IN SHORT, Europe: Awakening

Festival Programmer

https://www.leedsfilm.com/in-short

In January 2023, I was asked to programme the short film festival IN SHORT, Europe by EUNIC (European National Institutes for Culture) in collaboration with LIFF and LEEDS 2023. From watching over 50 international shorts, I programmed a festival of four strands on the theme of awakening, presenting one short from each European country.

The festival is took place in Leeds at the Everyman Cinema in April and in London at the Ciné Lumière in May. Alongside programming the films, negotiating with international distributors and creating copy for the programme, I also presented the festival in both Leeds and London and leading on Q+As.

Press Release:

EUNIC London in collaboration with the European Union Delegation to the UK, LEEDS 2023 and Leeds International Film Festival is pleased to present the fifth edition of In Short, Europe short film festival, taking place in Leeds, 21 - 22 April 2023.

This edition, entitled Awakening, is organised into four strands: Explore, Grow, Surround and Dream and invites you to imagine new beginnings, reflect on your past experiences and dare to dream of a brighter future.

The programme has been curated by Ellie Hales, Film Programmer with Leeds International Film Festival.

Curator’s Note:

Short films have the ability to open our eyes and minds to new stories, giving us a glimpse into lives different from our own. This collection of short films from 24 different European countries serves not only to awaken the audience to new perspectives, but shows the characters and narratives of each film experiencing their own awakenings too.

From the comfort of a beautiful Croatian forest to the bustling streets of Glasgow on a Saturday night, from an isolated summer house in the French countryside to an apartment block in the bitterly cold Romanian winter. These films transport you to another country, expose you to a different culture and serve as a reminder that although we all have so many differences, we all have the same ability to dream.