Reliable signs of spring in southern Sweden include brighter days, two-digit temperatures and, increasingly, the launch of the annual m:brane youth and children’s media financing forum in Malmö, cultivating “smart content for savvy young audiences” since 2007. Running from 11-13 March, the 19th edition will, as usual, gather an array of top players in the field, this year with a special and ambitious centre of attention on the good neighbours just on the other side of the Öresund strait, Denmark.

The Danish presence is accordingly at the forefront of the day-long Opening Industry Conference on 11 March. Programme curators Annette Brejner, creative director at m:brane, and Prami Larsen, celebrated doyen of Film Workshop Copenhagen for three decades, have invited a prominent group of representatives from the Danish Film Institute (DFI), regional film workshops, film schools, television and the film industry. From the DFI, CEO Tine Fischer and commissioning editor on children and youth content Kirstine Vinderskov will open the conference, presenting the new Danish strategy-in-the-making for the development and funding of youth content, for which 25% of the DFI funding resources are reserved. Regional film workshop representatives will discuss the building of a specific talent pool, film-school heads will talk about content for the TikTok generation, and from DR, Denmark’s national television station, a case study on the bold decision to replace the weekly Disney special with exclusively Danish and European content will be presented. Further case studies will focus on the animated series Birds and the documentary Balomania [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] by Sissel Morell Dargis. A grand panel will round off the day, seeking out the future status of creators and content in the youth-orientated domain.

Day two will highlight the two m:brane flagship concepts RealYoung (the special documentary section driven by discerning youth experts in direct and straight dialogue with the creators) and The Non-Didactic Universe (exploring and perfecting content derived from science and research). “A New Dawn for Youth Documentaries” and “Diving Into the Unknown and Unseen: Science for the Senses” read the intriguing subtitles of another full programme of panels and presentations, aiming to inspire and stimulate attendees – a proud and highly appreciated m:brane tradition.

12 and 13 March will also be devoted to the pitching sessions; this year, in all, 30 projects will be presented, 22 of which in the main pitching forum and eight in the strand intended for those at the early stages of development. Again, the focus country of Denmark will get a special spotlight, with ten Danish projects in the main pitch and an additional four at the early-development stage. A wide variety of media formats are on the menu, including VR, XR, interactive, series for web and TV, documentary and fiction, both theatrical and for home screens. About 200 delegates are expected, including 50 decision makers, 25 experts, and 40 creators and producers.

Full information on the event can be found here.