Podd: Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast

2025: EFM Morning Brief with IndieWire

18 februari 2025 | 15 min

2025: EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

17 februari 2025 | 12 min

From Local to Universal: Serial Storytelling for Global Audiences

16 februari 2025 | 39 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by editor and journalist Michael Schneider, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, we bring together a diverse group of industry experts for a dynamic conversation about the ever-evolving world of TV series. We delve into what makes a series truly international—what allows a show to break through cultural and language barriers and resonate with audiences worldwide? Is it the warmth of relatable characters that audiences are seeking during challenging times, or is it the exploration of social-political issues and dystopian themes that capture our collective attention? Ultimately, the answer lies in universally compelling stories that speak to viewers beyond the confines of a single market. While it may be a tougher feat for comedy, there’s a clear call for future series to transcend these boundaries and reach a global audience.

In this discussion, Anna Rohde, Steve Matthews, Maria Cervera, and Paul Telegdy offer their unique perspectives on the international series market, providing predictions on where global audiences are headed next. They also explore the current trends shaping the industry, including the impact of financial shifts. Tune in to hear the experts tackle the future of series content and its journey across the globe.

The Berlinale Series Market is the EFM’s boutique market for serial content from all over the world. From February 16 to 19, industry experts, creatives, buyers and distributors will meet again at CinemaxX at Potsdamer Platz and Gropius Bau.

Steve Matthews is the Head of Scripted, Creative, at Banijay Entertainment, where he plays a pivotal role in the group’s production development process, leading on creative initiatives for original drama projects. Before joining Banijay Entertainment, Matthews was VP and Executive Producer, Scripted, at HBO Europe, having joined the business back in 2014. In that post, he partnered with local teams across Central Europe, Spain and Nordics, to spearhead the development of original series, miniseries, and international adaptations. His portfolio included Pustina, Umbre, Blinded By The Lights, Uspjeh, The Sleepers, Foodie Love, Gösta; and from Banijay Entertainment’s footprint specifically, 30 Coins (Pokeepsie), Beforeigners (Rubicon), and Beartown (Filmlance). Additionally, Matthews is dedicated to mentoring talent, and set up Banijay Bootcamp, a specific programme for scripted creatives.

Before joining Germany’s distribution and production house Beta Film GmbH as International Creative Executive & Content Editor, Anna Rohde studied dramaturgy, philosophy, and literature at Munich's Theatre Academy and at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich. Before her studies, she worked as assistant director in many national and international TV and feature films. She is member of Germany’s VeDRA (Verband für Film- und Fernsehdramaturgie e.V.), jury member of e.g. the International Emmy’s semi-finals, the Council of Europe Eurimages development award and – among others - mentor of SFF’s (Sarajevo Film Festival) CineLink workshop, the post-graduate Serial Eyes writing program. As content editor, she has been working on many internationally successful shows from the CEE region, most recently on the multi-awarded THE SILENCE (2021-2023) and GOLDEN BOY (2021), Jasmila Zbanic’s Venice premiered I KNOW YOUR SOUL (2023), and the Canneseries-awarded OPERATION SABRE (2024).

Maria Cervera is Head of Content for Cattleya Producciones, part of ITV Studios in Spain. During her 20 year+ professional path she has focused on series development and production for local and international markets, with previous roles at Paramount’s International TV Studio as Head of Content for EMEAA and within the Netflix International team. She also teaches at several writing programs including Berlin’s Serial Eyes and Spain’s screenwriters’ guild-sponsored master.

Paul Telegdy has worked across all genres of content, on brands as diverse as Top Gear, Teletubbies, Dr Who, The Voice and Planet Earth, to name a handful. Paul worked at NBCUniversal for 12 years, becoming Chairman of NBC in 2019, before that the BBC for ten years. In 2021, Paul co-founded The Whole Spiel, a media, entertainment, and gaming company based in Berlin and Los Angeles. With a degree in Korean and Japanese, and having lived in Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Japan, The US and the UK, Paul has a distinctly global view of content and opportunity.

The host Michael Schneider has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years — most of that time at Variety, where he oversees television coverage as its TV Editor. Schneider has won several entertainment journalism awards and also regularly contributes to local outlets including Spectrum News 1 and KCRW. He was previously Executive Editor at IndieWire; the Chief Content Officer for TV Guide Magazine; and TV Editor at Daily Variety. Mike regularly moderates industry and TV show panels at events including Comic-Con, PaleyFest, HRTS, NATPE and others, and once won a staring contest with Jon Hamm on the Dolby Theatre stage.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with Variety.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

2025: EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

16 februari 2025 | 14 min

2025: EFM Morning Brief with THE SPOT media & film

15 februari 2025 | 14 min

2025: EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

14 februari 2025 | 14 min

Reinventing Reality: Independent Documentaries in Times of Change

13 februari 2025 | 43 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by editor and producer Matt Carey, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, two outstanding figures in the documentary filmmaking world share their perspectives on the current state of the non-fiction film industry.

Kazuhiro Sōda, director and jury member of the Berlinale Documentary Award 2025, offers insights into his own filmmaking process and presents his ten commandments for independent documentary filmmaking. He reflects on how to achieve creative freedom, the distribution challenges documentary filmmakers face, and the crucial role of film festivals, especially as theatrical distribution of non-fiction films declines. Sōda explains how he lets his projects come to him, without needing to prove a theme to anyone but himself, revealing his observational filmmaking style—evident in his signature inclusion of cats.

Lois Vossen, founding executive producer of Independent Lens on PBS, discusses how documentary filmmakers are finding innovative ways to distribute their films during this transitional period for the industry. Independent filmmakers with limited resources are creating works of international significance, strengthening the global documentary scene. She explains how Independent Lens selects projects and stories that need to be seen by American audiences, aiming to bridge divides by helping people see one another as they truly are.

Both guests also provide a preview of the upcoming non-fiction films at this year's Berlinale, promising a diverse and important range of perspectives on the rapidly changing world around us.

From February 14 to February 18, the EFM DocSalon will serve as an exclusive meeting point for the documentary industry, where all documentary activities, ranging from talks, networking, consultations and roundtables, will take place within the EFM Industry Sessions conference and networking programme. This all happens in the Café Connect in the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, Reconciliation, just a three-minute walk from Gropius Bau. The Main Partner of the DocSalon ist FilmFernsehFonds Bayern, and Deadline is the Media Partner.

Born in Ashikaga, Japan, in 1970, Kazuhiro Soda studied directing at the School of Visual Arts in New York. From Campaign (2007) and Mental (2009) to Inland Sea (2018) and Zero (2020) and most recently The Cats of Gokogu Shrine (2024), a large number of his eleven documentaries to date have been shown at the Berlinale. In addition to the Ecumenical Jury Prize in the Forum for Zero, he has already been honoured with the Peabody Award, the Marek Nowicki Award from the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights and prizes at the festivals in Busan and Hong Kong. His book 'Why I Make Documentaries' has been published in Japan, as well as in English, Korean and Chinese. He is a part of the Jury for the Berlinale Documentary Award 2025.

Lois Vossen has been the founding executive producer of Independent Lens on PBS since 2002. She leads the programming of a diverse slate of 25-30 original documentaries, made by independent filmmakers, with each season covering an array of social, political, and cultural issues, showcasing Independent Lens as an evolving multiplatform series.

The Host Matthew Carey serves as Documentary Editor at Deadline.com, covering the landscape of nonfiction film. He produces and co-hosts Deadline’s weekly Doc Talk podcast. Carey is the former Senior Producer at CNN, where he wrote and produced documentary specials. He earned two Peabody Awards and a DuPont-Columbia Award for his contributions to CNN’s coverage of politics and breaking news. He is based in Los Angeles.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with Deadline.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

2025: EFM Morning Brief with Variety

13 februari 2025 | 13 min

Tailored Solutions: Film Funding in Europe’s Diverse Markets

17 januari 2025 | 40 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by media analyst, broadcaster and experience designer Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

Film i Väst Analysis’ upcoming report, "The Answers: Future Audiovisual Policies – Revolution, Reforms or Just Let it Be," looks at the diverse markets across Europe and gives the answers (or rather: values) to the burning questions that everyone is asking in regards to the current collision between public film funding and challenging cultural and economic policies. Answers are not given easily, as each market operates differently. Different funding systems call for different actions, and the right balance between economic and cultural arguments must be found locally – it doesn’t have to be a battle between economy and art.

In this episode, Tomas Eskilsson, founder of Film i Väst and Head of Film i Väst Analysis, along with producer and mentor Joanna Szymańska, explore the current state of public film funding and the creative sectors in Europe, drawing from the findings of the report. The rise of right-wing policies is increasingly affecting film funding strategies, ultimately challenging the freedom of cultural expression. However, the future is not set in stone, but rather shaped by the actions that are taken today.

Tomas Eskilsson founded Film i Väst in 1992, and was the CEO until 2016. He now works as the Head of Strategy in Film i Väst and Head of Film i Väst Analysis. He is the author of the reports ‘Public Film Funding at a Crossroads’ (March 2022) and ‘Public Film Funding at a Crossroads II’ (to be published August 2023). He is right now working with the third a final report in the series: The Answers: Future Audiovisual Policies – Revolution, Reforms or Just Let it Be.

Joanna Szymańska is a film producer with over 15 years of experience in independent and international co-productions. She co-produced the award-winning film “Red Path” (dir. Lotfi Achour) which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. Joanna is a mentor for emerging filmmakers and serves as the Head of Studies for the Erich Pommer Institut’s workshop on European co-production. She is currently pursuing a PhD at the Łódź Film School.

The host Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer. She is the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report on the near future of the screen industries, which is in its 11th year. She lectures internationally on changes in the media sector, and on participation and narrative design. Her background is in public service broadcasting; in 2011, she received the Swedish Grand Journalism Award in the Innovator category.

Film i Väst is Scandinavia’s major regional film fund and one of the bigger regional film funds in Europe. Film i Väst has made co-production with all parts of the world. Film i Väst is mostly known for its long-time collaboration with some of the most interesting directors in Northern Europe and elsewhere: Ruben Östlund, Tarek Saleh, Susanne Bier, Thomas Vinterberg, Lars von Trier, Joachim Trier, Lone Scherfig, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Kaother Ben Hania are many more. During the last 30 years Film i Väst has co-financed and co-produced over 1000 feature films and a vast number of drama series.

The report will be released February 16, 2025. More info about the release can be found here.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA. This podcast episode has been developed in partnership with Film i Väst.

Innovative Production Tools: Shaping the Future of Filmmaking #2

20 december 2024 | 51 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by media analyst, broadcaster and experience designer Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode highlights three EFM Startups alumni of 2024, showcasing their innovative tools and technologies. In response to the growing concerns about AI replacing human roles in the global creative cinema industry, these companies offer valuable insights into current challenges and emerging developments. They demonstrate how AI can enhance production efficiency without replacing human talent, with a particular focus on the ethical implications of using these technologies. While the ethical debate surrounding AI continues, these three companies present cutting-edge solutions that streamline time management and promote greater diversity in the industry.

Applications for EFM Startups are open until January 3rd 2025.

Zoe Ramushu, Founder & CEO, Wrapped

Zoe is an entrepreneur with a legal background and a decade of experience working in film and tv, diversity and advocacy. She is a graduate of Columbia University, a Reuters Fellow of Oxford University and is Student Oscar and BAFTA Nominated. Her production company has completed a Netflix feature film and has an Amazon Original series in development. She has strong ties to the African, European and U.S. film industry and great personal networks. WRAPPED was nominated for an award in Cannes and has been featured in Screen and Variety magazine.

Frederik Merkel, Co-Founder and Product Lead, Phont

Frederik Merkel is an interdisciplinary designer who has been freelancing since the age of eighteen. He has created numerous products and developed several typefaces. For his master's thesis in type design, he started the project PHONT, developing fonts for different types of speech, which has since grown into an award-winning start-up. PHONT is developing the world's first automated creative captioning software for the media industry. With PHONT, AI and parametric design are combined to bring subtitles to life.

Ana Betancourt, CEO, Black Goblin

Ana Betancourt is the CEO of Black Goblin, an audiotech redefining sound design. Black Goblin is a UK-based sound research and technology company on a quest to transform the way creators work with sound. Currently, Black Goblin is developing Thol, an all-inclusive collaboration platform that allows content creators to design high-quality sound easily while fast-tracking the workflow and supporting teams from preproduction to release.

The host Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer. She is the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report on the near future of the screen industries, which is in its 11th year. She lectures internationally on changes in the media sector, and on participation and narrative design. Her background is in public service broadcasting; in 2011, she received the Swedish Grand Journalism Award in the Innovator category.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Alive and Kicking: Company Strategies Today

10 december 2024 | 47 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by media analyst, broadcaster and experience designer Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, the Berlinale Co-Production Market invites two experienced producers to share their innovative strategies as part of a film industry in flux and how they address the changes of their own roles. Didar Domehri, producer and founder of Maneki Film and Maneki Stories, and Roman Paul, producer and co-founder of Razor Film Produktion, join forces to discuss the need for both, flexibility and collaboration while maintaining one’s own outstanding focus as an independent producer.

Cooperating with other producers in the creative collectives Athena Collective and The Creatives, respectively, is giving them a chance to work with creatives across borders with a high level of solidarity, and allows them to put together each independent producer’s strengths. Developing and sustaining successful business strategies and slates in disruptive and difficult times also means that the role of the producer is changing in the lifecycle of a film, and their relationship to audiences takes on new forms. Being original and thinking differently is key when connecting with today’s audiences, so the appeal to staying curious, teaching and learning at the same time is something they agree on. Being involved with training young producers, they also deliver a tip or two on how to stay sane in the industry while maintaining the passion for the work.

Roman Paul began his film career in acquisitions for German distributors and Celluloid Dreams in Paris. In 2002, he co-founded Razor Film Produktion with Gerhard Meixner. Razor’s work has earned two Golden Globes, three Oscar nominations, and recognition at major festivals. In 2019 was named professor at the Filmakademie Ludwigsburg, and received the “Chevalier des Arts et Lettres” by the Republic of France. Razor joined "The Creatives" in 2021, a global alliance developing high-end drama series and films.

Didar Domehri, founder of Maneki Films, has produced more than 20 features including Eva Husson’s Bang Gang & Girls of the Sun in Cannes Competition, Santiago Mitre’s Paulina, Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prix, La cordillera, Cannes UCR, & Petite fleur, Laurent Cantet’s Return to Itaca, Venice days Grand Prix, Erige Sehiri’s Under the fig trees,15 aine des réalisateurs Cannes, Godland by Hlynur Pálmason, Cannes UCR, and recently Une nuit by Alex Lutz, Cannes UCR, Me Too by Judith Godrèche, and MOTEL DESTINO by Karim Aïnouz, Cannes Competition.

The host Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer. She is the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report on the near future of the screen industries, which is in its 11th year. She lectures internationally on changes in the media sector, and on participation and narrative design. Her background is in public service broadcasting; in 2011, she received the Swedish Grand Journalism Award in the Innovator category.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA. This episode has been developed in collaboration with the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

Pathways to Equity: the Special Edition Seminar Podcast

9 september 2024 | 51 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Curator and Impact Producer Nadia Denton, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

Funded by Creative Europe MEDIA and taking place yearly at the EFM 2023, 2024 and 2025, the Equity & Inclusion Pathways Seminar is an industry-wide consultation forum that brings together European decision-makers, advocacy groups, stakeholders and change-makers with the aim of shifting the needle regarding equity, inclusion and accessibility in terms of policymaking, strategy, measures and actions. The change and advances that this Seminar aims to bring about for the European film industry are resolutely structural, and involve not only integrating marginalised groups into a European film sector that is free of biases, barriers and exclusions but also valuing the hitherto unrealised potential of the contributions of marginalised film professionals to the industry as well as redistributing resources and decision-making power more equitably. Featuring the Seminar’s 3 moderators (Nadia Denton, Yolanda Rother and Sailesh Naidu), one of the Ambassadors, Tina Trapp (EAVE), the leadership of OMNI Inclusion Data, Helge Albers (MOIN Film Fund) and a speaker and representative of an advocacy group, Julian Carrington (REMC - Racial Equity Media Collective), this episode will explore the mission, vision, objectives and challenges to implementing effective, long-lasting and sustainable DEI and accessibility policies at institutional level across the European screen industries.

OMNI Inclusion Data aims to underpin the diversity of the media and culture sector and the people working in it with factual data. At the same time, OMNI Inclusion Data aims to close the blank spots due to a lack of data. OMNI also intends to collect data that is compliant with data protection legislation from cast and crew on a voluntary basis and provide the industry with the most up-to-date analysis on inclusion statistics. With the OMNI project, the initiator MOIN Film Fund, in co-operation with Australia’s The Everyone Project, is taking on this important task for the European film industry and, more importantly, taking a leadership role in promoting diversity in the industry.

The host Nadia Denton (she/her) has worked in the UK film industry for over a decade as an Impact Producer, Curator and Author. She specialises in Nigerian Cinema and coined the term BEYOND NOLLYWOOD. She has worked with the BFI London Film Festival, Berlinale EFM, British Film Institute, British Council, Doc Society, London Film School, Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival and Comic Relief. Her books include The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood and The Black British Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Finance, Market and Distribute Your Film. She is an Honorary Research Fellow with the University of Exeter.

Yolanda Rother (she/her) is co-founder of "The Impact Company", a diversity, audience and culture consultancy. She moderates and speaks on topics related to digital society, politics and open government, diversity and sustainability. The Berlin native is a graduate (Master of Public Policy) of the Hertie School and has lived in Brazil, France and the United States.

Sailesh Naidu (they/them) is a writer, researcher, and performance artist working in the sphere of migration, gender, and education. Their work interrogates the queer body as territory, ancestral knowledge, and building of queer personal narratives as archive.

Tina or Kristina Trapp (she/her) has worked in the international film industry for over 20 years, amongst others at the German regional film fund MFG-Filmförderung Baden-Württemberg, with the European culture channel ARTE, heading the Film Commission Strasbourg and with the European training programme “Atelier Ludwigsburg Paris”. She joined EAVE in 2004 as Programme Manager. In 2007, she became Deputy Chief CEO and was appointed CEO in 2009. Kristina has been closely working with several European festivals and production companies in her career. She was part of various selection committees and juries for film funds and co-production markets and is member of the European Film Academy and ARTEF (Anti-Racism Taskforce European Film). She was co-director and board member of the umbrella organisation for European training providers, ATC (audiovisual training coalition), as well as member of the advisory board of the CEE Animation Workshop and board member of EWA (European Women’s Audiovisual Network).

Helge Albers (he/him) Helge Albers, born in 1973, has been CEO of MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein since April 2019. As a producer, he won the German Film Award in 2001 for ‘Havana, Mi Amor’ and in 2016 for ‘Above and Below’. His other successes include ‘Full Metal Village’ about the Wacken Festival as the most successful documentary film in 2007, as well as the Oscar-nominated short film ‘Ave Maria’. His experience as a producer, managing director of the VDFP (now Producers' Association), as a member of the FFA's awards committee and advisor to the World Cinema Fund ultimately led him to Germany's northernmost film funding organisation.

Julian Carrington (he/him) is Managing Director of the Toronto-based Racial Equity Media Collective, a national not-for-profit research and advocacy organization dedicated to equity for equity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) creators in Canada’s film, television, and digital media industries.

This episode also features short soundbite contributions from Valerie Creighton (Canada Media Fund), Regina Mosch (ARTEF) and Lissa Deonarain (BGDM).

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Spotlight Edition: A Personal Conversation with Beki Probst

19 juli 2024 | 29 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Matthijs Wouter Knol, this episode spotlights an important figure in the history of the EFM through a personal conversation and a journey through time.

This special episode revolves around the former EFM director Beki Probst through a conversation that took place during the Cannes Film Festival between her and Matthijs Wouter Knol, who himself has been in the seat as director of the EFM as a successor. Beki depicts her journey through the film industry with anecdotes from her life in the film industry, from her starting out as a young journalist traveling to Cannes, to suddenly finding herself in Berlin.

She shares stories of people she crossed paths with along the way, how the Berlinale took place right after the fall of the wall and draws a picture of the future industry through her own expectations and lived experiences. This all adds to the portrayal of the woman who came to found the European Film Market as we know it today.

Beki Probst is considered the grande dame of the film world. Under her direction, the European Film Market has developed into one of the largest and most important trade fairs for cinema on the international scene. Beki Probst was born in Istanbul, where she first worked as a journalist after completing her studies in law and journalism. In 1960, Probst moved to Switzerland, where she became the general manager of the Probst-Kinobetriebe, known today as Quinnie Cinemas. From 1981 to 1988, Beki Probst served as the Berlin International Film Festival's official delegate for Turkey and Greece. Up until 1995, she also served as a member of the selection committee for Locarno International Film Festival. From 1988 to 2014, Beki Probst was the director of the Berlinale’s European Film Market – Probst rebranded the former “film fair” as the European Film Market and subsequently transformed the event into one of the most significant industry meet-ups for the international film business. In addition, from 1988 to 1996 Beki Probst was artistic director of the Geneva-based festival “Stars de Démain”. She has served as a jury member on multiple occasions at international film festivals, including appearances in Toronto, Jerusalem and San Sebastián. In 1992 Beki Probst was decorated as “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture, was honoured with the Berlinale Camera in 2018 and in 2019 with the Honorary Award of the Swiss Film Award. In 2024 she was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Verdienstkreuz am Bande der Bundesrepublik Deutschland).

Since 2021, Dutch-born Matthijs Wouter Knol is the CEO and Director of the European Film Academy. Before reading and graduating with an MA in Contemporary History at Leiden University and the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome, he worked as a magazine editor and journalist. From 2001 onwards, he worked in Amsterdam as creative and associate producer on 30 award-winning documentary films, with renowned directors such as Heddy Honigmann, Maria Ramos, and Mani Kaul. For ARTE, he co-produced a digital edition of 40 re-mastered works of Dutch documentarian Johan van der Keuken, which was awarded the Prix Cahiers du Cinéma (2006). After a short stint at IDFA (2007-2008), he formed for 12 years part of the senior Berlinale team, first as Head of Programming of Berlinale Talents (2008-2014), then as Director of the European Film Market (2014-2020). Apart from launching several new training and industry platforms over the course of his career, Matthijs is an advocate for more Diversity and Inclusion. He initiated D&I schemes at both EFM and the European Film Academy, and was one of the founders of the Anti-Racist Taskforce for European Film (ARTEF). He teaches and coaches at various film schools and is a regular moderator and speaker at international film industry events. Matthijs has been part of the main jury at the festivals of Buenos Aires, Jerusalem, Istanbul and Locarno.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Arctic Indigenous Filmmakers on Climate Change: First-Hand Perspectives

21 juni 2024 | 43 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Curator and Impact Producer Nadia Denton, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

Featuring the insights from film creatives and professionals from Sápmi, Canada and Yakutia, this episode will shine a light on the ground-breaking work of the Witness Program, a film training and mentorship programme for emerging Indigenous filmmakers from the Circumpolar Arctic that is the fruit of a collaboration between Telefilm Canada and the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF).

Designed as a professional development opportunity that allows Arctic Indigenous filmmakers to share their authentic perspectives on how climate change is affecting their communities through their own storytelling and in their own filmic and spoken languages, the programme supported a first cohort of 6 filmmakers who produced 5 films and were mentored by 3 Indigenous long-feature film producers and filmmakers, under the guidance of Liisa Holmberg, CEO of the AIFF.

These conversations unpack the way in which these first-hand narratives convey the sense of urgency of climate change which Arctic Indigenous communities have been witnessing for decades and the ways in which their filmmaking practices can embody acts of resistance, resilience and language revitalisation.

Key to understanding these films is the notion of a worldview. The speakers, Liisa Holmberg, filmmakers Sadetło Scott and Svetlana Romanova and mentor Danis Goulet, all share their experiences of how their communities’ worldview, connection and deep relationship to the land are expressed in these and other films, which they made in a context of challenges to the land and Indigenous storytelling through the compounded effects of climate change and colonization.

Film commissioner Liisa Holmberg (she/her) is working in International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI) in Norway. Liisa Holmberg is a Sámi film maker originally from Finnish side of the Saamiland. She has worked in the film business as a producer, production manager and film consultant from the year 1994. Big part of her work as a film commissioner is working internationally with Indigenous film makers in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Sápmi and Russia to establish an Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF). Holmberg is a member of European Film Academy from the year 2018.

Sadetło Scott (she/her) is a Tłı̨chǫ Dene filmmaker, who grew up and lives in Sǫǫ̀mbak’è, Denendeh (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada). Sadetło has a B.A. in Indigenous Governance and a Certificate in Heritage and Culture from Yukon University, and Certificates in Motion Picture Production and Cinematography from Capilano University. Sadetło's work, such as “Edaxàdets'eetè” aims to educate on the importance of Indigenous language and the Indigenous experience.

Svetlana Romanova (Sakha/Even) is an artist and filmmaker born in Yakutsk, the capital city of the Sakha Republic, Russia, located south of the Arctic Circle. Her practice centers on the importance of Indigenous visual language, particularly in the Arctic regions and gravitates towards critical self historization.

Writer/director Danis Goulet’s films have screened at festivals around the world including Berlinale, Sundance, MoMA and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Her award-winning feature NIGHT RAIDERS premiered in the Panorama section at Berlinale and also screened at TIFF in 2021. For television, Danis has recently directed for the acclaimed FX series RESERVATION DOGS. She is Cree/Metis, originally from northern Saskatchewan.

The host Nadia Denton is a film industry specialist with over a decade of experience as a Curator, Impact Producer and Author. Her focus has been on cinema of the African diaspora, she specialises in Nigerian Cinema and is author of two books The Black British Filmmakers Guide to Success and The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood. Nadia is also an official V&A African Heritage Tour Guide.

As a Partner of Choice, Telefilm Canada is a Crown corporation dedicated to the success of Canada’s audiovisual industry, fostering access and excellence by delivering programs that support cultural resonance and audience engagement. With a lens of equity, inclusivity and sustainability, Telefilm bolsters dynamic companies and a range of creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual coproduction treaties to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2012, the Talent Fund raises private donations which principally support emerging talent.

AIFF is a film fund dedicated to films and filmmakers with Arctic Indigenous origins. We believe it’s vital to spread knowledge about Indigenous cultures, climate change, the environment, and land rights by the means of art. That’s why we are committed to building capacity for Arctic filmmaking. We advance filmmakers’ possibilities to produce and distribute their films by funding productions and offering training programs. Our aim is to promote high-quality film projects that enhance the cultures, languages and societies of arctic Indigenous peoples. Part of our mission is also to support cooperation among Indigenous filmmakers. We bring together the most talented filmmakers, help them to achieve the best possible production terms and encourage co-production and exchange of expertise.

The Witness Program is a professional development opportunity that allows Arctic Indigenous filmmakers to share how climate change is affecting their communities, to tell their own stories, and to meet and work with an international network of Indigenous filmmakers. This initiative aims to empower Indigenous filmmakers across the Arctic through training and workshops.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA. This episode has been developed in partnership with Telefilm Canada.

Nostradamus 2024: Paradox of Hope

4 juni 2024 | 43 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by media industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

The 2024 Nostradamus Report, titled "Paradox of Hope," delves into the myriad challenges facing the film and TV industries, highlighting broken business models, distribution woes, and the impact of new technologies like virtual production and generative AI. Against a backdrop of global crises, including the climate emergency, the industry grapples with unsustainable practices and the dominance of a few major players. However, amidst the chaos, there's a glimmer of hope as audiences show a preference for quality storytelling. This conversation emphasizes the need for collaboration, innovation in distribution, and a shift towards audience-centric content creation to ensure a sustainable future for the industry. It calls for a departure from competition towards an ecosystem mindset, where shared resources and collaboration foster growth for all.

Tabitha Jackson is a consultant and film executive. With a 30-year career in film, arts, and public broadcasting, she is committed to the independent voice, the socio-cultural power of cinema, and a more expansive set of makers, forms and audiences. Recent roles include Director of the Sundance Film Festival, Director of the Sundance Documentary Film Program, and Commissioning Editor/EP (Channel4/Film4). Tabitha is currently a Shorenstein Documentary Film Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The host Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer. She is the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report on the near future of the screen industries, which is in its 11th year. She lectures internationally on changes in the media sector, and on participation and narrative design. Her background is in public service broadcasting; in 2011, she received the Swedish Grand Journalism Award in the Innovator category.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with the Göteborg Film Festival's Nostradamus initiative. The 2024 Nostradamus Report Paradox of Hope is available as a free download thanks to support from its partners BoostHGB, Kulturakademin, Region Västra Götaland and the Nordisk Filmen TV Fund.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Follow the Money: Transparency Towards Fair Remuneration

27 februari 2024 | 52 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Scott Roxborough, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry. Recent years saw big shifts for creators who need data transparency, and as buy-out deals are disputed, managing royalties complexities is crucial. How can we leverage business insights for better deals? Join guest speakers Tine Klint, Maria Tanjala and Fabian Massah in this episode on producer & distributor perspectives, as well as new audience data frameworks.

Tine Klint, CEO and Founder of LevelK (2009), dedicated the majority of her professional life to independent cinema with 20+ years’ experience across international sales, finance and aggregation.

Maria Tanjala is a former producer, now co-founder of FilmChain, transforming how film and TV producers, sales agents, and financiers get paid. A digital collection agent (CAM) for independents and a royalties management solution for content distributors, FilmChain brings transparency and modernises payments. Clients include Protagonist, Hanway, UTA, WME, HBO, BFI, Film i Vast, FFA, etc. She's been mentoring about recoupments and technologies at Inside Pictures, ACE Network, Erich Pommer Institut, Cannes Producers Network, EFM Horizon, etc. Awards include ‘Startup of the Year’ London Business Awards, SXSW Content and Entertainment, San Sebastian Film Festival, Makers and Shakers, etc.

Fabian Massah’s works, as a producer and partner at Berlin-based Endorphine Production, include a number of feature films that premiered in Venice, Berlin & Toronto, and that have been marketed and released internationally. His company has moved into producing series as well, with projects being invited to markets such as the Séries Mania Forum in Lille. For more than 20 years, he has also been working as a producer for corporate & advertisement films.

The host Scott Roxborough is the European Bureau Chief of leading film and television industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter, reporting from Germany for the world on the business of global entertainment. Canadian-born, German-based, he is regular producer for and commentator on German TV, and a familiar face at international film festivals, television markets and industry events.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA. This episode is developed in collaboration with The Hollywood Reporter.

Generation Alpha’s Influence: Children’s Content as a Keystone for the Future

20 februari 2024 | 52 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode targets the crucial role of children's films in tackling industry challenges and captivating the Generation Alpha. With fresh insights from the NoJSe report unveiled at Berlinale 2024, join media analyst Johanna Koljonen, Buster Film Festival's Head of Program Mariella Harpelunde Jensen, and acclaimed producer and director Linda Hambäck as they dissect the evolving landscape of children's cinema.

Mariella Harpelunde Jensen is an autodidact director, scriptwriter, and author from Denmark. She has directed and scripted several TV-series, documentaries, and short films. Mariella is especially known for her work on Nordic TV series and programs for children, including series and films for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s channels Ramasjang and Ultra. She has created TV-shows as ‘Barda’, ‘Dansk hulebyg’, and ‘Isas stepz’. Mariella has also written the children’s book: ‘Hulebyggerne’. Today, she works as the head of program at the Danish children’s film festival ‘Buster’.

Director/producer Linda Hambäck, born 1974, has been active in the film industry since the late nineties. She is trained at the National Dramatic School of Arts as producer and graduated from EAVE in 2002. In 2011 Hambäck started her own business, LEE Film, who works mainly with animated films for children and her first highly recognized feature Gordon & Paddy had its worldpremiere in competition, Berlinale Generation 2018. Her second feature The Ape Star had its international premiere at Annecy international Animation Filmfestival in 2021 and got nominated for Best Animated Feature at European Film Awards in 2021. Previous films have been Bajsfilmen (2016), Tänk om… (2014) as she co-directed with Marika Heidebäck. But she has also directed a short documentary, Fighting Spirit (2013). Before her directing debut she had a long background with producing highly acclaimed shorts. During the Swedish National Guldbagge Awards ceremony in 2019, Linda received the prestigious GULLSPIRA Award for outstanding achievements in childrens’ film.

The host Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report. This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA. This episode is developed in collaboration with the Göteborg Film Festival's Nostradamus initiative.

2024: EFM Morning Brief with Thomas Schultze

20 februari 2024 | 11 min

2024: Morning Brief with Indiewire

19 februari 2024 | 15 min

Post-Peak Perspectives: Finding New Opportunities in the Series Landscape

18 februari 2024 | 45 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Stewart Clarke it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

How has the TV industry evolved in the past year? How to attract and retain audiences? And where do we find new audiences in a seemingly saturated market? These questions and more are addressed by our experts Guy Bisson, Marina Williams, Richard O’Meara and Lars Hermann. Join us on this deep dive into the present landscape and macro trends of TV series.

Richard O’Meara graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in History in 2013, and also has a post-graduate diploma in Journalism. As Head of Drama and Insight, Richard oversees international television research consultancy K7 Media's scripted output. He has worked for close to a decade helping broadcasters, streamers, production companies and distributors build and refine their strategies.

Lars Hermann left DR in 2017 as deputy head of DR Drama with the head of drama, Piv Bernth to start Apple Tree Productions, with ITV Studios as a partner. The company has so far produced multi award winning tv series Blackwater for SVT and ARD, Equinox and Baby Fever for Netflix, One of the Boys for Viaplay and Chorus Girls for TV2 Denmark. Lars graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 1995 and produced a number of films including Danish Olsen Gang – Final Mission, Swedish Gullbagga winner Jan Troell’s As White as in Snow and British Vinnie Jones-starrer Johnny Was. Before joining DR, he also served as head of development at the Danish Film Institute, head of international co-productions for Nordisk Film, and CEO of regional fund FilmFyn, the Copenhagen Film Festivals, and Nordisk Film Post Post Production.

Prior to co-founding Asacha Media Group, Marina Williams was COO of International Operations at Endemol Shine Group (2015-2019), overseeing the company’s international growth across multiple territories . Before the merger with Shine Group, Williams led Endemol’s operations across Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East as regional CEO. (2008-2015). She was previously Executive Vice President and a member of the Management Board of Central European Media Enterprises (CME) managing leading FTA and Pay TV networks across six territories and establishing local production. Before joining CME, Williams played leading roles in launching and overseeing businesses in Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey for Fox International Channels, Fox Kids and Turner International Channels.

Guy Bisson has been a leading entertainment market analyst with a specialisation in the global television business for the past 30 years. He is a regular speaker and moderator at many of the world’s leading entertainment business conferences, a frequent media commentator in print and broadcast and author of numerous reports and research articles on the business and strategy of the global television industry. Guy is co-founder of Ampere Analysis a London-based analyst house focused on the entertainment and content business, which draws on title-level movie and TV analysis, consumer research and market forecasting to create a holistic outlook for the future of the industry. Guy previously led the television research practice at both Screen Digest and IHS.

The host Stewart Clarke is SVP, Content, International at Deadline, representing the brand at Festivals and industry events, and writing news and features for the website. He joined Deadline in late 2023 after a four-year stint as Creative Director at the Edinburgh TV Festival, the largest event of its kind in the UK. Prior to that, Stewart was a London-based International Correspondent for Variety, reporting from events around the world for the trade publication. He started his career in film and TV journalism at Informa, where he was rose to the position of Editorial Director, Television Business International.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

2024: EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

18 februari 2024 | 14 min

2024: EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

17 februari 2024 | 13 min

2024: EFM Morning Brief with Variety

16 februari 2024 | 8 min

2024: EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

15 februari 2024 | 13 min

The Three Fundamental Keystones of Successful Archival Filmmaking

15 februari 2024 | 48 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by archive producer Elizabeth Klinck, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, our guests share insights into the world of archives. Archive producer Monika Preischl explains the work and challenges of her field. Producer Marc Lepetit provides insights into his experience working with archive material for film production and film archivist Amanda Huntley explores the changes in the work of film archives over the decades. Together, they touch on AI's influence, evolving business strategies, industry developments, and moral responsibilities. Tune in and get ready for the EFM Archive Market.

Monika Preischl has worked for many years as an archive producer for documentary and fictional film productions worldwide. In 2019, she was honoured with the Focal Award for her work on "Kulenkampffs Schuhe" and in 2023 for "Gladbeck". She is chairwoman of the newly founded professional association "GRAP", which represents the interests of archive researchers and archive producers vis-à-vis broadcasters and producers. She is working on the documentary „Riefenstahl“ since 2018.

Amanda Huntley is Managing Director of Huntley Film Archives for nearly forty years with a huge passion for celluloid and documentary history on film. Working with all production, broadcast, museums, commercial and educational she aims for excellence, historical truth and creativity in how archive film is used. In addition to her Huntley work, Amanda is on the executive board of Focal International – the trade association to the world’s archives, Mace – a public regional archive for central England. This gives her a unique outlook into the world of both commercial and public film archives. Ensuring film archiving skills for the next generation is her current goal, training the next generation of film archivists and Huntley Film Archives practises this by a regular internship programme and workshops.

Marc Lepetit, a film production trailblazer, graduated from the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in 1993, launching his career in Cologne and Düsseldorf. Armed with a Producing degree, he joined Berlin's Phoenix Film in 2003, overseeing projects like 'Kill Your Darling' and 'Teufelskicker' From 2013 to 2021, Marc played a key role at UFA Fiction, overseeing diverse fictional productions and spearheading digital communication initiatives. Under his guidance, the transformation of ZDF's hit television show 'Ku’damm 56' into a musical at the Theater des Westens in 2021 stands as a testament to his visionary approach. Marc's ability to connect creative minds and weave diverse talents together was instrumental in the successful musical adaptation of 'Ku’damm 56'. In April 2021, Marc co-founded UFA Documentary GmbH, under the UFA umbrella, focusing on non-fictional productions. Projects include RTL series 'Angela Merkel – Frau Bundeskanzlerin' and 'Sturmfahrt' a narrative about Boris Herrmann. Highlights included the four-part series 'Liebe ist alles' exploring the story of the Berlin based pop band Rosenstolz. Marc Lepetit's commitment to education is evident through guest lectures since 2006, specializing in transmedial storytelling. His journey is a testament to dedication in pushing storytelling boundaries, transforming narratives through innovation, and leaving an indelible mark on film production.

The host Elizabeth Klinck is an archive producer and music clearance specialist on international documentaries and fiction films that have garnered Emmy, BAFTA, CSA, Peabody, and Oscar awards. She also leads workshops and produces industry sessions at international markets and film festivals. Filmography of Elizabeth.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. **Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast **puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Global Voices, Local Roots: Producers Blazing the Way

31 januari 2024 | 43 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by filmmaker Yazmeen Kanji, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, join us as we delve into the creative journey of four trailblazing producers from equity-seeking groups; Darcy McKinnon, Gilbert Mirambeau Jr., Inuk Jørgensen and Rolla Tahir. Discover how these producers are not only making a mark on the international stage but also actively supporting and nurturing local film cultures. Gain valuable insights into the challenges they have overcome, the lessons they have learned, and the impact they aspire to make in the cinematic landscape.

All four producers and the moderator, Yazmeen Kanji, are alumni of the EFM Toolbox Programmes, an initiative aimed at creating pathways into the global film industry for producers from equity-seeking groups and the Global South. Every year, around 60 feature producers from around the world take part in the programme; you can discover the 2024 Fiction & Documentary cohort here and on the EFM Producers and Project Pages.

Inuk Jørgensen is award-winning short film writer/director with a Masters’ in Film from Aarhus University. Inuk has been making home movies and animations since his childhood in Greenland. As an Indigenous filmmaker he has a focus on aesthetic images and personal stories that touch upon the identity, history, and culture of the Greenlandic Inuit people.

Gilbert Mirambeau Jr. is a creative producer, writer and activist based in Haiti. He is the general manager of Muska Group, a leading production company specialized in advertising, producing commercials and institutional films for more than 10 years. In 2014, he wrote and produced his first TV series for children, Lakou Kajou. In 2015, he co-founded Muska Films to tell stories that matter. ’’I believe cinema is a powerful weapon to convey stories, reflect, shape and challenge people’s perceptions and beliefs.’’ In 2017, he produced his first short film, Kafou, which won several awards and nominations (e.g., Best Film at Austin Film Festival, Orlando Film Festivals 2017). Thanks to Kafou, he was selected as one of the 25 screenwriters to watch in 2018 by Movie Maker Magazine. In 2021, he executive produced the short documentary, Brave, pre-selected at Cannes for the Directors’ Fortnight which won a few awards and nominations, and another short in 2022, Port of a Prince which had a few selection (American Black Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Austin Film Festival). For years, Gilbert has been working on his first feature film that he cowrote and produced, Kidnapping Inc., selected to premiere at Sundance in 2024. Today, Gilbert is focused on his next two documentary projects,The Other Side (2025) and The Picture (2026), and his next fiction, Knox (2026). Gilbert is an alumni of several producer’s Labs such as the Fiction Toolbox at EFM (2022), Open Doors at Locarno (2022), Producers under the Spotlight at Cannes (2023) and Eurodoc (2023).

Rolla Tahir is an independent filmmaker and cinematographer based in Toronto. She’s lensed short, narrative and experimental films, which screened in Canada and internationally and is currently in pre-production on her first feature film, Jude & the Jinn, through Telefilm’s Talent to Watch & New Dawn.

Darcy McKinnon is a documentary filmmaker based in New Orleans, whose work focuses on the American South and the Caribbean. Recently released projects include Roleplay (SXSW, 2024) Commuted (PBS, 2024), Algiers, America (Hulu, 2023), Under G-d (Sundance 2023), Look at Me! XXXTENTACION (SXSW, Hulu, 2022) and The Neutral Ground (Tribeca, POV, 2021), recipient of LEH Documentary of the Year 2022. Current projects in production include Katie Mathews’ Roleplay, Jason Fitzroy Jeffers’ The First Plantation, Matthew Henderson’s A King Like Me, Abe Felix’s Turnaround, CJ Hunt’s Unlearned and Suzannah Herbert’s Natchez. Her work has been on POV, Reel South, LPB, Cinemax and Hulu, and has screened at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, CPH:DOX and more. Darcy is an alum of the Impact Partners Producing Fellowship and the Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellowship, and a recipient of American Documentary’s Creative Visionary Award in 2023.

The host Yazmeen Kanji is a Muslim Indo-Caribbean filmmaker, Hot Docs Accelerator Fellow, the podcast host of Breaking The 4th Wall powered by BIPOC TV & Film, and the CEO of Films With A Cause - a consulting firm for authentic on-screen storytelling practices. Yazmeen’s first documentary, From Syria To Hope (2019), was awarded Best Short Documentary at the 2019 Toronto Short Film Festival. Her short documentary, With Love From Munera (2020), won the audience choice award at the 2021 Breakthroughs Film Festival, was an official selection at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) Next Wave 2021 and is now available to stream on the digital TIFF Bell Lightbox site. Yazmeen is currently developing her first documentary for broadcast in-part funded by the Hot Docs CrossCurrents Fund. The project investigates systemic racism in healthcare through a story of Sickle Cell Disease, for which she took part in the European Film Market’s Doc Toolbox Programme in 2022, also attending EFM with the Hot Docs Cohort in 2023.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

International Film Sales: The Now and the Next

18 januari 2024 | 49 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by journalist, moderator and film festival consultant Wendy Mitchell, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode explores the dynamic world of film sales as three industry experts delve into the post-pandemic landscape. Gain valuable insights into the evolving business in the theatrical and digital space, hear success stories in the realm of Arthouse cinema, and discover the pivotal role of a strong relationship to filmmakers. Guest speakers Alice Lesort, Katarzyna Siniarska and Jean-Christophe Lamontagne explore the importance of data, converse about regional nuances, and shed light on the growing interest of a new generation for Arthouse films. Tune in for a captivating discussion on current developments and the future of film sales!

Katarzyna Siniarska is a sales agent and producer, a Co-President of Europa International, European sales agents association (2021 -) and a frequent collaborator of ACE, EPI and First Cut Lab+ programmes.
Since January 2013, she has been a part of Warsaw-based boutique world sales agency New Europe Film Sales; ﬁrst as a sales executive then the head of sales and a partner at the company.

Jean-Christophe J. Lamontagne is passionate about promoting cinema and founded h264 in 2015. His goal: to increase the influence of works by forging close links between audiences and creators. He also directs and co-founds the Festival Plein(s) Écran(s), the first festival in the world to take place on Facebook. h264 is diversifying its activities and in 2019 launched a new aggregation service offering in a bid to improve the accessibility and distribution of works on digital platforms. 2021 marks a new stage for h264, which launches into feature film distribution following the acquisition of Fragments, with the aim of offering an innovative, integrated distribution model.

Alice Lesort started her career as a sales agent at Le Pacte. Since 2018, she is Head of the International Sales department at the production, distribution, and sales company Les Films du Losange, which supports filmmakers from all over the world through a vast catalogue of over 300 films (including the works of Eric Rohmer, Barbet Schroeder, Jacques Rivette, Jean Eustache, Michael Haneke, Mia Hansen-Løve, Alain Guiraudie, Nicolas Philibert…). On top of managing the sales team, she oversees sales in America, French and German speaking Europe, the United Kingdom and for multinational platforms. Alice Lesort is co-president of Europa International (European organization for films’ international distributors) since 2021, and is also part of the Advance on Receipts committee of the CNC.

The host Wendy Mitchell is a journalist, moderator and film festival consultant. She is a contributing editor and Nordic correspondent at Screen International, the producer of the Sundance London film festival, the UK and Nordic delegate for San Sebastian, consultant for San Sebastian’s Creative Investors’ Conference, curator at Lübeck Nordic Film Days and frequent moderator for Cannes Marché du Film and Berlinale’s European Film Market.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Innovative Production Tools: Shaping the Future of Filmmaking

14 december 2023 | 43 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by strategist, conference curator, moderator & speaker AC Coppens, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, EFM Startups Alumni Kate Wilson, Volha Paulovich, and John Mahtani delve into the realm of innovative tools for the film industry. They share valuable insights on recognising and responding to industry needs, as well as navigating the challenges of introducing new tools to the market. Additionally, they express their perspectives on current developments in the film industry and discuss maintaining a balance between technical advancements and fostering creativity.

Volha Paulovich is a dynamic force in the world of technology and storytelling, combining her passion for both to create truly awe-inspiring experiences. With an impressive background in advertising, game development, and commercial video production, she has honed her skills in crafting captivating narratives that leave a lasting impact. As a co-founder of PentoPix, Volha is currently at the helm of a team that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to revolutionize the way stories are brought to life. By seamlessly transforming movie scripts into editable 3D animated videos, she is spearheading a new era of creativity and efficiency. PentoPix has gained worldwide recognition and support from esteemed film studios, directors, producers, and renowned film festivals such as the European Film Festival, Berlinale, and SXSW, where it has claimed double awards for being the best in entertainment, media, and content. Volha's unwavering dedication to innovation and commitment to pushing the boundaries of storytelling make her a true trailblazer in her field.

John Mahtani is a Chartered Accountant with commercial & financial experience within the Media industry, extensive global network across Europe, North America, Middle East, & Asia. He held corporate roles at Warner Bros, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures, before Co-founding Cinelab London. Currently John is the CEO of Drylab Media Tech group plc - a SAAS platform servicing film and tv productions globally.

Kate Wilson works in film and TV as a writer, producer and consultant. She worked with the Film and TV Charity on their mental health project and Covid relief strategy, raising more than £9M from industry partners. She is a graduate of UCLA and RADA and a Member of the Bar of England and Wales.

The host AC Coppens is a strategist, conference curator, host, moderator & speaker. They founded THE CATALYSTS, an agency for innovative & creative players working at the crossing of Digital Tech, Film/XR, Music/Sound, Design & Culture, to turn conferences into sites of knowledge exchange and co-creation.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Co-Production Strategies for Drama Series Today

1 december 2023 | 34 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode focuses on current producing strategies in the drama series landscape after the TV-series boom of the last decade. Guest speakers Ankica Jurić Tilić and Marike Muselaers share their experiences in financing drama series, their take on the current market landscape as well as financing strategies for producers in different parts of Europe, and explain how co-productions may play an increasing role today.

Ankica Jurić Tilić is a producer from Croatia with more than 30 years of film experience. She graduated in comparative literature from the Zagreb University. She is also a graduate of EAVE, member of ACE, Producers on Move and EFA. She founded her production company Kinorama in 2003, together with two partners. Ankica’s filmography includes 30 feature-length films, several TV series, and a number of shorts. Her films were screened and awarded at prestigious festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Karlovy Vary, Toronto. In 2019, she was awarded Eurimages Co-production Award at EFA ceremony in Berlin. She teaches at the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb and at EAVE.

With almost 20 years of experience in the international film and TV industry, Marike Muselaers recently joined Nordisk Film Production as Head of International Financing and Coproductions, and is therefore responsible for strengthening the financing of film and series projects and developing an ambitious strategy for co-productions. She mainly developed her interest for quality storytelling and international partnerships during her 15 years at the Lumiere Group in the Benelux, where she was responsible for sales, acquisitions, coproductions and international financing in production and distribution, before co-leading the group as Lumiere’s co-CEO. In her role as Financing Tutor for the Midpoint Series Launch program, Marike is coaching producers and writers. She also enjoys being a mentor at training programs like Qumra Series, Cinelink Sarajevo and SeriesWomen, is a member of the advisory board of TV Drama Vision and Nostradamus at the Göteborg Film Festival and also a well known moderator, keynote speaker and panel guest at many industry events.

Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report. This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

How Subscription Models are Vitalising the Big Screen

13 november 2023 | 38 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Curator and Impact Producer Nadia Denton, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode explores how subscription models can contribute to a new form of communication among the stakeholders, entering new pathways of film exhibition. Five experts in the fields of subscription, exhibition and distribution share their experiences with subscription models and how they help them to work together towards one collective goal: loyal audiences and increased admissions.

Lennart Schneider is a freelance consultant specializing in subscription models and newsletter strategies. He is also the host of the podcast “subscribe now” in which he interviews managers from the world’s leadings subscription companies like Adobe, Hubspot, DIE ZEIT, Urban Sports Club, Blinkist and many more. In addition to the podcast he publishes a weekly newsletter (also called “subscribe now”) with news and deep dives into the ever growing subscription economy. His interest in this topic has developed while he was working with Germany’s leading quality newsletter “DIE ZEIT” where he was responsible for the loyalty program “Freunde der ZEIT” (Friends of DIE ZEIT) and the book club “Was wir lesen” (What we are reading). Lennart is a movie fan and has written his bachelor’s thesis about genre signals in movie posters.

Adriënne van den Berg works at Cinéart, an independent Benelux film distributor, where she handles all digital sales, thus selling films to TV and platforms. There, she is continuously exploring new on demand and subscription models for content consumption. She is developing a TVOD platform with Cinéart content, focused on specific auteurs, to reach and build stronger audiences. Also, she involves herself in creating content by editing and assists in content acquisition.

Lysann Windisch managed several art house cinemas in Munich and Berlin for more than 6 years, while also curating and organizing festivals and film events with a focus on Eastern European film. In 2018, she joined the Sino-European producers association Bridging the Dragon as manager for festivals and partnerships. From 2019-2021, she led the NEXT WAVE international education program at the Berlin film school DFFB, which focused on innovative distribution strategies in the film market. Since 2020, she has been in charge of MUBI Germany's marketing activities and, as Director of Distribution, Germany, she has been responsible for its German theatrical distribution. Since 2022 she also oversees the MUBI GO project. She is also a mentor of the CICAE trainings and a jury member of the Kinoprogrammpreis Berlin-Brandenburg.

Thomas Hosman is co-founder and CEO of Cineville, an unlimited membership and online platform for everyone who loves film. Cineville was created in 2009 by four twenty-something friends working at an Amsterdam cinema. Today, Cineville is the number one film community for adventurous film fans in the Netherlands and Belgium, accounting for 2 million annual admissions in the 80+ participating cinemas.

Wouter Timmermans studied Media & Culture at Universiteit van Amsterdam and finished his Masters degree in 2012. Since then he is a fulltime programmer for the oldest cinema in Amsterdam: The Movies Amsterdam, the biggest independent cinema in Amsterdam: De FilmHallen and the newest cinema in Haarlem (near Amsterdam) De FilmKoepel.

The host Nadia Denton is a film industry specialist with over a decade of experience as a Curator, Impact Producer and Author. Her focus has been on cinema of the African diaspora, she specialises in Nigerian Cinema and is author of two books The Black British Filmmakers Guide to Success and The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood. Nadia is also an official V&A African Heritage Tour Guide.

This podcast episode has been developed in partnership with film executive Vera Herchenbach.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Finance Trends across the Ecosystem

28 september 2023 | 38 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by journalist, moderator and film festival consultant, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This special EFM Industry Insights episode meets top global film executives attending San Sebastian’s second-annual Creative Investors Conference, where industry experts Elisa Alvares, Carole Scotta, Juan Gordon, and John Sloss have gathered to discuss topics such as opportunities in the shifting US landscape; global trends across the film value chain; the outlook from leading streamers; specific challenges facing independent producers; examining the global marketplace for Spanish-language content; finding strength in new international collaborations; and future-proofing how the industry continues to evolve to best serve audiences.

Elisa Alvares is an all-rounded financier with over 25 years’ experience in international corporate and structured finance with a focus in Media & Entertainment/Media-tech. Further to a successful career across investment banking, asset management and commercial banking with the likes of Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein Bank, Taurus Finance and Bank Leumi, Elisa founded Jacaranda Group in London in 2018. Through Jacaranda Consultants, Elisa has advised VC-backed investment funds and family offices around the world on their investments into music, film, TV, games, interactive/EntTech. Over the years, Elisa has originated/executed on transactions in Media & Entertainment in excess of $1B. Jacaranda assists clients from new fund strategy phase to deal origination and structuring, including facilitating corporate governance, and overseeing deal negotiation, deal execution and monitoring as part of long-term strategies.

Juan Gordon is one of the founders of Morena Films, established in 1999. He was previously General Director of the production and distribution company ESICMA, where he produced his first feature film Lluvia en los Zapatos, directed by Maria Ripoll. Already at Morena, Juan has been responsible for the development and production of films such as: Intemperie (Benito Zambrano, 2019); Yuli (Iciar Bollain, 2018); Immersion (Wim Wenders, 2018); May God come down and see it (Curro Velázquez, 2017); One Hundred Years of Forgiveness (Daniel Calparsoro, 2016); The Olive Tree (Iciar Bollain, 2016); The Sheep Don't Miss the Train (Álvaro Fernández Armero, 2015); The Cave (Alfredo Montero, 2013). Recent credits include the Netflix original film Amor de Madre.

After graduating from Arizona State University, Carole Scotta founded Haut et Court in 1992 the same year she won the Fondation Hachette prize as best young producer. She first broke into the French distribution sector with the "Unreleased of America" which included among others Alison Ander’s "Gas, Food, Lodging" and Alex Cox’s "Highway Patrolman". In 1997 Carole Scotta produced "My life in Pink" by Alain Berliner, her first feature film (Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film). Since then, her company, Haut et Court, produced and distributed over 200 films most of which have won several awards in international festivals; among others the Palme d’Or in Cannes 2008 with "The Class" by Laurent Cantet and the International Emmy for Best Drama Series 2013 with "The Returned" by Fabrice Gobert. Carole also produced "Coco before Chanel" by Anne Fontaine with Audrey Tautou, which was the first French film on the international market in 2009. She is not only a producer and a distributor but also an exhibitor with the launch of the NOUVEL ODEON in 2010, a theater in the heart of the Quartier Latin in Paris and the LOUXOR, a renovated theater which first opened in 1921.

John Sloss is founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, and partner in Sloss Eckhouse Dasti Haynes LawCo. Through Cinetic, John produces motion pictures and television, provides various content sales and corporate advisory services, and presides over a rapidly growing talent management division. He has produced or executive produced over 70 films including Richard Linklater’s Academy Award-winning BOYHOOD, LAST FLAG FLYING, and “BEFORE” Series, Todd Haynes’s THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, **WONDERSTRUCK **and I’M NOT THERE, Peter Farrelly’s Academy Award-winning GREEN BOOK, Errol Morris’s Academy Award-winning THE FOG OF WAR, Kimberly Peirce’s Academy Award-winning BOYS DON’T CRY and many more. John founded Producers Distribution Agency in 2010, a theatrical distribution company. He also founded the groundbreaking digital production and distribution company InDigEnt alongside Gary Winnick and IFC Films.

Wendy Mitchell is a journalist, moderator and film festival consultant. She is a contributing editor and Nordic correspondent at Screen International, the producer of the Sundance London film festival, the UK and Nordic delegate for San Sebastian, consultant for San Sebastian’s Creative Investors’ Conference, curator at LÜbeck Nordic Film Days and frequent moderator for Cannes Marché du Film and Berlinale’s European Film Market.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

How Do We Reach and Engage with Young Audiences? #2

8 juni 2023 | 38 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

The episode features Max Malka and Sened Dhab discussing the changing expectations of younger viewers and the importance of availability, convenience, and quality. The episode emphasizes the difficulties young and diverse talent face in breaking into the industry and the challenges of retaining them, leading to a lack of relevant content for young audiences and lower engagement, while highlighting the positive aspects of increased consumption and production of audiovisual content by young people. The episode concludes with valuable insights on creating engaging content for young audiences, such as shorter episodes, compelling pilot episodes, and encouraging immediate audience engagement.

Max Malka acts as Head of Scripted for Endemol Shine Finland, where she is responsible for the development and production of scripted series and feature films. She created and co-wrote Endemol Shine Finland’s first scripted series, Dance Brothers, which is also the first ever Finnish series to have its global premiere on Netflix. This Netflix-Yle co-production premiered in May 2023. Malka has previously produced the family feature film Tatu and Patu, which was the highest grossing film of 2016 in Finland, and three seasons of award-winning and hugely popular youth series, Dragonslayer666. Her romantic feature film, Aurora, premiered in 2019. Aurora’s festival success includes a US premier at SXSW, Best International Film Award at Edinburgh IFF, a nomination for the Nordic Council Film Award as well as a record-breaking 13 Jussi-award (Finnish Oscar) nominations, of which it won seven, including Best Film. The same year, Malka was voted Producer of the Year in Finland. In addition, Malka is on the board of the Producer’s Association APFI and has a Master of Arts (Aalto University) in film production.

Sened Dhab is the VP Young Adult Content at France Télévisions, overseeing hit shows like Stalk, Perlement, and Derby Girl that have gained international acclaim. He also serves as the VP digital scripted, responsible for drama content on France Télévisions' digital channels. Prior to his current roles, Dhab excelled as a writer, script-doctor, and marketing executive, crafting impactful campaigns for major film distributors. His time at Dare.Win saw him launching successful campaigns for Netflix and expanding the agency's presence in Germany. With a diverse background in entertainment, Dhab's expertise and creative vision have left an indelible mark on the industry, shaping captivating narratives and pushing boundaries in French television and marketing.

Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with the Nostradamus Project of the Göteborg Film Festival.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

How Do We Reach and Engage with Young Audiences?

28 februari 2023 | 35 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Curator and Impact Producer Nadia Denton, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

What defines a young audience, what attracts a young audience and how can film professionals engage the audience of the future? In this episode of Industry Insights, guest speakers Melika Gothe and Yaron Volk reflect on these questions, shedding light on the younger generation and their perspective on cinema culture and film (festivals). This conversation shows the relevance of giving a voice to people of all ages and backgrounds, and shares ideas on how to make the film industry more accessible and sustainable.

Melika Gothe has been section manager of Berlinale Generation since 2022, a position that was newly created, aimed at strengthening film education and cultural participation. She joined the Generation team in 2014 and worked as project coordinator and Head’s assistant. Melika graduated in film studies, French and cultural mediation (Kulturvermittlung/Médiation Culturelle de l’Art) in Mainz, Dijon, Hildesheim and Marseille. Her focus is on supporting and engaging with young cineastes, in various jury programmes, as moderator and film educator.

Yaron Volk is a 16-year old film enthusiast, about to graduate. He is part of the Youth Film Jury Berlin and the European Film Club. Being an avid Berlinale person, Yaron feels that the festival played an important part in shaping his identity in terms of taste in films and in a way made him who he is today.

The host Nadia Denton is a film industry specialist with over a decade of experience as a Curator, Impact Producer and Author. Her focus has been on cinema of the African diaspora, she specialises in Nigerian Cinema and is author of two books The Black British Filmmakers Guide to Success and The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood. Nadia is also an official V&A African Heritage Tour Guide.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with Berlinale Generation.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

In this episode Melika mentiones the film Summer 1993 by Carla Simón.

Making a Mark in Unstable Environments: An Encouraging Conversation

23 februari 2023 | 44 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Curator and Impact Producer Nadia Denton, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode movers & shakers within the international film landscape Amra Bakšić Ćamo, Hania Mroué and Sadaf Foroughi talk about their personal approaches as filmmakers living in unstable environments – all three with an immense motivation to shape change in the film industry and to move forward. They share what drives them and how they are able to navigate and overcome challenges, and reflect on sustainable leadership and humanity in our film industry.

Hania Mroué is an established film programmer, distributor, and industry professional. She founded and became the director of Metropolis Cinema, the only art house movie theatre in Lebanon, in 2006, and in 2010, she established MC Distribution, a company dedicated to distributing Arab and international independent titles in the MENA region. Mroué is a founding member of the Beirut DC association, which supports and promotes independent Arab films, and she has served as the Managing Director of the organization's Arab film festival, Ayam Beirut Al Cinema'iya, for the past decade. From 2010 to 2012, she also served as Chief Arab Programmer at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival. She's currently a programming consultant for the Marrakesh International Film Festival. Mroué has been a jury member at a number of prestigious film festivals, including Cannes, Berlinale, Adelaide and Malatya International Film Festival.

Amra Bakšić Ćamo is one of the founders of SCCA/pro.ba, an independent production company from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She has produced and coproduced award-winning feature films, TV programs, shorts and documentaries,. Since it’s inception in 2003, she is Head of the CineLink, a regional co-production market, work in progress and project development workshop for feature films and drama series at the Sarajevo Film Festival and one of the curators of Torino Film Lab. She is a member of the European Film Academy as well as ACE and EAVE producer networks. She has been a longtime collaborator of Berlinale Coproduction Market and Biennale College. Amra teaches Producing at the Academy of Preforming Arts in Sarajevo.

Sadaf Foroughi is an award-winning Iranian-Canadian filmmaker and Berlinale Talents alumni. She directed a short documentary episode of The Why Democracy? Project, which was nominated for Best Non-European Film at the Grand Off-European Off Film Awards in Warsaw and won Best Short Film at the annual Oxford Brooks University Film and Music Festival. In 2009, Foroughi founded Sweet Delight Pictures (SDP) with fellow filmmaker Kiarash Anvari. SDP was nominated as one of the top five emerging Canadian production companies at the 2017 Indie Screen Awards. Sadaf Foroughi’s debut feature as writer/director/producer AVA premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, winning the FIPRESCI award in the Discovery section and earning several nominations. Her second film, Summer With Hope, won the Crystal Globe Grand Prix for Best Film at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2022. Sadaf has also served as a juror for various festivals and awards, including the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s annual awards in 2019 and most recently the Tibilisi International Film Festival in Georgia in 2022.

The host Nadia Denton is a film industry specialist with over a decade of experience as a Curator, Impact Producer and Author. Her focus has been on cinema of the African diaspora, she specialises in Nigerian Cinema and is author of two books The Black British Filmmakers Guide to Success and The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood. Nadia is also an official V&A African Heritage Tour Guide.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with Berlinale Talents.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

21 februari 2023 | 12 min

Quo Vadis TV: Major Trends in the Series Landscape

20 februari 2023 | 36 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by international TV Expert Max Goldbart, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode tackles aspects such as a way more competitive market, a content focus shift to Asia, an increasingly difficult customer acquisition to the question of skills shortage and sustainability, creative input and AI on the horizon.

Ioanina Pavel: I’ve been a development and creative producer for HBO for the better part of my thirties, having worked on both returning series and event miniseries, drama and reality TV in Romania. It’s been an immersive and infinitely gratifying process for me, a long-time TV buff, the joy of working in storytelling is why I can’t stop grinning most of the time. No show has at once challenged and reaffirmed my daily sense of joy quite like Spy/Master has over these past years, and I’m stoked that it’s landed in such auspicious company.

Oliver N. Bachert, Chief Distribution Officer of Beta Film, oversees the company’s sales and acquisition activities. Furthermore, he is responsible for all business affairs in Italy, UK and North America. Bachert has been with Beta since 2002. Prior to this, he was production executive in KirchGroup’s production division, as well as at Epislon / Evision, a joint venture of KirchGroup and Italy’s Mediaset. He joined KirchGroup in 1998 after studying business administration and communication in Munich and Venice.

Guy Bisson has been a leading entertainment market analyst with a specialisation in the global television business for the past 30 years. He is a regular speaker and moderator at many of the world’s leading entertainment business conferences, a frequent media commentator in print and broadcast and author of numerous reports and research articles on the business and strategy of the global television industry. Guy is co-founder of Ampere Analysis, a London-based analyst house focused on the entertainment and content business, which draws on title-level movie and TV analysis, consumer research and market forecasting to create a holistic outlook for the future of the industry. Guy previously led the television research practice at both Screen Digest and IHS.

Max Goldbart is International TV Editor at Deadline, covering the global TV sector with a focus on Europe and the UK. He writes breaking news and features about all facets of the industry and also pens the weekly International Insider newsletter, along with editing magazines for major TV markets. He was previously at UK TV trade Broadcast, where he specialized on the BBC and rose from Reporter to Chief Reporter during a four-year stint.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with DEADLINE.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

EFM Morning Brief with Blickpunkt:Film

20 februari 2023 | 13 min

EFM Morning Brief with IndieWire

19 februari 2023 | 13 min

EFM Morning Brief with Variety

18 februari 2023 | 14 min

EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

17 februari 2023 | 14 min

EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

16 februari 2023 | 11 min

Future-proofing Financing Strategies for Feature Films and TV Series

14 februari 2023 | 46 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, Linda Beath, Petri Kemppinen and Fredrik af Malmborg, three hand-picked international experts share their insights on strategies how to finance a feature film or TV Series in this fast changing financing landscape.

Linda Beath works with producers to find funding for projects ranging from features to documentaries to animated films to primetime television dramas. She trains producers and other industry practitioners and consults for public funders on policy issues. Linda Beath set up Ideal Filmworks in Canada 30 years ago to raise development and production financing. The company was later incorporated in Italy, adding business and strategic planning to its core business.

Fredrik af Malmborg is the CEO of Eccho Rights, a development, investment and distribution company with offices in Stockholm, London, Istanbul, Madrid and Seoul with 40 employees and strong annual growth. The mission is to support producers in developing top TV series and to help them retain and grow the value of IP. Eccho is since 2022 part of Night Train Media, a venture-backed by investor Serafin.

Petri Kemppinen has over 30 years of experience in the audio-visual sector, journalism, and publishing. CEO at Aurora Studios since August 2021, he has through his career worked internationally with financing, production, and development, in several roles within film and TV. Prior to Aurora Studios, Kemppinen worked as an independent consultant in his company P1 Kemppinen and between 2013 to 2019 as CEO of the pan-Nordic funding body Nordisk Film & TV Fond in Oslo. His past employers include The Finnish Film Foundation and YLE The Finnish Broadcasting Company.

Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with the Nostradamus Project of the Göteborg Film Festival.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Adopt and Adapt: Solutions for Smart Producing

21 december 2022 | 54 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by strategist, conference curator, moderator & speaker AC Coppens, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, an international group of forward thinkers will put their entrepreneurial instincts on display as we take a look at the new realities and unfolding opportunities for “smart producing” coming out of the intersecting worlds of tech and media. Join EFM Startups Alumni Maria Tanjala, Fiona Gillies, Max Hermans and Alex Serdiuk who discuss the innovative production tools they have developed and honed and the creative ways technology can be used to empower the future of film production.

Maria Tanjala, Co-founder, FilmChain

Maria Tanjala is a UK-based producer and entrepreneur, passionate about tech solutions that bring transparency and automation to the creative industries. She co-founded FilmChain alongside Irina Albita. The platform is transforming how producers, financiers, and sales agents get paid. With Digital collection agent (CAM) for indie films and royalties management solution for content distributors, FilmChain brings transparency to the process and modernises royalties. They have won awards such as ‘Startup of the Year’ London Business Awards 2020, Startup Challenge at San Sebastian Film Festival 2020, BAFTA’s Makers and Shakers 2020, Unchain Fintech Festival 2022, to name a few. Before co-founding FilmChain, Maria was producing for film, television and digital and was nominated ‘Rising Star’ Screen International 2018.

Fiona Gillies – Co-founder and CEO, SMASH

Fiona Gillies is an independent film producer and co-founder of My SMASH Media. Fiona produced The Beat Beneath My Feet which was in competition at the Berlin International Film Festival. Prior to producing, Fiona worked extensively as an actor in film, tv & theatre. She has been a mentor for Women in Film & TV and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. SMASH is an IP marketplace for film & TV which connects diverse, innovative content creators with decision-makers. SMASH provides creators with a Pitch Builder and an IP Pitch Protector enabling them to securely share and track their projects. SMASH was one of the European Finalists at this year's San Sebastian Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, as well as for Investing Women's Accelerator HER and in the Digital TV Group's TV Transformers competition.

Alex Serdiuk, Co-founder and CEO, Respeecher

Alex Serdiuk co-founded Respeecher in 2018. Respeecher is an Emmy-award winning voice cloning company, enabling one person to speak in the voice of another particular person (speech-to-speech voice conversion). A primary focus of the company is the democratization of the technology to allow sound professionals and creators worldwide have access to the tool. Respeecher is the only synthetic speech tech used in Hollywood studio movies, including in the Star Wars universe, creating the voice of young Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, and Darth Vader in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

Max Hermans, Co-founder and COO, TheGreenShot

Max is a self-made entrepreneur who started his own company in 2012 focusing on organising events and promoting artists. In 2016 his career took a turn towards the film industry as he worked as a supervising location manager and production coordinator on many international productions across Europe. From his hands-on experience, he lived through wastefulness on productions which was the impetus to create a new solution involving crews in making productions greener. TheGreenShot is the 1st green production management app for films, TV Series, shorts and commercials designed to embed the CO2 footprint right inside the production process. It delivers a singular solution that empowers each crew member to act and decrease the environmental impact of a production. Its open interfaces, its capability to adapt to different carbon calculators and certification programmes delivers uniquely efficient workflows. This multi-awarded startup was the recipient of BAFTA’s 2021 Makers and Shakers Tech Production Innovation of the year.

The host AC Coppens is a strategist, conference curator, host, moderator & speaker. They founded THE CATALYSTS, an agency for innovative & creative players working at the crossing of Digital Tech, Film/XR, Music/Sound, Design & Culture, to turn conferences into sites of knowledge exchange and co-creation.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Sustainable Leadership: From Me Perspective To We Perspective

24 november 2022 | 36 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by Curator and Impact Producer Nadia Denton, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode, guest speaker Helene Granqvist dives deep into the subject of Sustainability. Explaining the limits of our current system, she shows how discovering our impact can lead to new possibilities. In this context, she reflects on the role of leaders and collaboration, and highlights the importance of the creative industry on building a sustainable future.

Helene Granqvist is a prizewinning producer who has worked with film and television for more than 30 years, with films represented at festivals - like Cannes, Toronto and Sundance. She also works as an international pitch coach and is since 2018 the president for Women in Film & Television International. Nordic Factory produces documentaries and features with a strong narrative and a feministic approach. Nordic Factory also initiated New Nordic Narrative Labs in 2022 with the aim to inspire creators to use sustainability, inclusion and outreach as inspiring input for story development and success.

The host Nadia Denton is a film industry specialist with over a decade of experience as a Curator, Impact Producer and Author. Her focus has been on cinema of the African diaspora, she specialises in Nigerian Cinema and is author of two books The Black British Filmmakers Guide to Success and The Nigerian Filmmaker’s Guide to Success: Beyond Nollywood. Nadia is also an official V&A African Heritage Tour Guide.

This podcast episode has been developed in partnership with Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Audience Strategies: Empowering Tools For Producers

11 november 2022 | 47 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

In this episode guest speakers Isona Admetlla, Valeria Richter and Paola Wink explain what audience design, audience development and audience strategy mean to them. They share their experience with Audience Development Strategy and demonstrate how it can become an essential tool throughout the development and distribution of a film, making the whole process more creative, efficient and sustainable.

Scriptwriter and coach Valeria Richter works internationally since 2006, where she writes and consults on feature films/TV series, develops lab/script concepts, and specialises in pitch coaching. She has headed 50+ workshops since she in 2008 was part of creating renowned training outfit, TorinoFilmLab (TFL) where she created the outreach approach, Audience Design in 2011, writing a free e-book on this strategic concept in 2018. She premiered an 8-part TV drama series Next of Kin as head writer/creator in Finland 2022 (on Elisa Viihde Viaplay). With Helene Granqvist, she runs a sustainability, inclusion and leadership focused project lab and network concept, New Nordic Narratives, through their joint outfit, Nordic Factory.

Paola Wink is a CEO and producer at Vulcana Cinema (Brazil). She produced features such as El Empleado y El Patrón premiered at Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes, Castanha and Rifle, both premiered at Berlinale Forum. She's a member of EAVE.

Isona Admetlla is a Sociologist and Cultural Manager. Lecturer and Audience Design Consultant. Born in Barcelona, she is based in Berlin since 2001 and is the coordinator of the Berlinale-World Cinema Fund. Additionally she works for festivals, funds, universities and training initiatives and her areas of expertise include audience design strategies, evaluation of feature film and documentary projects as well pitch training and project development in the form of lectures, workshops, master classes or tailor-made programmes mostly in Europe and Latin America. She is also EAVE and TorinoFilmLab Alumni.

The host Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report.

This podcast episode has been developed in partnership with the World Cinema Fund.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Distribution - A Constant New Reality

18 oktober 2022 | 62 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode reflects on the issues of traditional film distribution and proposes new ways of dealing with them. Between targeted marketing, wider collaboration in the industry, explaining the new role of the curator distributor, and best practice examples of creating an exclusive cinematic experience, guest speakers Ben Johnson and Katarzyna Orysiak-Marrison present opportunities that come with a new reality of distribution in a post-pandemic and digital era.

Ben Johnson is CEO at Gruvi: The key questions for the entertainment industry are 'who is my audience?', 'why would they be interested in my content?', 'what parts of my story will engage with them?' and 'how do I reach them effectively?'. These are the questions that I have built Gruvi around. Our ethos is all about The Audience: every product we build, every service we deliver, is orientated towards delivering MEANINGFUL answers to those questions. Gruvi is a media-tech company that specialises in working across the value chain of a film’s release. We have products and services that work for producers, distributors and exhibitors. Through this experience, we have an innate understanding of digital audiences and how they interact with films and online ticketing. We focus on how our clients harvest audience behaviour, through the development of gold standard ad operations underpinned by data capture systems, data warehousing and visualisation technologies, and then apply these to the campaign in order to drive optimal engagement and sales.

Katarzyna Orysiak-Marrison is Head of Marketing and Distribution at Gutek Film in Warsaw, Poland. Working in the film industry for 16 years, specializing in marketing and distribution strategy. With Gutek Film since 2013, responsible for many successful campaigns for films such as: Parasite by Bong Joon-ho, The House That Jack Built by Lars von Trier, Portrait of a Lady of Fire by Céline Sciamma, Toni Erdmann by Maren Ade, Annette by Leos Carax, Drive My Car by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Parallel Mothers by Pedro Almodóvar and C’mon C’mon by Mike Mills; amongst many others. In 2022, Katarzyna produced a new festival for Gutek Film, Konfrontacje Filmowe (‘Film Confrontations’), a festival showcasing, and premiering, an exclusive selection of the most interesting titles from the upcoming season, screened in 24 arthouse cinemas spread across 18 cities in Poland.

The host Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report.

This podcast episode has been developed in partnership with Europa Distribution, the European Network of Independant Film Publishers and Distributors.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Here you can find the ebook Winning your Audiences by Gruvi, mentioned in this episode.

Imagining a Sustainable Industry - Nostradamus 2022

1 juli 2022 | 46 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

The 2022 Nostradamus Report: Imagining a Sustainable Industry - published this May - is looking at the near future of the screen industries in the industry's broader macroeconomic, social and cultural context. In this episode, host and author Johanna Koljonen gives a brief recap of the report’s key findings discussing where we are on sustainable business models and unsustainable labour practices. With guest speaker Louise Vesth, the conversation dives into the current market situation and the challenges it poses for arthouse films. Facing those challenges, this episode is also addressing the question what a film needs to be theatrical. As the report also highlights the urgent issue of the industry’s state of mental health, the Danish producer shares how working environment issues in the film industry could be handled in a different way.

Louise Vesth is considered one of Denmark’s leading film producers. She graduated from The National Film School of Denmark in 2001, the same year she started working for Zentropa. Vesth has been the producer of Lars von Trier’s films from Melancholia (2011) onwards, including Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 and 2 (2013), The House that Jack Built (2018), and the upcoming third and final installment of the legendary tv-series, The Kingdom – The Kingdom Exodus (2022). She also produced the first four movies in the massively successful series of Department Q movies from 2013 to 2018. As she was also behind the Danish blockbuster comedy Klown in 2010, she is the producer behind five of the biggest Danish box office hits of the last decade. Among her other notable producer credits are Nikolaj Arcel’s Oscarnominated A Royal Affair (2012) with Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander in the leading roles, Arcel’s Truth About Men (2010), Peter Schønau Fog’s You Disappear (2016), and most recently Christoffer Boe’s romantic drama A Taste of Hunger (2021).

Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report.

This podcast episode has been developed in partnership with Göteborg Film Festival where the Nostradamus report is commissioned by the Nordic Film Market and supported by Film i Väst.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut.

Equity & Tech

16 maj 2022 | 64 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by curator-producer Nadia Denton and industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode, featuring guest speakers Mike Musante, Tiffany Lin and Mbali Ndhlovu, deals with the subject of equity and inclusion in the creative tech industries by exploring the intersections of marginalised professionals and creatives with tech platforms, organisations and communities. From algorithms to blockchain and from the giants of Silicone Valley to the start-up tech scenes of the Global South, this episode begs the important questions of how tech can be decolonised by removing its embedded biases, how it can be used to democratize access and how it can provide a platform for previously underserved and unheard communities.

Mike Musante is the head of Film Production and Acquisitions at American Zoetrope. He is an attorney, admitted to practice in New York. He practiced corporate law for 10 years before becoming a full-time creative film producer in 2013. He has collaborated closely with such film greats as Roman Coppola, Gia Coppola, Ted Kotcheff, Martha Coolidge, Fred Roos, Richard Chew, and Stellan Skarsgård. During his tenure at American Zoetrope, he has guided the team through the productions of Mainstream, On the Rocks, The Godfather 50th Anniversary, The Outsiders Musical, The Complete Novel of The Outsiders film, as well as several other films that are about to drop! And of course, co-founding Decentralized Pictures with Roman Coppola and Leo Matchett. Decentralized Pictures (DCP) is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization based on an idea that artistic talent may be discovered in innovative ways. Through user consensus we have set up a democratic film fund and online community of creatives, film-fans, and industry professionals who will decide which projects audiences most want to see and support. Submit your idea, and if the world is excited about your vision, we’ll help you make it. We’ll help finance it, and introduce you to the people who will help you execute your project in a professional way. We love to discover great talent and curate content. We hope you do too.

Tiffany Lin is a Taiwanese-American filmmaker born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. A 2020 graduate of USC’s film and television production program, Tiffany has worked extensively across live action, animation, and virtual reality. Her work has been recognized at festivals both domestically and abroad; a short film she wrote was also a semifinalist for the 2020 Student Academy Awards. Her most recent short POACHERSwas the winner of the 2021 Decentralized Pictures Alumni Beta Test, a new decentralized film funding platform backed by American Zoetrope. Through her films, Tiffany is interested in exploring unconventional and nuanced perspectives on the American Dream.

Mbali Ndhlovu is a certified digital and communications strategist based in Johannesburg with a passion for digital connection and community. Born and raised in the historically and culturally rich Soweto and currently residing in Rosebank, Johannesburg, she has been active in the digital space for more than 14 years. Mbali has worked with some of the largest tech companies, whilst at the same time working towards empowering others like her in the sector. As a social entrepreneur, data researcher and founder of the youth platform I Know A Guy, her milestones include winning Facebook’s Icon for Change award in 2019, her work as South Africa’s national equality and inclusion ambassador in the tech industries for the Startupgrind as well as founding RebuildSA to to coordinate over 69 000 volunteers and donors to dispatch aid and assistance during South Africa’s major civil unrest in July 2021. Alongside her passion for networking, pretending to understand code and creating strategic partnerships, she also co-heads the communities, the Startupgrind (Johannesburg chapter), She Said So (South Africa), TWAA, Adanian Labs, Media Plug and Cartel Thinktank. Mbali’s work has been profiled across Forbes Africa, SABC, BBC Radio, CNBCAfrica as well as the Sunday Times, and she has been a speaker at a plethora of events hosted by Facebook, TikTok, Google for Startups, Nestlé (All4Youth) and Uber (Tech4Safety).

This podcast episode has been curated in partnership with Goethe-Institut.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

Accessibility Beyond and Behind the Screen

25 mars 2022 | 54 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by curator-producer Nadia Denton and industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

Featuring the insights of thought leaders, policymakers and activists, this episode will explore the multitude of barriers faced by Disabled professionals in the film industry as well as the numerous organisations, initiatives and movements created to attain universal accessibility and to highlight the invaluable contributions of Disabled creatives to film culture. In an industry that does not generally value Disabled talent nor employ them to tell or embody Disabled stories, this episode will beg the important question of which moral, mental and organisational shifts need to take place in order to address these issues meaningfully.

Andrew Miller MBE is a cultural consultant and broadcaster, recognized as one of the most influential Disability advocates in the UK who has transformed perceptions throughout his 30 year career. He belongs to the first generation of Disabled presenters of British television, becoming the first wheelchair user to run a major UK arts venue.

Amanda Upson is an independent producer who focuses on the advocacy of the underrepresented in front of and behind the camera via producing and consulting. She is interim director and a contributing member of Filmmakers With Disabilities: FWD-Doc. Within this episode Amanda mentions a private Facebook Group: Deaf & Disabled People in TV.

Kyla Harris is a filmmaker, writer and activist who applies an intersectional approach to all of her work. She is a member of the Disability Screen Advisory Group for the British Film Institute (BFI). Kyla advocates for people who share her own identities as a queer, Disabled, woman of color. Along with Filmmakers With Disabilities (FWD-Doc) she co-wrote a Toolkit for Inclusion & Accessibility: Changing the Narrative of Disability in Documentary Film in association with Doc Society and Netflix as well as The FWD-Doc Engagement Pack in association with Doc Society and the BFI. Towards the end of this podcast episode, Kyla quotes her favorite statement by Mia Mungus, which for her sums up everything discussed in this episode and can be applied not only to filmmaking but to life in general.

Dr Grishma Shah is an artist and psychologist who consults with filmmakers, film festivals and production companies at various stages of the creative process. Her objective is to champion stories of diversity in inaccessible spaces to introduce new narratives of beauty and worth into the global market. As a visual artist, Grishma infuses heritage and components of mixed media into her artistry to create 3D paintings. She furthermore published Dissertations told through podcast miniseries. Currently, she works as a consultant for the 1in4coalition and as mass media consultant for the ReelAbilities Film Festival Chicago

During the conversation the Jack Thorne’s James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture from summer 2021 at The Edinburgh International Television Festival is mentioned.

This podcast episode has been developed in partnership with the British Film Institute in connection with their Press Reset campaign to inspire authority figures in film and TV to reset practices involving Disabled people and establish a new, more inclusive normal. The BFI also recently presented a series of screenings, talks and presentations showcasing Disabled practitioners’ work with their Busting the Bias programme.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

What's at Stake in Ukraine - a Filmmakers’ Conversation

11 mars 2022 | 43 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale.

This podcast episode is a special edition dedicated to the current invasion of Ukraine. Tamara Tatishvili (Head of Training - MEDICI the Film Funding Journey) is moderating this episode and speaks with Julia Sinkevych (Producer, Ukraine), Tanja Georgieva-Waldhauer (Producer, Germany), and Keti Machavariani (Producer/ Director, Georgia). They talk about the fact that the war in Ukraine did not start on 24 February, but eight years ago with the annexation of Crimea. We hear four women and their fear on the one hand and their will to stand up for peace on the other. Film and cinema have enormous power; those have to be used and supported in the right way. Because the misuse for propaganda purposes is a real danger. In this time more than ever the film industry needs to stand together. Filmmakers have the tools to reach a big audience. The industry should endorse Ukrainian film projects from the past to achieve awareness and gather financial resources to support the fight for freedom in Ukraine.

Our moderator for this episode is Tamara Tatishvili. She combines solid experience of international film funding & promotion strategies with strong passion for talent curation and programming. She worked for several years as Director of the Georgian National Film Center. Prior to that, Tamara co-founded and was an Executive Director of the Independent Filmmakers’ Association - South Caucasus. Since 2020 Tamara heads an exclusive training platform for public film financiers MEDICI - The Film Funding Journey organized by FOCAL. Among different industry collaborations, Tamara acts as strategy consultant to the European Women’s Audiovisual Network as well as programming consultant to Bridges: East of West Film Days organized by Bozar.

Julia Sinkevych Ukrainian film producer, co-founder and member of the supervisory board of the Ukrainian Film Academy. Julia has been the general producer of the Odesa International Film Festival from 2010-2020. Besides general management, programming and curating tasks, her prior work at distribution and production company Arthouse Traffic allowed her to promote and support Ukrainian artists and filmmakers on an international level.

Georgian filmmaker and producer, Keti Machavariani known for her debut feature film Salt White which premiered at the International Film Festival Karlovy Vary in 2011. Her documentary, titled Sunny, premiered 2021 at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Currently Keti is working on the feature film project Ia that won first place at Georgian-Baltic Bridge Pitching Forum at the Tbilisi International Film Festival.

Tanja Georgieva-Waldhauer is a German film producer at Elemag Pictures. Since 2012 she works with the Ukrainian director Roman Bondarchuk known for Volcano and his team in Ukraine. At the moment Tanja co-produces together with Darya Bassel Roman Bondarchuk’s upcoming film The Editorial Office. In the last days, she initiated with colleagues from the German Producers Association and Documentary Association a support programme to provide technical equipment as well as safety jackets and helmets for Ukrainian filmmakers. This should follow the call of their Ukrainian colleagues to cinematically document the current situation.

This podcast episode has been co-developed and produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut.

New Native Cinema: Indigenous Film Criticism in Focus

18 februari 2022 | 60 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by curator-producer Nadia Denton and industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

This episode deals with the dearth of Indigenous film critics worldwide, and how this gap in the critical landscape impacts the way in which Indigenous-led films or films with casts from these communities are commented on, scored, critiqued, released and ultimately perform at the box office.

Leo Koziol is Founder and Director of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival in Aotearoa New Zealand. Leo Koziol is also the Indigenous Editor of Letterboxd where he compiled the 100 Native Directors, 100 Native Films to celebrate the new wave of Indigenous films and uncover the cinematic history of films by Indigenous directors. Leo is also a curator for NZIFF Whānau Mārama, producer at Nūhaka Film and former host of Kōrero Kiriata on Radio Waatea NZ. Writer, thinker, curator, creator. Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Ngāti Kahungunu hard.

Leena Minifie is a Gitxaala/British (Tsimshian) artist, writer, curator and based in Vancouver, BC. She is the CEO of Stories First Productions. Leena specialized in Indigenous Studies and New Media at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Her experience producing media projects includes series, documentaries, webinars, radio broadcast, culture retention projects and news sites. She has worked as a journalist and is a co-founder of Ricochet.Media. Leena has deep experience in film, television, but focuses primarily on online digital campaigns and digital media strategy for social impact.

David Hernández Palmar, Wayuu, IIPUANA, is a journalist, photographer, filmmaker, curator of Latin American and Caribbean film specializing in Indigenous film. A member of the Wayuu People Communications Network, David is also Director of the Indigenous Audiovisual Foundation Wayaakua, Curator and Programmer of the Wayuu Film and Video Showcase, Curator and Programmer of the International Indigenous Film Showcase of Venezuela MICIV, Political Advisor for Latin American Coordinator of Cinema and Communication of Indigenous Peoples CLACPI, Guest Curator for Daupará - Indigenous Film and Video Showcase in Colombia. David is former Advisor for special selection NATIVe of the Berlinale International Film Festival and a member of The Indigenous Media and Communication Caucus, a member of #ImaginacciónIndígena as well as a member of the Programmers of Colour Collective.

This podcast episode has been developed in partnership with imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The second season of this year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut, and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.

EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

15 februari 2022 | 9 min

EFM Morning Brief with Indiewire

14 februari 2022 | 10 min

EFM Morning Brief with Blickpunkt:Film

13 februari 2022 | 12 min

EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

12 februari 2022 | 11 min

EFM Morning Brief with Variety

11 februari 2022 | 9 min

EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

10 februari 2022 | 8 min

Unlocking Creativity through a Healthy Workplace

3 december 2021 | 66 min

Generation Next's Perspective on Futurism & Equity

20 augusti 2021 | 43 min

(Co-)Producing Internationally: A Personal Approach with Ewa Puszczyńska

11 juni 2021 | 46 min

Global North - Global South: Narrative Sovereignty (#2)

7 maj 2021 | 56 min

Global North - Global South: Narrative Sovereignty (#1)

9 april 2021 | 63 min

2021: EFM Morning Brief with Indiewire

5 mars 2021 | 11 min

Philly D.A. & the Doc Series Boom

4 mars 2021 | 56 min

2020 has seen a boost in popularity and production of documentary series. Host Nadia Denton talks about the risks and challenges of producing such unpredictable and timely content with the producers and creators of one of this year’s most-anticipated shows: Philly D.A., an 8-part series about Philadelphia’s progressive lawyer Larry Krasner becoming Philadelphia’s new district attorney. Yoni Brook, Josh Penn and Nicole Salazar discuss their most important and crucial decisions when producing Philly D.A..

They talk about how they decided to make Philly D.A. into a series rather than a film and the growing audience for complex non-fictional serialised content beyond True Crime, how they found their story and access to the protagonist organically by following what was happening in their own neighborhood, how they managed not to fall into the trap of telling a classic hero-story but use their four-year-spanning access to include many perspectives and stories. They compare the levels of freedom and very different financing models of fictional versus docs, and the importance of trusting your gut feelings and telling a local story that might inspire a much bigger audience.

Philly D.A. is part of this year’s Berlinale Series selection [https://www.berlinale.de/en/programme/202108172.html]

Josh Penn is an Academy Award nominated producer, whose films have won over 100 awards, most notably Beasts of the Southern Wild, which won Sundance's Grand Jury Prize and Cannes' Camera d'Or, and was nominated for four Academy Awards.

Yoni Brook, Creator, Director and Producer of Philly D.A., is a twice Independent Spirit-nominated director and cinematographer. His films have screened at Berlinale, New York and Toronto Film Festivals, IDFA and Sundance.

Nicole Salazar, Creator and Producer of Philly D.A., is a Pulitzer grantee and a photographer, videographer and multimedia producer. She worked as a producer for independent TV/radio news hour Democracy Now! And specialises in grassroots movements and urban history.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut.

2021: EFM Morning Brief with Variety

4 mars 2021 | 13 min

Transforming Storytelling Together: Nostradamus 2021

3 mars 2021 | 46 min

2021: EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

3 mars 2021 | 13 min

2021: EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

2 mars 2021 | 13 min

2021: EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

1 mars 2021 | 12 min

Macrotrends in Production: Ampere Analysis

25 februari 2021 | 34 min

Industry Insights | Trailer

18 februari 2021 | 2 min

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast

Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast is about and for the entertainment industry.

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2025: EFM Morning Brief with IndieWire

2025: EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

From Local to Universal: Serial Storytelling for Global Audiences

2025: EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

2025: EFM Morning Brief with THE SPOT media & film

2025: EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

Reinventing Reality: Independent Documentaries in Times of Change

2025: EFM Morning Brief with Variety

Tailored Solutions: Film Funding in Europe’s Diverse Markets

Innovative Production Tools: Shaping the Future of Filmmaking #2

Alive and Kicking: Company Strategies Today

Pathways to Equity: the Special Edition Seminar Podcast

Spotlight Edition: A Personal Conversation with Beki Probst

Arctic Indigenous Filmmakers on Climate Change: First-Hand Perspectives

Nostradamus 2024: Paradox of Hope

Follow the Money: Transparency Towards Fair Remuneration

Generation Alpha’s Influence: Children’s Content as a Keystone for the Future

2024: EFM Morning Brief with Thomas Schultze

2024: Morning Brief with Indiewire

Post-Peak Perspectives: Finding New Opportunities in the Series Landscape

2024: EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

2024: EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

2024: EFM Morning Brief with Variety

2024: EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

The Three Fundamental Keystones of Successful Archival Filmmaking

Global Voices, Local Roots: Producers Blazing the Way

International Film Sales: The Now and the Next

Innovative Production Tools: Shaping the Future of Filmmaking

Co-Production Strategies for Drama Series Today

How Subscription Models are Vitalising the Big Screen

Finance Trends across the Ecosystem

How Do We Reach and Engage with Young Audiences? #2

How Do We Reach and Engage with Young Audiences?

Making a Mark in Unstable Environments: An Encouraging Conversation

EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

Quo Vadis TV: Major Trends in the Series Landscape

EFM Morning Brief with Blickpunkt:Film

EFM Morning Brief with IndieWire

EFM Morning Brief with Variety

EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

Future-proofing Financing Strategies for Feature Films and TV Series

Adopt and Adapt: Solutions for Smart Producing

Sustainable Leadership: From Me Perspective To We Perspective

Audience Strategies: Empowering Tools For Producers

Distribution - A Constant New Reality

Imagining a Sustainable Industry - Nostradamus 2022

Equity & Tech

Accessibility Beyond and Behind the Screen

What's at Stake in Ukraine - a Filmmakers’ Conversation

New Native Cinema: Indigenous Film Criticism in Focus

EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

EFM Morning Brief with Indiewire

EFM Morning Brief with Blickpunkt:Film

EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

EFM Morning Brief with Variety

EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

Unlocking Creativity through a Healthy Workplace

Generation Next's Perspective on Futurism & Equity

(Co-)Producing Internationally: A Personal Approach with Ewa Puszczyńska

Global North - Global South: Narrative Sovereignty (#2)

Global North - Global South: Narrative Sovereignty (#1)

2021: EFM Morning Brief with Indiewire

Philly D.A. & the Doc Series Boom

2021: EFM Morning Brief with Variety

Transforming Storytelling Together: Nostradamus 2021

2021: EFM Morning Brief with The Hollywood Reporter

2021: EFM Morning Brief with Screen International

2021: EFM Morning Brief with Deadline

Macrotrends in Production: Ampere Analysis

Industry Insights | Trailer