17/09/2025 - For the 16th edition, the Baltic countries return, while Germany, Austria and Switzerland join the spotlight; a new hub explores the intersections between film and games

A previous edition of WEMW (© Matjaž Rušt/Katja Goljat)

The 16th edition of When East Meets West (WEMW) will take place in Trieste from 18-20 January 2026. Building on its long-standing mission to foster dialogue and collaboration across Europe, WEMW 2026 unveils its East & West Focus, highlighting the Baltic countries for the second consecutive year, alongside the newly added GAS region – comprising Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This edition will also introduce a Films x Games Connection Hub, designed to explore creative intersections between audiovisual and interactive media.

For 16 years, WEMW has served as a key platform for professionals from East and West Europe, encouraging co-productions and partnerships across borders. The 2026 East & West Focus is supported by the FFA – German Federal Film Board, German Films, Austrian Films, Swiss Films, the Estonian Film Institute, the Lithuanian Film Centre and the National Film Centre of Latvia, in cooperation with ABA - Film in Austria, the Cine Tirol Film Commission, Cinéforom, Hessenfilm & Medien, kreativland.tirol, MEDIA Desk Suisse, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Switzerland Film Commission and the Zurich Film Fund.

WEMW 2026 will maintain its extensive programme of five core initiatives: the Co-Production Forum, Works in Progress sessions, EAVE Slate, Inspirational Labs and the aforementioned, brand-new Films x Games Connection Hub.

Twenty projects in development – live-action features, creative documentaries and short, animated projects – will be selected for the Co-Production Forum, with priority given to the 2026 East & West spotlight countries. Selected projects will be pitched to more than 500 professionals from over 60 countries, and will compete for the Film Center Serbia Development Award and the CICLIC WEMW Award. Additional prizes include the EAVE Producers Workshop Scholarship, Pop Up Film Residency Award, Marché du Film Producers Network Badges, DAE Talent Development Prize, GoGo2025 Residency Award and CEE Animation Award. Early-bird submissions are open until 10 October, while last-minute entries close on 20 October. All of the info is available here.

Two WIP sections offer opportunities for projects at a more advanced stage. Last Stop Trieste focuses on fine-cut documentaries developed or presented through partner platforms such as Ex Oriente Film Workshop, BDC Discoveries, Docu Rough Cut Boutique, Baltic Sea Docs, ZagrebDox Pro and the WEMW Co-Production Forum. Eligible projects will compete for the HBO Europe Award and the Film Center Montenegro Award. This Is IT, organised with L’Atelier – Milano Film Network, will focus on feature films and hybrid works with strong artistic vision, produced or co-produced by Italian filmmakers or those from the 2026 East & West spotlight countries. The Laser Film Award will be presented to the winner. Submissions for both sections close on 5 November, and you can apply here.

For EAVE Slate, up to eight European production companies developing a slate of audiovisual projects will be selected. Participants will benefit from EAVE’s group-work method, combined with plenary sessions and individual consultancies on strategic planning, risk evaluation and portfolio diversification. The application deadline is 5 November, and more information is available here.

Eight Inspirational Labs will invite producers from Europe, Latin America and Canada to explore new content, innovative business models and cutting-edge production strategies. Topics will include AI, animation production, drama series, docu-series, genre film production, impact and outreach strategy, private-equity funding, and sustainable leadership for women producers. Applications close on 5 November, and you can learn more here.

Lastly, WEMW, in collaboration with SpielFabrique, will host the new Films x Games Connection Hub, aiming to bring together film producers and games studios to explore collaborative opportunities. Up to ten audiovisual producers with a game project in development will engage in group work, individual consultations with international experts, and matchmaking sessions with game developers and studios from across Europe. The submission deadline is 5 November. More information is available here.

WEMW 2026 is organised by the FVG Audiovisual Fund in collaboration with the Trieste Film Festival and EAVE, with the support of Creative Europe – MEDIA, MIC – Direzione Generale per il Cinema, CEI – Central European Initiative, Catalan Films, Film Center Serbia, CICLIC – Centre-Val de Loire Region and the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.