Od 11. do 12. lipnja 2026. Motovila (CED Slovenija), u suradnji s Međunarodnim filmskim festivalom Kino Otok – Isola Cinema, ugostila je u Izoli prvi susret europskih mreža filmskih festivala, koji su osmislili i organizirali deskovi Kreativne Europe MEDIA. Susret je okupio pet festivalskih mreža, a time i čak 30 europskih festivala, te je među sudionicima ocijenjen kao iznimno vrijedan korak prema povezanijoj, strateški usmjerenoj i utjecajnoj europskoj festivalskoj zajednici.
Susret je otvorio ključna pitanja o tome kako festivalske mreže koje podupire Kreativna Europa MEDIA zajednički re(de)finiraju svoje razumijevanje festivalske publike u vremenu obilježenom brzim društvenim i tehnološkim promjenama, fragmentiranom pažnjom i sve složenijim obrascima kulturnog sudjelovanja. Razgovaralo se o promjenjivim navikama publike, novim strategijama njezina angažmana, kuriranju festivalskih programa te razvoju participativnih modela koji publiku uključuju kao aktivne sukreatore. Velik dio rasprave bio je posvećen i digitalnim alatima koji omogućuju nove oblike interakcije, hibridno sudjelovanje i uvide u publiku temeljene na podacima.
Druga tematska cjelina bila je posvećena prekograničnoj suradnji, razmjeni znanja i otpornosti festivalskog sektora. Predstavnici mreža istaknuli su važnost zajedničkog učenja, dijeljenja stručnih znanja i suoblikovanja modela koji jačaju organizacijske kapacitete i dugoročnu stabilnost festivala. Poseban naglasak stavljen je na kvalitativne učinke festivala i njihovih mreža — ishode koji se često odvijaju postupno i teško su mjerljivi, no igraju ključnu ulogu u pokretanju srednjoročnih i dugoročnih, višeslojnih promjena u europskom audiovizualnom sektoru.
Obje tematske cjeline promatrane su kroz prizmu inovacije, definirane kao novi pristupi kojima festivali povezuju ljude, omogućuju kruženje filmova, dijele znanje i održavaju kulturne zajednice. U tom kontekstu inovacija nadilazi samu tehnologiju — obuhvaća suradničke prakse, pristupe usmjerene na publiku i organizacijske modele koji jačaju relevantnost, dostupnost, otpornost i dugoročnu održivost festivala.
Hrvatska je na susretu bila zastupljena kroz mrežu Mreža festivala jadranske regije u kojoj sudjeluje i Zagreb Film Festival, koji je u Izoli predstavljala Franka Bihar.
U sklopu dvodnevnog događanja, 11. lipnja održan je i javni okrugli stol „In Festival Networks: Creative Connections Among the Film Communities of the Future”, kao otvoreni segment programa namijenjen zainteresiranoj festivalskoj i stručnoj javnosti. Fokus je bio na prenosivim praksama te na važnosti razumijevanja i angažiranja publike kao temelja za razvoj relevantnih, dostupnih i održivih programa, a otvoreno je i pitanje dobrobiti festivalskih timova i publike. Raspravu je moderirala Sabina Briški Karlić, voditeljica potprograma MEDIA pri CED Slovenija (Motovila).
Događanje su zajednički organizirali Motovila – CED Slovenija i partnerski DKE - Uredi MEDIA iz Belgije (Flandrija), Bosne i Hercegovine, Češke, Danske, Hrvatske, Italije (Torino), Litve i Njemačke (Berlin–Brandenburg), u suradnji s festivalom Kino Otok – Isola Cinema.
Susret u Izoli istaknuo je trajnu ulogu mreže DKE - Ureda MEDIA kao spona unutar europskog filmskog krajolika i potaknuo nove suradničke pristupe među europskim filmskim festivalima.
Naslovna fotografija: © Yue Feng
Više informacija: Inside Festival Networks: Izola as a Hub for European Festival Communities
Between 11 and 12 June 2026, Motovila (CED Slovenia), in collaboration with the Kino Otok – Isola Cinema International Film Festival, hosted in Izola the first Meeting of European film festival networks, conceived and organised by the Creative Europe MEDIA Desks. The event brought together five festival networks and thus as many as 30 European festivals, and was rated by participants as an exceptionally valuable step toward a more connected, strategically focused and high-impact European festival community.
The meeting raised key questions about how festival networks supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA are jointly re(de)fining their understanding of festival audiences in an era marked by rapid social and technological shifts, fragmented attention spans and increasingly complex patterns of cultural engagement. Discussions touched on changing audience habits, new strategies for audience engagement, the curation of festival programmes, and the development of participatory models that involve audiences as active co-creators. A significant part of the discussion was devoted to digital tools that enable new forms of interaction, hybrid participation and data-driven audience insights.
The second thematic section was dedicated to cross-border cooperation, knowledge exchange and the resilience of the festival sector. Representatives of the networks emphasised the importance of collaborative learning, sharing professional expertise and co-developing models that strengthen organisational capacities and the long-term stability of festivals. Special emphasis was placed on the qualitative impacts of festivals and their networks — outcomes that often unfold gradually and are difficult to quantify, yet play a vital role in driving medium- and long-term, multi-layered change within the European audiovisual sector.
Both thematic areas were examined through the lens of innovation, defined as new approaches through which festivals connect people, facilitate the circulation of films, share knowledge and sustain cultural communities. In this context, innovation goes beyond mere technology — it encompasses collaborative practices, audience-centred approaches and organisational models that strengthen the relevance, accessibility, resilience and long-term sustainability of festivals.
Croatia was represented at the meeting through the Network of Festivals in the Adriatic Region (NFAR), which includes Zagreb Film Festival, represented in Izola by Franka Bihar.
As part of the two-day event, a public roundtable “In Festival Networks: Creative Connections Among the Film Communities of the Future” took place on 11 June as an open segment of the programme for the interested festival and professional public. The focus was on transferable practices and on the importance of understanding and engaging with audiences as the foundation for developing relevant, accessible and sustainable programmes, while the well-being of festival teams and audiences was also raised. The discussion was moderated by Sabina Briški Karlić, head of the MEDIA sub-programme at CED Slovenia (Motovila Institute).
The event was co-organised by Motovila – CED Slovenia and partner CED MEDIA Desks from Belgium (Flanders), Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Croatia, Italy (Turin), Lithuania and Germany (Berlin–Brandenburg), in collaboration with the Kino Otok – Isola Cinema festival.
The meeting in Izola highlighted the ongoing role of the CED network as connectors within the European film landscape and supported the emergence of new collaborative approaches among European film festivals.
Cover photo: © Yue Feng
More information: Inside Festival Networks: Izola as a Hub for European Festival Communities
