European Workshop for New Curators #4

The European Network for Film Discourse (The END) and short film magazine Talking Shorts are organising the 4th edition of the European Workshop for New Curators: two week-long workshop sessions for aspiring film programmers and curators set during film festivals in Leuven, Belgium (Kortfilmfestival Leuven, December 2026) and Vilnius, Lithuania (Vilnius Short Film Festival, January 2027).

In this workshop, we want to focus on the ‘in-between’ and the chasms of film programming and curation today: the ways in which we bridge forms, approaches, spaces, and material realities that are common to encounter as a programmer and curator. How do we look at programming for festivals versus non-industry spaces (grassroots, community, educational, etc.)? How do we curate moving-image work and collaborate with artists that sit between traditional cinema spaces and other fields? Can we realistically develop a sustainable, long-term practice in a precarious field?

We will focus on the ethics and politics of the work as well as the practicalities and processes of programming for (short) film festivals. The workshop will provide a core understanding of the various facets of the global festival and film exhibition landscape through talks from international guest speakers from various professional backgrounds, roundtable discussions, post-screening analysis, and practical work that will result in collaboratively curated programmes by the end of the workshop, which will be exhibited on the streaming platform This Is Short.

As an extracurricular activity, workshop participants also collectively nominate one film from the international (or European) competition at each festival to participate in Talking Shorts’s New Critics, New Audiences Award 2027 competition and will therefore be asked to watch the respective competitive programmes on-site.

Tutor
The workshop participants will be tutored by Sanne Jehoul, a film and culture worker with over a decade of experience across programming and curation, festival distribution, event production and facilitation, and editorial. She previously managed the short film slate at Square Eyes, was programme director at Glasgow Short Film Festival, led the talent development programme for the BFI Doc Society Fund, and has worked for several UK and European festivals in programming and production.

Recently, she launched onzer films, through which she aims to support and distribute new moving image works to festivals and beyond. She is a selection committee member for Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, part of the editorial team at Talking Shorts, a consultant at Documentary Association of Europe, and regularly reads for funds and labs.

Sanne has led and collaborated on various community-focused events and projects, including work in educational settings, with incarcerated audiences and participants, and events in partnership with unions and grassroots organisations. She’s interested in working beyond traditional film and arts spaces, and in cross-sector solidarity and support networks.

Dates

1.12—6.12.2026
Workshop at Kortfilmfestival Leuven (Belgium)

20.01—25.01.2027
Workshop at Vilnius Short Film Festival (Lithuania)

Application

You are eligible to participate if you…

• are over the age of 18;
• are a European resident (permanently or temporarily);
• are proficient in English (speaking and writing);
• can attend the programme entirely, i.e., participate in both units of the tandem workshop in Leuven and Vilnius;
• have a strong interest and motivation to gain insight into film curatorial practices;
• are eager to learn/be mentored by industry professionals.

Please note:

• professional experience in programming or curation for film is not required, but examples of creative work or research to illustrate your interest in the field are a plus;
• applications in languages other than English will not be accepted;
• incomplete applications will not be accepted;
• during the application process, additional materials will be required to be attached, such as a curriculum vitae (CV) in English;
• a written motivation (or video) is compulsory to help evaluate your candidature.

Apply now!

The application call is open from 1 to 21 September, 2026.
We will communicate the results by 21 October, 2026.