FilmEU Summit

On Sunday 1st & Monday 2nd October 2023 the first FilmEU + Rectors Meeting took place in Leuven, Belgium. The four rectors of the FilmEU consortium and the four rectors (and/or representatives) of the new FilmEU partners (VIA University College, Denmark – The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre – National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, Bulgaria – Academy of Performing Arts, Slovakia) which will join FilmEU soon in November 2023, met to discuss their future alliance and next steps as FilmEU+ and sign the joint mission.

As one of the four partners in the FilmEU consortium, LUCA School of Arts C-mine Genk is delighted to host this international academic gathering from the 2nd to 6th of October. The accompanying exhibition ‘Peripheral Perspectives’, which showcases 12 audiovisual works by European researchers, will run simultaneously in the nearby C-mine Design Centre.

The full summit schedule is available here.

FilmEU is a European Commission-supported collaboration between four European colleges or universities of audiovisual and media arts. Besides LUCA School of Arts (Belgium), Lusófona University (Portugal), BFM -Tallinn University (Estonia), and IADT (Ireland) are also part of the consortium.

Each year, the cooperation culminates in a week-long ‘Summit’ with keynotes, talks and a wide array of related activities. This year’s theme: ‘Fakenews.Fakeworld.Fakeidentity.Trust yourself.’, focuses on the many aspects of generative tools (AI) and specifically its impact on the creative industries, education and society. Both the dangers e.g.misinformation, job deterioration are discussed but also with a keen eye for the opportunities that lie ahead, leading to the question: How can we handle these generative tools responsibly?

Barry Dignam, Head of European Projects at the National Film School IADT spoke about the summit:

“At this third FilmEU summit, we stand at the threshold of a significant transformation, transitioning from a project into a fully-fledged program with a clear destination: the European University for the Cultural and Creative Industries. Our mission is to renew existing partnerships and forge new ones as we expand from four to eight HEIs. Throughout this journey, we’ll explore the exciting possibilities of AI and cutting-edge technologies, while also addressing the challenges they present. Together, we’re charting a course towards a future rich in opportunities.”

The venue Thor Central and C-mine Crib, in close proximity to the campus houses our summit programme. There is also the accompanying expo ‘Peripheral Perspectives’, which is free to visit at C-mine Design Centre from 4 to 7 October. Twelve audiovisual works show the versatility of artistic research in film, documentary, animation and media art. All FilmEU partners including LUCA School of Arts are participating in the expo.

For more information on FilmEU, please visit www.filmeu.eu.

Click here for more info on the expo ‘FILMEU ARE 2023 – Peripheral Perspectives’. It is free to visit from 4 to 7 October between 10am and 5pm.