A new initiative bridging film, animation and games has been designed to foster cross-sector collaboration and support IP-driven transmedia development across formats and platforms

A previous edition of the EFM Producers Hub programme (© EFM)

The European Film Market is deepening its engagement with cross-sector innovation through the launch of the EFM–MIFA Cross-IP Acceleration Programme, a new international initiative aimed at fostering collaboration between film, animation, television and video game studios. Introduced as part of the EFM Beyond strand, the programme reflects the market’s growing focus on IP-driven development and transmedia strategies, as producers increasingly seek to build story worlds capable of travelling across formats, platforms and audiences.

Hosted at the Producers & Innovation Hub at the Gropius Bau and developed in collaboration with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival’s Mifa market and gamescom dev, the Cross-IP Acceleration Programme responds to increasingly fragmented markets and evolving consumption habits. At its core, the initiative positions producers not only as project developers, but as IP architects, encouraging long-term thinking around rights, formats and cross-media potential.

The Cross-IP Acceleration Programme will accompany 20 selected companies across three major European industry events in 2026: the Berlinale, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market, and gamescom dev in Cologne. Through a combination of in-person workshops, one-on-one mentoring, pitching sessions and curated networking opportunities, participants will be guided in developing collaborative transmedia strategies and hybrid financing models.

Ten audiovisual, animation and film production companies and ten video game studios have been selected, all with a proven professional track record and at least one released commercial work. The cohort reflects broad geographical and creative diversity, bringing together established and emerging players from across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.

According to the organisers, the programme is designed not only to stimulate cross-industry dialogue, but also to provide a structured framework for long-term collaboration, with participants encouraged to develop shared IP portfolios rather than single-format projects. The curriculum includes masterclasses, hands-on workshops and expert-led mentoring sessions focused on world-building, rights management, business models and cross-media development pipelines.

The programme’s kick-off workshop will take place on 12–13 February during the European Film Market in Berlin, followed by a mid-programme session at Mifa in Annecy on 22–23 June, and a final workshop and networking event at gamescom dev on 24 August.

The initiative will also be contextualised through the industry panel Film Meets Games: Practical Lessons in Cross-Sector Collaboration, taking place on 13 February at the Producers Hub at the Gropius Bau as part of the Berlinale Industry Events. Aimed primarily at film producers interested in gaming and transmedia collaboration, the on-site session will move beyond high-level overviews to focus on hands-on, experience-based insights from practitioners working at the intersection of film and games. Through case studies and moderated discussion, speakers including Mariam Draeger (Spoondrift Games), Dominique “Flinx” Schuchmann (M.A.R.K. 13 & flinx.tv) and Piotr Szczesniak (11 bit studios), with Matthes Lindner (SpielFabrique) hosting, will address how cross-sector partnerships are initiated, where expectations often diverge, and which structural challenges tend to emerge during development. A dedicated segment will introduce selected participants from the Cross-IP Acceleration Programme, offering a snapshot of the concrete questions and ambitions shaping their cross-media journeys.

The Cross-IP Acceleration Programme is spearheaded by SpielFabrique, with the support of the European Film Market, CITIA and gamescom dev. It forms part of a broader push within EFM Beyond to explore cross-media development through producer workshops, curated exhibitors and initiatives such as a Film-to-Game Accelerator, alongside a dedicated showcase of French game IPs supported by the Institut français Germany and the CNC.

The selected participants in the EFM–MIFA Cross-IP Acceleration Programme:

Paula Crickard – Atelier 11 (UK)
Tomáš Danay – Blue Faces (Slovenia)
Anelle Dehghani – The Coven (France)
Frédéric Schuld – Fabian&Fred (Germany)
Franziska Schönenberger – Family Business (India)
Juha Fiilin – Fiilin Good Films (Finland)
Aleks Gavrilovic – Gamechuck (Croatia)
Artur Karwatka – iNFORMERS AG (Poland)
Vincenzo Bianca – N-Zone (Belgium)
Naddya Adhiambo – Nalo Studios (Kenya)
Mario Damiano Scuito – NARC (Malta)
Dylan Pearce – Northern Gateway Films (Canada)
Sergio Garcia – Petoons (Spain)
Christopher Mifsud – Play On Words (Malta)
Tobias Dallmann – Quantumfrog (Germany)
Joana Szymanska – Shipsboy (Poland)
Chris Ankou – Studio Ankou (France)
Matteo Lana – Tiny Bull Studios (Italy)
Karim Ahmad – Utopia Studio (USA)
Laurent Witz – Zeilt Production (Luxembourg)