FilmEU Summit 2021
FilmEU, The European University of Film and Media Arts, held its first yearly summit between the 21st and the 24th of September 2021 in Lisbon. The purpose of the summit was to show progress in the development of the project and to share results with the broader academic community of the four institutions that integrate FILMEU. Both closed and public sessions were organized which not only gave the members of FILMEU the chance of an in-depth analysis of the current state of the project but also to enjoy the meaningful interactions within the international conference on the “Challenges and Opportunities”. The summit also included a showcase of some of the best projects developed by FILMEU students in the past years.
The presentation that was probably most referred to during the summit was Anna Valtonen’s “The role of the cultural and creative sectors in the recovery of a post-covid Europe.” Anna Valtonen from Aalto University in Finland really identified the larger framework of the cultural industries in general. She also pointed out the relevance of the biggest challenges that we are currently facing: sustainability and how new innovations, new ideas and perspectives could add up to the list of already existing initiatives. The presentation’s end really showed that even though there is a wave of change coming towards us, it is also a wave of opportunities that we should use to work together for a better future.
How did the other members of FILMEU see the summit? Here are some quotes:
“The summit was a delight. Not only did we get to meet our colleagues face to face for the first time, but we also had the opportunity to reach out and discuss some of the most pressing issues facing film education and indeed society as we look toward a post-pandemic Europe.” Barry Dignam | Head of Department of European Projects for IADT
“A comprehensive event that focused on challenges, ideas and solutions while keeping in mind the big picture. It really was inspiring to be a part of it.” Silvia Deisler | Task Force Member
“The FilmEU 2021 Summit was a true exercise in intellectual exchange. It shone a light on innovative solutions for dealing with major hurdles that cross-European higher education in film and media currently faces.” Érica Faleiro Rodrigues - Task Force Member for Lusófona
"The FILMEU summit was the perfect setting for different reasons. Since LUCA is a multicampus school it was the first time the different LUCA participants came together physically and therefore could better discuss the future impact of the project on LUCA as a whole. The summit made clear that the opportunities for education and research of the ERASMUS FILMEU project and the HORIZON FILMEU-RIT are endless and that every participant in the room can contribute on different levels. Moreover, the summit showed a lot of people, students and staff, very passionate about the future collaborations." Veerle Van der Sluys, vice-dean Research and Internationalization LUCA School of Arts.
