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BERLINALE 2018 Market

EFM Horizon 2018 expands into the future

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- The EFM’s progressive market platform explores new technologies, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, diversity and new start-ups that will influence the film industry

EFM Horizon 2018 expands into the future
(© Berlinale)

The EFM Horizon progressive market platform was introduced at the European Film Market last year and is supported by Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. For its second edition, the platform, which showcases the future of the film business and pioneering developments in the media, will be expanded to a five-day event, running from 16-20 February at Berliner Freiheit. Some of the themes that will be discussed through a series of keynotes, workshops and talks are virtual reality, artificial intelligence, blockchain and diversity in the film industry, while the start-up hub is another focal point.

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Virtual reality will be explored in three different segments of VR at EFM Horizon, starting with the VR NOW Summit, in partnership with Virtual Reality eV Berlin Brandenburg, which will delve deeper into the scope and the future of virtual reality through keynotes, presentations and talks. The VRNEXT Investors Club aims to create a network between producers, distributors, content creators, tech experts and financial investors. Finally, the EFM, in collaboration with INVR.Space, will introduce the newly constructed VR Cinema at Marriott, where the official market screenings for 360° VR projects will be presented.

As previously reported (see the news), the EFM Industry Debates, originally hosted by IFA Berlin, will for the first time form part of EFM Horizon. Covering a wide range of contemporary topics, some of the key debate subjects are: “The Future of the Sales Business”, “The Financing and Monetisation of Virtual Reality Content” and “Why Diversity Matters”. Meanwhile, Creative Europe MEDIA will host a round-table networking event for film distributors, VoD platforms, online aggregators, start-ups and tech firms on the subject “Building a Bridge between Tech & (Online) Distribution”.

Bridging the gap between the creative industry and the technology scene, the EFM Startups initiative, which was introduced in 2015, will present ten selected start-ups from Europe and two from Canada, which is the focus country at the 2018 EFM. The participating entrepreneurs will also have a pitching session on 19 February, presenting to a selected audience of top-tier industry professionals. The list of the start-ups can be found here. Also, Propellor Film Tech Hub, the cooperative project by the EFM, the International Film Festival Rotterdam, CPH:DOX and studio Cinemathon, which was introduced at Cannes NEXT (see the news), will organise its seventh Meetup, moderated by Alex Stolz.

Partnering with the leading Frankfurt Book Fair, and through its innovative THE ARTS+ platform, EFM Horizon will organise the AI: From Screen to Creation event, which, through a session of five spotlight presentations, will try to shed light on the use of artificial intelligence across versatile formats, including film, literature, art and TV.

Finally, in collaboration with Téléfilm Canada, an event is being organised that will highlight blockchain and its newest applications in film, TV and digital media.

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