For the second year in a row aemi are partnering with Dublin International Film Festival to present an in-conversation event with a voice from within the industry to provide film artists in Ireland with a clear understanding of international festival selection processes and the wide range of possibilities available for project development.

Through in-depth conversation with festival programmer, curator & consultant Annina Wettstein, this event will break down film festival processes, referring to Annina’s wide-range of experience with film festivals across Europe including her current role on the selection committee for DOK Leipzig, an international festival for documentary and animated film. The event will also include discussion of key roles Annina has played both in project development and as a consultant around festival strategies for Beatrice Minger & Christoph Schaub’s E.1027: Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea, a documentary about Eileen Gray that screened at DIFF in 2025 as well as Yves Netzhammer’s prize-winning animated feature, Journey of Shadows.

Annina Wettstein

Annina Wettstein is based in Zurich Switzerland and since 2018 has been on the selection committee for DOK Leipzig. She has worked with European festivals in various roles for almost 20 years. She was a programmer for Rotterdam, a San Sebastián delegate, and the main programmer for Scanorama (Lithuania). She regularly participates in juries and funding committees. She is head of program Distribution and Cinema at FOCAL Foundation for Professional Training in Cinema and Audiovisual Media, a Member of the Fantoche Animation FF executive board, and of both European and Swiss Film Academies.

aemi

Initially formed in 2016 by Co-Directors Alice Butler and Daniel Fitzpatrick, aemi’s core objective is to open up platforms and pathways for film artists. aemi is a resource organisation, offering a range of supports directly to artists. aemi regularly curates and screens work by film artists in a variety of capacities. A primary focus for aemi is the cinema event which brings with it opportunities for peer exchange through talks and masterclasses. In order to showcase the full scope of artist film practices aemi has fostered a series of key partnerships with a range of organisations including IFI, Dublin International Film Festival, Cork International Film Festival, LUX, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, GAZE and Docs Ireland. Through this aemi is able to continuously expand and develop audiences for artist film. aemi is funded by the Arts Council and has also received funding from Culture Ireland, Dublin City Council, Screen Ireland and Dublin Port Company.

     
Photo of Annina Wettstein, ©Susann Jehnichen