09/02/2023 - The distributors network will hold its 16th Annual Conference during the European Film Market, from 19 to 21 February

Europa Distribution will hold its 16th Annual Conference during the European Film Market at the 73rd Berlinale. The event will take place from 19 to 21 February and will bring together around sixty professionals, all members of the European Network of Independent Film Publishers and Distributors. 

On Sunday 19 February, Europa Distribution in partnership with EFM will co-host the panel Surfing the Waves: Audience building in a new period of changes. It will explore new realities and the potential for innovative and collaborative approaches across the value chain. The event comes as a new wave of economic challenges and shifting consumer trends are disrupting the post-Covid recovery for European film, testing business models and financial sustainability. Building a sustainable strategy to win audiences in such a climate is complicated, not least in distinguishing between short-term consumer trends and long-term changes to demand. The speakers, all experts in reaching out to audiences, will look at how businesses have been diversifying, extending their distribution, exhibition and festival businesses to include digital development and platforms.

The panel’s speakers will be Agnete Juul (Camera Film, Denmark), Algirda Ramaska (Vilnius International Film Festival, Lithuania), Eduardo Escudero (Cines Verdi, Spain) and Noortje van de Sande (Picl, Netherlands).  It will be moderated by British consultant and journalist Michael Gubbins, founder of SampoMedia. 

On Monday 20 February, the evolution of the film ecosystem and its implications for the independent distribution sector will be addressed at a dedicated private brainstorming session, where distributors will explore and exchange ideas on several key topics, with a focus on new business models, new acquisition patterns and creative approaches for audience development, theatrically and online. The tables will be moderated by independent distributors, all members of the board of Europa Distribution. The ideas and next steps identified by each working group will then be shared with the whole assembly in a wrap-up session, moderated by Michael Gubbins.

On Tuesday 21 February, attending distributors will participate in Europa Distribution’s General Assembly, which will provide an opportunity for members to discuss the activities of the Association according to their needs.