully erected. Building on more than a decade of success­ful cooperation, we envision positioning ourselves as key players in driving education, innovation and research in Film and Media Arts and in promoting the central role the creative and cultural industries can and should have in our societies.

In order to do so, FilmEU institutions will deepen their existing collaboration. We will develop and implement a joint governance model that engages all stakeholders including students. We will reinforce mobility within the Alliance via the implementation of digital tools. We will develop new joint programmes while harmonising the curriculum and pedagogical approaches of existing ones. We will increase the sharing of resources, services and staff in the context of joint education and research activi­ties. Moreover, we will jointly work in order to increase the overall capacity and competitiveness of our institutions.

Management Team

Barry Dignam | Head of Department of European Projects

Rónán O’Muirthile | Head of Faculty of Film, Art & Creative Technology

Linda Carroll | European Projects Coordinator

Academic Leads
Conor Brennan
Damien Byrne
Deirdre O’Toole
David Quin

Working Group
Paul Curran
Claire McGing
Maurice Coen
Colm Hennessy
Elena Somoza
Ruth Barry
Diog O’Connoll
Brian Carty
Stephen Boyd
Michael Connerty
Frank Reid

• A common joint governance structure that will implement cooperatively designed policies and action plans in order to increase the profile of Film and Media Arts education, innovation and research in Europe;
• Common degrees with harmonized curriculums and alternative paths of specialization and embedded mobility;
• A network of centres of competences named “FILMEU HUB” based on a number of common infrastructures – labs – that span the main areas of research and technical expertise on which the consortium is focused and that support an innovative challenge based pedagogical model;
• Common virtual spaces and digital tools for learning and services including a virtual learning and collaboration space, a common production management tool, a common media management tool and repository, and a common media facilities and equipment management tool;
• The harmonisation of existing curricula at the bachelor level and three new Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees and a joint PhD programme, coupled with a common quality assurance system, a common staff development program focusing on pedagogical competences as well as a common tenure system to attract and retain talent.

• The design and enactment of a set of common structures of governance and sharing of human resources, physical and virtual infrastructure;
• The implementation of joint digital services and common system for digitize mobility management;
• The positioning of entrepreneurship education as a vital part of all the programmes offered by the Alliance;
• The implementation of a common model for practice and artistic-based research and a common tenure system;
• The development of new joint educational programmes at all levels, from bachelor to PhD, to attract students from all over the world in order to build a multicultural community of engaged and critically aware citizens.