TIFF, among the founders of SMART7, a European network for innovation

The Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF) is among the founders of the SMART7 cooperation network, along with film festivals from Poland, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Greece. SMART7 aims to connect European film festivals with similar goals and visions to define common trends in the development of the industry and festival culture, but also to respond to the current needs of the teams that organize such events.

The network comprises the following film festivals: New Horizons International Film Festival (Polonia), IndieLisboa International Film Festival (Portugal), Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Greece), Transilvania International Film Festival (Romania), FILMADRID International Film Festival (Spain), Reykjavik International Film Festival (Iceland) and Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris (Lithuania).

The founders of SMART7 thus aim to create a common working framework to improve the experience of festivals and the teams that organize them, accelerating the professionalization of the sector, but also to develop the distribution circuit of European films, raising and educating new generations of cinephiles and spectators for films from the continent. SMART7 is based on diversity, inclusion and a strong commitment to sustainability, values ​​that will be reflected in all actions of the network.

The initiative is the result of a natural collaboration between the seven founding festivals, who have worked together in the past and have a similar vision for the future of the industry. SMART7 is supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA Program. The funds thus obtained will allow, on the one hand, the organization of a program of activities aimed at developing the international exchange of experiences and knowledge, and on the other hand, they will facilitate the creation of a common program of films.

In the next two years, four workshops dedicated to professionals from the festival sector will be organized on different topics: programming and audience development; fundraising and private financing; promotion and sales; sustainability and green practices. The workshops will be open to other cultural agents to amplify their impact and contribute to the development of the cultural industry in general.

“Internationally there are networks for many branches of the industry, from cinemas to sales agents, which allow their representatives to meet, exchange experiences and best practices. This is essential both for increasing international collaborations and for good individual development. The SMART7 network aims to do exactly this, which is so necessary at the level of film festivals. The formalization of collaborations that have developed so far in an organic way will allow us to learn from each other and join forces to offer the audience the best possible experience”, says Claudia Droc, International Relations Manager, TIFF.

SMART7 also announces the launch of a Competitive Section, a common itinerant program of the festivals, dedicated to directors at the beginning of their career and made up of seven innovative films, one proposed by each organization. The films will be screened at each of the network’s festivals. The section will also have a €5,000 prize to support young creators, and the jury that will decide the winning film will be made up of students from each country.

The 22nd edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival will take place in Cluj-Napoca from June 9 to 18, 2023.