Students and colleagues from Westminster’s School of Media and Communication worked with the EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) London and the EU Delegation to the UK to host the seventh annual In Short, Europe film festival at the Regent Street Cinema. The festival team included several Westminster students who helped showcase and celebrate European short filmmaking.
The seventh edition of In Short, Europe took place between 7 – 8 November at Westminster’s historic Regent Street Cinema, which became the first venue to show moving film to a paying audience in the UK in 1896. This year’s theme Opening Doors brought together 19 short films that embrace diversity, inclusion and access, inviting audiences from across the continent to enjoy stories from all over Europe.
Entrance to Regent Street Cinema. Photo credit: Conor McKenna and Evelyn Oliveira
Students from Westminster’s School of Media and Communication were invited to work with EUNIC to run the festival, undertaking paid roles as photographers and videographers to create industry-standard content for social media channels. This provided students with the real-life skills and experience needed for their future careers in the creative industries.
Industry partnerships like this form a key ambition of Zone29, the University’s new home for careers and enterprise due to open in Spring 2026. Zone29 provides students and graduates with access to work-related programmes, opportunities and experiences, and it connects students from all backgrounds to industry professionals.
Industry professionals at panel event. Photo credit: Conor McKenna and Evelyn Oliveira
One student who took part in the festival was final year Film BA Honours student Caitlyn Madeley, who has also worked for Westminster’s Careers and Enterprise Team as a content creator and motion designer since her first year.
About her experience Caitlyn said: "I had a great experience coordinating social media for the In Short, Europe: Opening Doors event. Working alongside the team from EUNIC was a great lesson in content planning and capturing live events and has given me vital experience to coordinate content in the future. As I have previously interned in social media positions, I was familiar with content plans and engagement strategies, but having this experience now working with such a large institution as EUNIC has given me the confidence to apply my skills in the future post-graduation."
Nicholas Ehler, Co-President of EUNIC and Director of the Goethe Institute London, said: “With the seventh edition of In Short, Europe, EUNIC London is taking audiences once again on a trip through Europe and its many perspectives, showcasing the best of European short cinema. Thanks to our partners, EU Delegation to the UK and Regent Street Cinema, we are delighted to once again open up new perspectives across the continent from Romania to Scotland, with stories from the Faroe Islands, Flanders, Finland and beyond. The cooperation with Westminster School of Media and Communication is particularly precious, since the participation of the students ensures that the festival is carried also by a younger generation that will truly be Opening Doors, the motto of this year’s festival.”
Dr Doug Specht, Head of Westminster’s School of Media and Communication said: “I am delighted that the School of Media and Communication is working with EUNIC on the film festival. Collaborating on such a creative international showcase not only enriches our shared cultural connections but offers our students invaluable, real-world experience. Seeing them contribute to the running of the festival, gaining skills and insight that will shape their future careers, makes this partnership even more rewarding. Very well done to all involved.”
Lara Bellini, Senior Lecturer in Media Management and Director of Employability for the School, added: “It is wonderful to welcome EUNIC to the beautiful setting of Regent Street Cinema. As someone who has had a long career in Media, I know well how important it is for our students to purposefully engage with employers; to put the skills they learn with us into practice and gain valuable experience towards building a successful career in the industry. We strive to make opportunities such as In Short available to them and it is fantastic to see our students respond proficiently and passionately to them: I could not be prouder.”
Westminster’s collaboration on the film festival directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Film and Television courses at the University of Westminster.
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