EURO CONNECTION 2026
Selection Committee for Italy
Euro Connection is the main European event dedicated to the co-production of short films.
The 18th edition of Euro Connection will take place on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 February 2026 during the Short Film Market in Clermont-Ferrand, with the support of Creative Europe MEDIA and PROCIREP. It consists of two days of pitching sessions, one-to-one meetings and networking activities to encourage partnerships between European and international production companies on short film projects.
Each year, 12 European projects are selected through the Call for Projects. Around 150 film professionals take part in Euro Connection, which has contributed to the production of 142 films, including 77 international co-productions.
The Italian Short Film Center is the national partner of Euro Connection, responsible for selecting the Italian project to be submitted to the commission that chooses the finalists.
Moreover this year, the Italian projects applying to Euro Connection will have an additional opportunity. Thanks to the program Road to Euro Connection/Italy, created by the Italian Short Film Center, a shortlist of 5 Italian projects submitted to the Euro Connection call will be invited to pitch at ShorTO Film Market, that will take place in Turin on 24 and 25 November, within the framework of TFI Torino Film Industry, and will also be involved in the Talents Connexion program of Marché du Film Court in Clermont-Ferrand, scheduled for February 2026.
The committee in charge of selecting the Italian finalist project for Euro Connection, as well as the shortlist of projects participating in the parallel program Road to Euro Connection/Italy, is composed of:
Chiara Cremaschi
Chiara is a screenwriter and director with over 20 years of experience in cinema. She graduated in Film Studies from Dams in Bologna and has attended international workshops on screenwriting and documentary filmmaking, including the Arista Development workshop and a stage at Ateliers Varan, “Réalisation de films documentaires”. Chiara won Euro Connection with her short film Senza di Voi, produced in Italy by Rossofuoco, and has received recognition at the Premio Solinas for several projects; she has written for TV series such as Compagni di scuola, Raccontami e Squadra narcotici. She is the author of scripts for feature films like Tutto parla di te by Alina Marazzi, and documentaries, and the director of award-winning short films and documentaries, including Dolce attesa and Senza di voi – Ceci n’est pas une fuite. Chiara continues to develop new projects: she’s currently co-writing the documentary Il cancello by Monica Repetto and the feature film Tu, io e gli dei by Francesca Scalisi. She is also the writer and director of the short film Vivere, currently in production and winner of the Confini-FVG Film Commission grant.
Francesco Giai Via
Francesco Giai Via is a film industry expert, trainer, and curator. He is a member of the selection committee of the Venice International Film Festival and a scout for the Venice Gap-Financing Market. He serves as Head of Studies at TorinoFilmLab, the renowned platform for film development, training, and co-production.
He is also the director of the Carbonia Film Festival, an international boutique festival in southern Sardinia. Giai Via curates UNBOX, an initiative dedicated to emerging talents in feature film, organized by MIA Market and Alice nella città.
He is a member of both the European Film Academy and the Italian Film Academy – David di Donatello Awards.
Linda Venturini
Linda Venturini is Head of the Talents & Partnerships team at Fondazione Piccolo America and Cinema Troisi. Before moving to Rome, she worked in Brussels as Festival Manager for the sales agent Be For Films, after gaining experience with Cineuropa, Festival Scope and mk2. In 2024, she took part in the Thessaloniki-Locarno Industry Academy.
She also collaborates with Lago Film Fest as a member of the programming team and is part of the selection committee of Gent Film Fest.
Candidates will be informed of the results of the parallel Road to Euro Connection/Italy programme by the end of October and will be asked to take part in pitching training in November and the pitching session on 24 November at the ShorTO Film Market.
Candidates will be informed of the results of the Euro Connection selection process by the end of November, and the selected projects will be announced on the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival website in mid-January: https://clermont-filmfest.org/en/short-film-market/euro-connection/