13/02/2023 - The head of the EFM offers an overview of the market set to unspool from 16-22 February and shares his experience of organising this edition

(© Angela Regenbrecht)

Just a few days before the kick-off of his third edition as the head of the European Film Market (EFM), which will run physically, Dennis Ruh offers an overview of the market set to unspool from 16-22 February and shares his experience of organising this edition.

Cineuropa: This is the first edition to run physically since you became head of the EFM; what is different this time?
Dennis Ruh: When I started as EFM director in 2020, organising the 2021 edition, the European Film Market went online for the first time ever in its history. Until this year, I had been organising market editions that were totally different from any other iterations before. I am now looking forward to welcoming the industry back on site and in person. The pandemic editions were exciting and challenging at the same time. We had to recreate the market experience and infrastructure in the virtual space bearing in mind the – at that time – inalterable situation at hand; changes like new technical tools and software solutions helped further develop the market. In 2023, with the return of the physical event, we have not just dropped everything digital, but have rather integrated those aspects, such as online screenings, into the physical edition. With these, we are offering an even more convenient market than before. Looking at our attendance figures, the interest in the EFM has not declined, as we have even registered slightly more participants than we did in 2020.

Regarding the highlights of this year, what is the focus of the EFM, and which sections in particular do you expect to pique the interest of the attending guests?
One large structural highlight of the market is the centralisation of the EFM. The Berlinale Series Market has moved back to Potsdamer Platz, and the EFM Industry Sessions are taking place in our new venue, the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion and Reconciliation, within walking distance of the Gropius Bau. This makes the market experience efficient and time-saving. Other highlights include the EFM Industry Sessions under the title “Shift Happens”, exploring future developments, diversity, inclusion and sustainability.

The Berlinale Series Market dives deep into the world of high-quality drama series, featuring, among others, David Bernad, EP of the ten-time Emmy Award winner White Lotus, as well as showcases from Germany, the Baltic states, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Spain and Switzerland. There will also be talks, fireside chats, first looks and case studies. This year, the market welcomes the Baltic States – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia – as the official “Countries in Focus”. A delegation of Baltic filmmakers are being given the opportunity to present themselves, their projects and their countries’ film industries.

Furthermore, the EFM is offering a package of supporting activities in aid of the Ukrainian film industry: the market has invited a Ukrainian delegation and supported the completion of their paperwork. There will also be a financing panel, “Producers Presentations”, organised in conjunction with the Ukrainian Institute, as well as the Project Pitches of the Odesa International Film Festival, which will be held as an associated event at the EFM.

Could you offer us some more details on the EFM Industry Sessions?
They will provide an impulse for rethinking and reshaping the future of the film and media industry, over seven days. The conference programme takes a closer look at audiences this year: development at the box office is a huge challenge and puts previous distribution models into question. A think tank will discuss the challenge of considering audience needs from production to distribution to multi-platform releases. Still going strong is our EFM Startups initiative, with 11 international start-ups presenting solutions and ideas for new tools and innovative technologies. For the first time, there will be an investment forum in addition to the presentation and the numerous matchmaking sessions, where the start-ups will show their ideas and products to selected investors.

The EFM is hosting the “Equity & Inclusion Pathways Seminar”, with a half-day summit on 16 February. The event is planned as an industry-wide consultation forum with the aim of setting the cinematic-political agenda regarding equity, inclusion and accessibility. The seminar is aimed at European decision makers, advocacy groups and stakeholders. There will also be a “Room of Stillness” at the EFM Industry Sessions’ location to provide all market visitors with a mobile-free and work-free environment to wind down and de-stress for a moment. This is a continuation of our efforts to address the topic of mental health, which was first introduced in 2020.

What are the changes to the Berlinale Series Market this year?
Now in its ninth year, the Berlinale Series Market is becoming stronger with each edition. With the constant rise of streaming platforms featuring series as an integral part of their programming, drama series now enjoy a very strong position. At the Berlinale Series Market – as already described above – we have an especially strong line-up of showcases from many countries this year, and among them are specific events like a Spanish showcase with contributions from Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia, an All3media showcase revealing brand-new series, a talk with Universal International Studios president Beatrice Springborn, an exclusive preview of RTL+’s and Warner TV Serie’s first collaboration, Two Sides of the Abyss, as well as a fireside chat with the heads of Amazon Studios from Germany, Nigeria and the Nordics, giving insights into Prime Video’s international content strategy. We are also collaborating with the Sarajevo Film Festival, spotlighting serial content from the Balkan region, and will welcome on stage Jasmila Žbanić, Amra Bakšić Čamo, Ankica Jurić Tilić and Boban Jevtic.

The EFM’s motto is “It all starts here”, so what benefits can film professionals expect if they attend?
The advantages in a nutshell are that the EFM is one of the largest film markets worldwide. At the beginning of the year, it acts like a seismograph for what will be happening in the coming film year, regarding content, formats, trends, challenges and developments. After two years of the pandemic, we have integrated the best of the virtual world into the physical market, centralised the EFM in terms of its venue and are now able to offer a state-of-the-art market experience.