04/02/2014 - EFM Director Beki Probst discusses numbers, initiatives and new locations at the European Film Market

With the opening of the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin begins a new season for the buyers and sellers who are wheeling and dealing in order to market fresh products. This year, the EFM will also bring the industry crowd to the reconstructed Zoo Palast, which is a state-of-the-art location with a rich history.

Cineuropa: How many industry representatives, international sales agents and buyers are attending the EFM?
Beki Probst: So far, 7,625 participants have registered for the European Film Market, which is about the same as last year. We have 1,356 buyers from 61 countries. The number of companies went up from 455 in 2013 to 487 – from 55 countries – this year. We have also rented out more office space. In total, 183 companies have booked an office space at the EFM.

How many films will be screened at the EFM and how many of them are market premieres?
In total, there will be about 780 films presented at the EFM, which, in other words, means 1,070 screenings in 39 different screening facilities. Overall, we have 565 market premieres.

Does this huge number of new products stem from the fact that the EFM constitutes the first big market of the year?
Yes, of course, because it is not useful to present films that have already done the rounds at Cannes and the AFM – even without counting the festivals that take place worldwide. It is a very big advantage that we are able to present new films. Several films that have their market premiere in Berlin have also been curated by the different sections of the festival. In addition, we collaborate with Sundance and the Independent Feature Project (IFP), which also bring fresh products to Berlin.

Do these kinds of initiatives help with the organisation of the huge variety of films at the market?
We enhanced the “Meet the Docs” initiative because we received very positive feedback and because there are a lot of documentaries in all of the sections at the Berlin International Film Festival. Therefore, our intention is to bring together the doc creatives with the doc industry and offer them networking possibilities at the EFM.

How fast did the technical transition happen at the EFM? How quickly did the producers and sales agents get used to the new workflows? Are they delivering their films in the right digital format nowadays?
This year we only have one entry form with 35 mm left. I think I have to frame that. Most of the films are delivered as DCPs, but we also have formats such as HDcam and blu-ray. The festival has a very good film office that checks everything carefully. We also have a member of our market team who is in touch with all of the sales agents that are sending in films and who makes sure that we get them in the right format.

For the first time at the festival, the complete delivery of films is going to happen via fibre-optics from a central data centre. Do the EFM cinemas also have fibre-optic connections?
Yes. The only screening facility that doesn’t have such a connection is the one in the Berlin House of Representatives.

Is the new Zoo Palast a major location for the EFM?
We are using three cinemas in the Zoo Palast. In addition, we have rented the Zoo Palast Club with two small screening rooms, which replace the former Kammerspiele A and B. We are offering a shuttle for EFM participants that takes them from the Martin-Gropius-Bau as well as the Marriott Hotel directly to the Zoo Palast.