National and international film festivals and their teams are invited to take part in the annual SMART7 meeting. Would you like to find out more about film festivals and how they operate?
SMART7 is a European network of seven film festivals established in 2023, whose aim is to share best practice and insights on cinema and the challenges film festivals face in the current European context.
In addition to an annual travelling competition featuring seven film premieres from the seven countries represented by this network (Kino Pavasaris – Lithuania, IndieLisboa – Portugal, FILMADRID – Spain, Transilvania IFF – Romania, TAURON New Horizons IFF – Poland, Reykjavik IFF – Iceland, and Thessaloniki IFF – Greece), the Smart7 network organises a meeting on various themes, open to other film festivals.
This gathering takes place every year in early December in one of the countries belonging to the network. At each edition, the partners come together for two days for a series of workshops and discussions centred on a specific theme or pressing issues within their professional context. Previous editions have covered topics such as securing partnerships, managing teams and volunteers, sustainability, mental health and inclusive workplaces.
In 2026, from 3 to 4 December, SMART7 will convene once again and invites film festivals from around the world to gather in Lisbon for two days of practical workshops and the exchange of ideas.
On the first day, the discussion will centre on topics related to crisis management. Through case studies and group exercises, the aim is to examine the best mechanisms to put in place and how to draw up an action plan during an emergency.
The second day, 4 December, will be entirely dedicated to Artificial Intelligence in organisational settings, focusing on efficient and effective practices for its use to facilitate cross-functional work across all teams. It will be a practical workshop mentored by Chelsea Rustrum, involving the use of appropriate equipment and software.*
Here’s what you need to know:
Venue: Goethe-Institut Lisbon
Times: 9.00 am–6.00 pm
Free registration by emailing [email protected] and [email protected]
The two-day training course will be conducted in English and includes lunch and refreshments.
*What you will need to prepare in advance before the 4th of December workshop:
— Claude Pro account (one per person)
— Laptop with an up-to-date operating system
— Claude desktop app (downloaded and signed in)
— Fill-in this online survey until the 14th November
It will be also recorded a short intro video for people to watch beforehand, covering what to expect and how to get set up.