FilmEU Industry Summit 2026
We are delighted to announce the FilmEU Industry Summit 2026, which will be hosted by the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland.
This three-day event is scheduled to take place from Wednesday, October 28 to Friday, October 30, 2026.
The theme of this year’s summit is Connected Creative Economies: Screen Culture, Innovation and the European Creative Economy – reflecting on the idea that the future of Europe’s creative industries depends on stronger connections between screen culture, innovation, education, industry and audiences.
It recognises film and media not only as vital forms of cultural expression, but as drivers of economic growth, new ideas and social connection.
The format of this year's summit is centred on specialised masterclasses, keynote addresses and student activities delivered by industry professionals and invited academics.
We are especially delighted to welcome Dr Neasa Hardiman, a BAFTA-winning leader in globally successful prestige film and TV projects, who will deliver the keynote address.
Alongside parallel activities and closed meetings for specific groups, the programme offers many opportunities for the wider audience to engage and participate.
The entire FilmEU and IADT communities are welcome and strongly encouraged to get involved in these sessions.
The week's activities will officially kick-off on Wednesday, October 28 in the National Film School with a speech by IADT President David Smith shortly followed by the keynote address by Neasa Hardiman.
A screening of Maurice O'Brien's documentary, Listen to the Land Speak will take place on Thursday, October 29 as well as a networking hour for FilmEU and CILECT delegates in the Digital Media Building.
The FilmEU Imagination Challenge, supported by the Dublin International Film Festival, will also be hosted during the summit with participating students from across the alliance congregating for a week of ideation development, tutoring, and pitch training.
Full programme
- Various times: Alumni exhibition
DMB (Social Space) All participants
- All day: Future Scenarios Writers Gathering
Dr Elena Trencheva, NATFA & Koenraad Hinnekint, LUCA School of Arts
DMB201 Industry Summit (closed) - 14:00: Changemaker
Exploring the Natural Worlds
Jeppe Olesen, VIA University College
Student activities - Day 1
QS155 (NFS) Student event (closed)
- 08:30: Participant registration
National Film School foyer Industry Summit - 09:15: Official Summit opening
President Mr David Smith and Rónán Ó Muirthile, Dean of External Engagement, IADT
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 10:00: Opening Keynote | Dr Neasa Hardiman
Connecting Creative Disciplines: A Life in Storytelling
From design and documentary to writing and directing drama for the big and small screen
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - All day: Future Scenarios Writers Gathering
Dr Elena Trencheva, NATFA & Koenraad Hinnekint, LUCA School of Arts
DMB201 Industry Summit (closed) - All day: Changemaker
Exploring the Natural Worlds
Jeppe Olesen, VIA University College
Student activities – Day 2
QS155 (NFS) Student event (closed) - All day: Imagination Challenge
The Audience Experience
Clyde Doyle and Shirley Casey, IADT
Student Activities – Day 1
QS157 (NFS) Student event (closed) - 10:45: Coffee break
National Film School foyer All participants - 11:00: CresCine | Is it tough to be small? Small film industries pathways to competitiveness
Cathrin Helen Bengesser, Aarhus University
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 11:00: Student Masterclass | Making a Podcast with VŠMU Students Register here
DMB104 Student event - 11:00: Advisory Board meeting
C040 FilmEU+ (closed) - 12:00: CresCine | FIDA - Film Industry Data Analytics tool and repository
FIDA: A tool for exploration of film lifecycle from production to distribution
Dr Ksenia Mukhina, Tallinn University
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 13:00: Lunch
National Film School foyer All participants - 14:00: CCIS Panel Discussion: Creative Technology for Innovation, Inclusion and Collaboration
Panellists;
Peter Canning, Founder, High Res. An Emmy Award-winning creative technology specialist with extensive experience in virtual production, VFX and emerging screen production technologies;
Alice Daly, Creative Producer, High Res;
Óran O’Neill, Audio Description Specialist. Bringing expertise in accessibility, audio description and the potential for technology to enable more inclusive approaches to screenwriting and screen production;
Ruth Treacy, Producer, Tailored Films.
Moderator: Michael Glennon, IADT
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 15:45: Coffee break
National Film School foyer All participants - 16:00: EDI Industry Panel - The Importance of Gender Equality in the Creative Industries
Panelists;
Dr Susan Liddy, Mary Immaculate College;
Prof. Temara Prem, AFDA Durban;
Paraic McQuaid, IADT;
Dr Anne O'Brien, Maynooth University;
Marc van de Walle, LUCA School of Arts.
Moderator: Claire McGing, IADT
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 16:00: Student Workshop | Audiovisual skills Register here
DMB104 Student event - 16:00: Samsara Toolkit workshop
Marc Van De Walle, LUCA School of Arts & Érica Faleiro Rodrigues, Lusófona University
C038 FilmEU+ - 17:30: Student Council meeting
Uku Talmar, Tallinn University
C040 FilmEU+ (closed)
- All day: Leadership Council meeting
C040 FilmEU+ (closed) - All day: Changemaker
Exploring the Natural Worlds
Jeppe Olesen, VIA University College
Student activities – Day 3
QS155 Student programme (closed) - All day: Imagination Challenge
The Audience Experience
Clyde Doyle and Shirley Casey, IADT
Student Activities - Day 2
QS157 Student programme (closed) - All day: Future Scenarios Writers Gathering
Dr Elena Trencheva, NATFA & Koenraad Hinnekint, LUCA School of Arts
A118 Industry Summit (closed) - All day: Virtual Production Open Studio
Drop into IADT’s Immersive Studio for a live introduction to virtual production workflows, from virtual scouting and VCam operation through to tracked-camera shooting on the LED volume. Visitors will be able to see how Unreal Engine environments, camera tracking, real-time lighting and in-camera VFX come together on set, with demonstrations of how virtual locations can be explored, reframed and altered while shooting. The studio will operate as an open demonstration space throughout the session, allowing visitors to join at any point, observe the workflow in practice and discuss potential creative, production and research applications with the studio team.
John Buckley and Andrew Edgar, IADT
Immersive Studio (Atrium Building) Industry Summit (drop in/drop out) - 09:30: Panel Discussion: AI and the Creative Industries
Panelists include;
Chaitanya Chinchlikar, Vice President & Business Head, Whistling Woods International
Kristian Mott, VIA University College
Michelle Amor Gillie, Clinical Professor, Loyola Marymount University
Moderator: Dr Audrey Stenson, IADT
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 10:45: Coffee break
All participants - 11:00: The Cultural Genogram; Sensitivity & Awarenss of Self
Dr Yaqoub BouAynaya, IADT
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 13:00: Lunch
DMB Canteen CILECT and FilmEU delegates - 14:00: Changemaker Pitching Presentations
Exploring the Natural Worlds
Jeppe Olesen, VIA University College
A019 Industry Summit - 14:00: Imagination Challenge Pitching Presentations
The Audience Experience
Clyde Doyle and Shirley Casey, IADT
C030 Industry Summit (closed) - 14:00: Catalyser | Using the metadata tool
Andres Kõnno, Tallinn University
A116 Industry Summit (closed) - 14:00: Elevate at IADT | Research Showcase
Documentary filmmaking in Ireland - Precarious creativity or creative precarity?: Dr Judith Pernin, IADT
Encounters With COVID-19 Residue: Inattention And Abandoned Public Health Messaging: Eilís Nolan, IADT
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 14:45: Joint FilmEU + CILECT ELIA Session
Artistic Research
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit with CILECT - 15:45: Coffee break
National Film School foyer All participants - 16:00: Panel Discussion: Future Industry Skills
Panelists include;
Marko Luukkonen, Arts Academy, Turku University of Applied Sciences
Moderator: Vanessa Gildea, IADT
Studio 1 (NFS) Industry Summit - 16:00: C-Accelerate Part 1
Sensemaking Discussion
Lusófona University
C026 All participants - 17:00: C-Accelerate Part 2
Presentation of the Mapping Exercise Results
Lusófona University
C026 C-Accelerate (closed) - 18:30: FilmEU x CILECT Networking Hour
(Drinks and canapes)
DMB, Third floor open space FilmEU & CILECT delegates - 19:30: Documentary screening: Listen to the Land Speak
Director: Maurice O'Brien, IADT
Studio 1 (NFS) All participants
- All day: Work package meetings
QS155 and QS157 FilmEU+ (closed) - 09:30: Academic Council meeting
C040 FilmEU+ (closed) - 09:15: cineDESK
Previsualising Together: cineDesk for Virtual Production and Film Education
Zurich University of the Arts
Immersive Studio (Atrium Building) Industry Summit - 10:00: Learning Psychology in Film and Media Education
Kristiina Raud, Tallinn University
C038 Industry Summit - 10:00: Masterclass | MetaHuman Creation & Animation in Unreal Engine 5.8
A 1-day intensive introduction for students and academics new to Unreal Engine, focusing on Reimagining Characters with MetaHuman Creator.
Brian Rossney, Red Spider Studios and Damien Byrne, IADT Register here
IADT Room Industry Summit - 10:45: Coffee break
DMB Canteen All participants - 11:00: Toolkit Roadmap presentation
Manuel José Damásio, Lusófona University
C038 Industry Summit - 11:30: Imaginarium
In this session, we will give an overview of deliverable 8.5: Report on the Imagination Centre launch, followed by an in-depth discussion of the FilmEU laboratory's education-oriented Token System, aiming to reach an initial agreement
Dr Ermo Säks, Tallinn University & Katrine Broe Møller Sørensen, VIA University College
A116 FilmEU+ (Stakeholders session) - 11:30: Steering Committee meeting
Part One
C040 FilmEU+ (closed) - 13:00: Lunch
DMB Canteen All participants - 14:00: Steering Committee meeting
Part Two
C040 FilmEU+ (closed) - 14:00: FilmEU 2.0 Writing Team Meeting
C026 FilmEU+ (closed)


