The value chain for audiovisual productions is undergoing a period of vital change. A genuine race is underway to pick up the slack of existing online platforms, with new and enormous players bursting onto the scene. Global offerings have grown, as has the possibility of making a wider range of content available to large audiences, and it is this topic which will form the basis of a panel discussion intitled "Euroflix? On the road to strong (T)VOD competitors in Europe". Organised by the Italian-European TVOD platform Chili, in collaboration with the association of independent German producers Produzentenverband e.V., the panel will kick off on Friday 28 June in the setting of Filmfest München 2019.

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The session will see a group of key experts looking to address fundamental questions on one of the biggest structural challenges faced by the film industry today. How should German and European producers position themselves within this new landscape? Are online platforms and film distributers inevitable rivals or are cooperative business models a possibility? What impact are online platforms having on the importance and availability of German and European content? Those participating in the panel include Feo Aladag, director, actress, and a producer since 2005 when she founded the company Independent Artists in Berlin; Wasiliki Bleser, producer, CEO of Starhaus; Philipp Kreuzer, producer, CEO of Maze Pictures; and Giorgio Tacchia, founder and CEO of Chili. As Giorgio Tacchia explained to Cineuropa, "There will always be more space dedicated to European cinema on Chili. We are very happy to discuss this growth opportunity for German producers and other film and TV industry professionals. It’s an opportunity which shouldn’t be seen as a confrontation between online platforms, on the one hand, and cinema auditoriums on the other, where only one side can win. The road to success lies in a mutually advantageous relationship between all market participants".

Founded in Milan in 2012, Chili is now a transnational platform for on-demand films and TV series and offers an extensive library of titles thanks to the agreements it has brokered with the biggest production houses, as well as local distributers and independent labels. It has developed the first and the only Marketplace to around entertainment and is available on Smart TV, Blu Ray, PCs, tablets and smartphones without monthly fees or activation charges. Thanks to its success in Italy, Chili has been able to expand into the UK – where it has already attracted 400,000 users since its launch last year – Germany, Poland and Austria, with each of its national divisions placing great emphasis on local titles. In 2018, Torino 1895 Investimenti SPA (part of the Lavazza family) joined with Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Viacom and Warner Bros to become a shareholder in the company.