Over the course of this year, Film Hub South East are running a series of free training sessions to support our members in their work to grow audiences for independent film in the region.
For our next event, in collaboration with the Cambridge Film Festival, we are organising the 2nd Film Hub South East Film Festival Roundtable. Hosted as part of the festival’s Industry Day, this event will give festival organisers in the South East of England the opportunity to come together in person, hear from guest speakers, discuss current challenges and share knowledge and learnings with a view to developing more successful festivals.
The event will take place in Cambridge and will feature a variety of different sessions, from panel discussions to breakout conversations.
As part of your attendance at the event, you will also receive accreditation to the Cambridge Film Festival, which will provide you with access to film screenings, as well as other special events taking place during their industry day.
Speakers
Aleks Dimitrijevic
Festival Director, London Short Film Festival
With over 18 years of experience spanning programming, audience development, digital innovation and creative leadership, Aleks Dimitrijevic has built a career championing emerging talent and shaping inclusive cultural programmes. She is currently Festival Director of the London Short Film Festival, a role she took on in April 2025. At LSFF she is leading a new phase of growth, working to attract audiences who do not typically engage with independent cinema, building partnerships with new venues across London, and developing the festival’s year-round presence to strengthen its cultural impact. Previously, she led six editions of the BFI Future Film Festival, the UK’s largest festival for young screen creatives aged 16–25. Under her leadership, the festival grew significantly and evolved into a hybrid model with UK-wide reach and a globally accessible online programme. Alongside the festival, she delivered BFI Film Academy’s year-round events programme, supporting young creatives to navigate routes into the screen industries. Earlier in her career, Aleks headed up The Smalls Film Festival, overseeing a network of 20,000 emerging filmmakers and expanding the festival internationally with its first edition in Singapore. She has also worked across programming and production for leading UK festivals including Sheffield Doc/Fest, BFI London Film Festival, LOCO London Comedy Film Festival and London Film Week. Aleks is a Trustee for GlobalGirl Media UK and Carousel, where she advocates for underrepresented voices in the arts and media. Before transitioning into the film industry, Aleks worked in advertising in the UK and the U.S., producing content for some of the biggest global brands, including L’Oréal, Mercedes-Benz, Bacardi, Unilever, Coca-Cola and Barclaycard. Aleks holds an MA in Advertising and a BA in Film & TV Studies.
Claire Whittenbury
Festival Director, Suffolk Shorts
Claire has worked in Film, TV and video production for many years and was part of the team that launched the FilmFour channel in 1998, where she discovered her love of short film through the Short Attention Span Cinema strand. She produced The Shooting Gallery with Mark Kermode, profiling filmmakers and introducing new short films to a late night audience on Channel 4. She’s dedicated to bringing international short film to a new audience in Suffolk and determined to encourage investment in local young talent. She founded Suffolk Shorts film festival in 2019
Registration
Registrations for the Film Festival Roundtable are now open. The deadline for registrations is Monday, 20th October 2025.
The Film Festival Roundtable is for people who are part of the team at a film festival in the South East region (see map). This is a closed event, so registrants who do not currently represent an organisation that is a member of Film Hub South East will not be able to attend.
Is your film festival a Film Hub South East member? If not, it’s free and easy to join.
Bursary Support
We recognise that financial barriers may prevent some members from attending in-person training. If you would like to apply for additional support to attend (whether towards the cost of your travel, accommodation, childcare or something else) you may be eligible for a Film Hub South East bursary. Find out more.