FilmEU Industry Summit 2026: Connecting Creative Economies, Innovation and Screen Culture

The FilmEU Industry Summit 2026 will be held 28-30 October at the Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland. The event will bring together academics, students, researchers and industry professionals from across the FilmEU alliance and beyond to discuss how greater links between screen culture, innovation, education, industry and audiences can help to shape the future of Europe's creative economy.

Under the theme 'Connected Creative Economies: Screen Culture, Innovation and the European Creative Economy' the summit will look at the role of film and media as not just forms of cultural expression but as engines of economic growth, innovation and social connection.

The programme includes keynote addresses, specialist masterclasses, panel sessions, workshops, student activities and networking. It's a space in which participants can share knowledge, explore new practices and develop new collaborations across the creative sector.

A real highlight of day one will be the keynote address by Dr Neasa Hardiman (BAFTA winner in the field of internationally successful film and television). Her talk "Connecting Creative Disciplines: A Life in Storytelling" will look at her experience as a designer, documentary filmmaker, writer and director across both the big and small screen.

The programme will also look at the competitive position of smaller film industries via Cathrin Helen Bengessera on behalf of CresCine. There will be sessions on film industry data analytics, creative technology, accessibility, inclusion and gender equality in the creative industries. Student focused activities will include a podcast making masterclass and an audiovisual skills workshop. There will also be a number of parallel activities designed to encourage creative exploration and cross disciplinary working.

On Thursday 29th October the summit will be looking at AI and the creative industries, virtual production, STEAM (the integration of the arts and sciences) and the skills that the next generation of creative practitioners will need. There will also be opportunities to experience IADT's Immersive Studio with live demonstrations of virtual production workflows (virtual scouting, camera tracking, real time lighting, in camera VFX etc).

The day will feature pitching sessions from the Changemaker and FilmEU Imagination Challenge, as well as Elevate at IADT (a showcase of research and creative work). In the evening FilmEU and CILECT delegates will meet up for a networking event and then there will be a screening of Maurice O'Brien's documentary Listen to the Land Speak.

The final day (Friday 30th October) continues the focus on innovation in film and media education with sessions on learning psychology, virtual production, digital character creation and animation. There will be a masterclass in MetaHuman creation and animation in Unreal Engine 5.8 which will be an intensive introduction for students and academics to MetaHuman Creator. The programme will also include a presentation of the FilmEU Toolkit Roadmap and a session on cineDESK looking at collaborative previs for virtual production and film education.

Alongside the public programme the summit will also provide space for the FilmEU working groups, the academic representatives and the project teams to meet and work on collaboration across the alliance.

The FilmEU Imagination Challenge (supported by the Dublin International Film Festival) will bring the alliance students together for a programme of ideation, development, mentoring and pitch training with a focus on The Audience Experience. There will be other parallel activities in place too (the Changemaker initiative Exploring the Natural Worlds being one) which will provide the students with the opportunity to explore creative approaches to some of the more interdisciplinary challenges.

By bringing together a range of perspectives, professional practice and pedagogical approaches the FilmEU Industry Summit 2026 is aiming to strengthen the links between Europe's screen industries and the wider creative economy and to create opportunities for future collaboration between higher education, research and industry.

The FilmEU and IADT communities are both very much invited to be part of the summit and to take part in the discussions which will be shaping the future of Europe's creative industries.

Programme Highlights by Day

Wednesday, 28 October — Storytelling, Creative Technology and Inclusion

The opening day will be all about storytelling, the competitiveness of the film industries, creative technology and inclusion.

• Official Summit Opening: Welcome address by IADT President David Smith and Rónán Ó Muirthile, Dean of External Engagement at IADT.
• Opening Keynote: Dr Neasa Hardiman - Connecting the Creative Disciplines: A Life in Storytelling.
• CresCine Keynotes: on the competitiveness of small film industries and the FIDA Film Industry Data Analytics tool.
• Creative Technology for Innovation, Inclusion and Collaboration: a panel on virtual production, emerging screen technologies and accessibility.
• EDI Industry Panel: The importance of gender equality in the creative industries.
• Student Activities: A podcast making masterclass with VŠMU students and an audiovisual skills workshop.
• Parallel Activities: The Changemaker initiative, Exploring the Natural Worlds, the FilmEU Imagination Challenge and the Future Scenarios Writers Gathering.

Thursday, 29 October — AI, Virtual Production and Future Industry Skills

Day two looks at emerging technologies, interdisciplinary working and the professional skills that are needed in a changing creative economy.

• AI and the Creative Industries: A panel discussion on AI and creative practice.
• Virtual Production Open Studio: Live demos in IADT's Immersive Studio covering Unreal Engine environments, camera tracking, real time lighting and in camera VFX.
• The Cultural Genogram: Sensitivity & Awareness of Self. A session with Dr Yaqoub BouAynaya.
• Changemaker Pitching Presentations: showcasing the work developed as part of Exploring the Natural Worlds.
• FilmEU Imagination Challenge pitching presentations: students present the ideas they've developed around The Audience Experience.
• Elevate at IADT: a showcase of research on documentary filmmaking in Ireland and the long-term impact of the public health messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Capturing STEAM: When disciplines entangle: a conversation about interdisciplinary approaches and future collaboration within the FilmEU Cosmos.
• Future Industry Skills: A panel on sustainable filmmaking, workplace culture, inclusion, adaptability, entrepreneurship and the future of career pathways.
• FilmEU x CILECT Networking Hour: an opportunity for delegates to network and swap ideas.
• Documentary Screening: Listen to the Land Speak (dir. Maurice O'Brien)

Friday, 30 October — Innovation in Film and Media Education

The last day will be all about the educational approaches, virtual production tools and the range of new creative technologies.

• cineDESK: Previsualising Together: cineDesk for Virtual Production and Film Education (presented by Zurich University of the Arts)
• Learning Psychology in Film and Media Education: a session by Kristiina Raud (Tallinn University)
• MetaHuman creation & animation in Unreal Engine 5.8: an intensive masterclass for students and academics in the field of character creation and animation.
• FilmEU Toolkit Roadmap: Presentation by Manuel José Damásio (Lusófona University)
• Imaginarium: A session on the launch of the Imagination Centre and the FilmEU laboratories' education-focused Token System.
• FilmEU Collaboration Meetings: meetings for the working groups, the academic reps and the project teams to go over the work in progress and look at what's coming up.

The programme also includes parallel FilmEU working group meetings, providing space for coordination and collaboration across the alliance.

Check the complete programme here.