WIFTI Summit 2026: Global Stories and the Kind of Rooms that Change You

There’s a particular kind of room that changes you.

You don’t always recognise it straight away. You arrive slightly jet-lagged, juggling coffee and conversations, scanning name badges and reacquainting yourself with your learnt extroversion. And then something shifts. A sentence lands. A story reframes your thinking. And a collective energy builds which feels less like networking and more like momentum.

That was the 2026 WIFTI Summit in Limerick.

From the moment we arrived, Ireland did what Ireland does best. It wrapped us in warmth. The venue staff were extraordinary. The hospitality was generous. And yes, I will formally acknowledge the incredible shortbread that I consumed in heroic quantities.

Speaking of Irish hospitality, I want to pause and acknowledge Dr Susan Liddy, President of WIFTI and Chair of WIFT Ireland, whose leadership made this moment possible. Bringing the global Summit to Ireland for the first time was no small undertaking. Susan didn’t just want to host an international gathering; she wanted to anchor it in a place where Ireland’s creative excellence was showcased. Its generosity of spirit, its talent, ambition and global reach. You could feel her imprint everywhere; in the calibre of the conversations, in the welcome extended to every delegate, and in the quiet pride woven through the entire experience.

(Photo by Brian Arthur)

It was exceptional. It fuelled policy discussions and cross-continental strategy in equal measure.

But what truly sustained me was the room itself.

People from six continents representing more than 60 WIFT chapters and affiliate organisations. Producers, funders, policy makers, directors, actors, technologists, advocates. Different accents. Different industries. Same underlying conviction: equity in storytelling is not optional, it is essential for the future success of the creative industries.

Very early in the Summit, a line cut through the noise:

“We don’t just need more women in rooms, we need women who feel empowered to change what those rooms decide.”

I felt that in my bones.

As someone who has spent years navigating rooms I know the difference between being invited in and having influence. Presence is visibility. Power is authorship.

And this Summit was about authorship.

The opening conversations revisited the origins of 50/50 by 2020 which was a key moment when women stopped waiting for change and started counting. Counting funding. Counting directing roles. Counting who was greenlighting. It was such a clear reminder that progress does not come from good intentions. It comes from evidence, strategy, and relentless follow-through.

Did you know that based on the current trajectory of data that it will be 2047 before female directors reach parity?

One of my biggest takeaways from those early sessions was this: equity is not a moment, it’s maintenance. The data improves in one area and slips in another. Gains behind the camera remain uneven. Policy has to evolve constantly. And, if you’re working in this space (as a producer, executive, or creative) you have to ask yourself regularly: What am I measuring? What am I embracing? What am I shifting?

Later, the conversations moved into international co-production. We of course talked about treaties and tax incentives, but what stayed with me was something simpler.

“If story is universal, then our partnerships should be too.”

As someone who trained internationally and has always believed that storytelling transcends geography, this felt personal. Co-productions shouldn’t just be about financial structures, they are deeply bonded by acts of trust. They require clarity of IP, due diligence, cultural humility, mutual respect and shared responsibility. When done well, they expand creative possibilities rather than dilute it and the best part? Your story travels further.

If you’re developing work right now, consider this a nudge: think globally earlier. Build relationships before you need them. Understand incentive frameworks before you’re under deadline pressure. And most importantly, collaborate with respect.

One of the quiet recalibrations for me came during the VFX and virtual production panel.

Only 27% of VFX professionals are women. That statistic alone is sobering. And yet, the women leading that conversation were not fearful about the future of technology, they were inspiring and pragmatic.

AI, they said, is a tool. Ethics matter. Education matters. Integration matters. Mentorship matters. And instead of asking, “Will this replace us?” the conversation became, “How do we collaborate with the tools at our disposal responsibly?”

Another very important reminder is to ensure that if you work in production, bring VFX into your process earlier, fix it in pre!! If you’re intimidated by emerging tech, engage with it. Curiosity is power.

We had a wonderful fireside chat with Ruth Negga who shifted the emotional temperature of the room, “We live in a world in which is trying to silence many voices, and it is our job as artists to amplify them”

She spoke candidly about safety, integrity, and why she increasingly takes on producing roles to protect both the work and herself.

“Listen to yourself and work with people of integrity.”

That landed hard.

Integrity is not abstract. It’s operational. It’s who you hire. It’s how you respond when someone raises a concern. It’s whether you take accountability seriously. And if you’re building projects, build them with people whose values match yours. It’s incredibly important that you consider more than their CV.

One of the most urgent conversations of the Summit addressed digital harassment, algorithmic bias, deepfakes, and the global backlash against feminism.It was sobering and necessary, but there was a resolve in that room that shouted…

“You are not alone.”

Backlash, we were reminded, is often a sign of progress. If systems are pushing back, it’s because they feel threatened. That doesn’t make the work easier, but it does make it more meaningful. So it’s more important than ever that when we see progress in action, we don’t take our collective feet off the gas.

The tangible takeaway? Protect yourself. Understand the regulatory frameworks in your region. Advocate for safe reporting systems. Support organisations like CIISA that are working to formalise industry standards and invite allies into the conversation because systemic change cannot be achieved in echo chambers.

One of the most emotionally resonant sessions centred around storytelling in minority and Indigenous languages.

“Telling stories in your own language carries knowledge and history.”

Language is not just dialogue. It is worldview. It is memory. It is sovereignty.

There was a powerful reminder that you should not attempt to tell Indigenous stories if you are not from that community without appropriate consultation. Narrative colonisation is real. Representation without authorship is not equity.

So if you’re developing work in culturally specific spaces, ask yourself: Who holds the pen? Who benefits? Who decides?

The final panel was a joyous celebration and felt like permission to truly embrace all that we authentically are. Some of my favourite quotes came out of that panel, and I wanted to share them with you: 

“Give yourself permission to be weird.”

“Get your own table and then sit at it.”

“Your best YES is still coming.”

“Being joyful is resistance.”

(Photo by Brian Arthur)

It’s important that when you’re struggling, and feeling like you’re on the verge of giving up (which is a regular Tuesday afternoon for me) that you remind yourself of these because what we do is a wondrous thing, the ability to create in whatever capacity you’re able to is a gift.

You should never apologise for ambition. You should never shrink to make others comfortable.

And throughout the Summit, we were consistently reminded that JOY, in what we create, who we are, and the people we work beside is strategy. Longevity requires boundaries. Aging and being a woman is not a liability. Sustainability in this industry demands self-trust.

The best part of the Summit wasn’t any single panel.

It was the conversations in line for more shortbread. Spontaneous speed networking. Singing together loudly to Emma Langford’s beautiful ‘Birdsong’. The cultural outing to Adare Village, where we learned the origins of Irish Coffee, before taking over Aunty Lena’s Pub for traditional music and far too much laughter.

Being physically in a room with women from around the world who care deeply about changing this industry. There was no scarcity energy. No territorialism. Just expansion.

We were not competing for space.

We were building it. And when you build it, they will come.

A humongous shout out and thank you to every single member of the WIFTI Board who so carefully curated an exquisite event, to every moderator and every panelist who shared their stories and vulnerability, and a personal shout out to the 6 other Australians who travelled 30+ hours to be apart of this very important conversation.

It was a joyful opportunity to connect, and I know that I left Limerick with more passion and respect for our incredible industry. But it’s important we acknowledge that the work isn’t done - we build stronger stories when we build fairer systems.

And every affiliate and chapter of WIFT is doing just that. They’re not just for networking. They also represent community. Infrastructure. Advocacy. It’s about international solidarity in action.

If you’re reading this and feeling a pull - follow it. Please find your local WIFT chapter. Become a member. Show up. Engage.

Because change does not happen in isolation. It happens when we build ecosystems, not silos.

And the right room, at the right moment, can quietly change the trajectory of everything.

To find your local WIFT Chapter or Affiliate Organisation, click here!

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