On 20 and 21 November, Europa Distribution held its 18th Network Conference in Brussels. The international association of independent film publishers and distributors, which will soon turn 20 years old, hosted this gathering for the first time outside the context of a film festival or market, allowing for a more customised and autonomous event. Co-created with the members of the organisation based on their feedback and specific needs, the conference aimed to shed light on the realities of film publishing today, offering a valuable platform to share industry insights, best practices and innovative ideas. Close to 90 professionals attended the event, distributors from all over the world alongside numerous representatives and experts from the film sector and the European institutions. This provided an unrivalled opportunity to discuss the current market situation and the circulation of European films from multiple perspectives, as well as to tackle together some of the main challenges faced by distributors in an increasingly complex scenario and ahead of the next MEDIA cycle.

The conference, which took place at the Muntpunt Library of the Belgian capital and welcomed close to 90 participants, featured a comprehensive programme of panels and roundtables staged during the mornings of both days. These sessions were moderated by journalist and media expert Michael Gubbins and were open to all registered industry attendees. The afternoons were reserved for private working sessions among Europa Distribution members, allowing publishers to delve deeper into the topics discussed earlier that day.

On Thursday, the conference opened with the panel ‘Building a Sustainable Independent Distribution Model’, featuring distributors Marek Bień (Gutek Film, Poland), Eduardo Escudero (A Contracorriente Films, Spain), Sabine Hofmann (Polyfilm, Austria), Jan Macola (Pilot Films, Czech Republic), Johanna Mayer (Jour2Fête, France), and Vincent Quek (Anticipate Pictures, Singapore). These established professionals discussed their crucial role in the film value chain and their efforts to design and develop sustainable and effective business models for distribution amidst rapid changes and fierce competition. “We are not middlemen […] We add value to the films, we take risks, we invest in the campaigns”, said Escudero, highlighting the essential contribution of film publishers in bridging the gap between production and audiences.

This first panel explored how theatrical release remains the core of their business model, while downstream windows vary widely by territory. “It all starts with theatrical. The figures show that the movies that perform better on platforms are those released theatrically, even if they were flops”, shared Mayer. She also emphasised that distributors are operating in a growingly polarised market, leaning towards a winner-takes-it-all model, where many independent and niche films struggle for visibility: “There are too many titles, and we have to spend more and more on P&A to be visible”. Given the overwhelming flood of content, participants agreed that their role resembles that of “treasure hunters”, carefully seeking the right titles to bring to audiences.

All panellists underscored that audience development is central to the success of their models, alongside tailor-made campaigns and recognising the potential of each film. In Bień’s words: “Each film is treated distinctly: they are different products, different issues to tackle. From acquisition, we try to find strong selling points, marketable elements, and how to promote them”. Today, distributors must focus strongly on online campaigns: targeted promotion, social media, finding ambassadors, and engaging in intensive conversations with cinemas to secure screens and reach audiences. “We do care about films, and we push each of them individually”, added Macola.

Establishing meaningful partnerships and collaborations with other organisations and interest groups also emerged as a fundamental part of the job when it comes to reaching diverse audiences. “Collaborating with different partners is more and more crucial”, noted Hofmann. On the topic of brand-building, Vincent Quek offered an interesting insight into the Singaporean market, where audiences for European films are significantly younger than those in Europe and particularly drawn to a strong visual identity. “You want fans to notice your company as the one to follow, so they watch whatever you bring. That’s audience development. If we grow a robust audience not just for my company but for European cinema, then the consumer base will grow, and maybe Southeast Asia will be a new market”, he hoped. Summing up the main takeaways from the panel, Gubbins stressed flexibility and adaptability as key skills moving forward, noting that building a sustainable business model starts with passion and ideas.

Under the title ‘Bringing European Films to Audiences Everywhere – The Case of Sirāt [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Óliver Laxe
ficha de la película] and Vermiglio [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Maura Delpero
ficha de la película]’, the next session brought together distributors Claudia Badoer (Filmcoopi, Switzerland), Seppe Vanhaecke (Cinéart, Belgium and Luxembourg), Enrico Dirksen (Piffl Medien, Germany), Kim Foss (Camera Film, Denmark), and Thomas Verkaeren (O’Brother Distribution, Belgium and Luxembourg) to compare their case studies and marketing strategies for two recent European arthouse titles: Sirāt by Óliver Laxe and Vermiglio by Maura Delpero. The panel drew focus on the differences in release strategies and marketing approaches, and examined how distributors reached different audiences with these films.

Laxe’s latest feature generated an intense buzz after its premiere at Cannes this year, but also raised questions about its target audience, with some distributors leaning on non-traditional cinema-goers connected to music culture and electronic communities. “We saw the film, and we were immediately very impressed by the images. It’s very radical and very shocking. It goes under your skin; you are constantly on the edge”, explained Badoer.

By contrast, Vermiglio represents a more conventional arthouse title and was generally a slower, reflective buy for publishers. Careful work with promotional materials, cinema partnerships, and word-of-mouth delivered solid admissions across multiple territories. “It’s about love and care. We have to reflect the quality of the film in our campaign […] This is a classical, old-fashioned release where we work on word of mouth and embrace the audience”, said Foss. Throughout the session, it became clear that success now requires country-specific tactics, careful timing, and tailored-made creative strategies.

This panel was followed by a presentation on the Cineville loyalty model, titled ‘Bringing (Younger) Audiences to the Big Screen’, in which Thibaut Quirynen, coordinator of Cineville in Belgium, outlined the origins and evolution of the initiative across different countries. Cineville was founded in 2009 in the Netherlands within a student-run cinema collective, which came up with the idea of an unlimited pass for arthouse cinemas. “Cinemas that used to invest in local newspaper advertising invested instead in the Cineville model, and it became a very successful approach”, as recalled by Quirynen. The system was launched in Belgium in 2022 and has since expanded to Austria, Germany, and Sweden, primarily attracting younger demographics.

In Belgium, it operates as a cooperative model: each cinema owns a part of the Cineville company, which serves as both a marketing tool and an additional layer between distributors and theatres to support their programming. “I think the most striking fact is what happens when you look at national averages of cinema-going in each country”, teased Quirynen, revealing that a Cineville subscriber in Belgium goes to the cinema roughly 20 times more than the average Belgian, with an even higher figure in Germany. “Beyond frequency, there’s also a spirit of adventure”, he remarked, citing a survey that found 86% of subscribers watch films outside their usual preferences. Finally, Quirynen commended the sustainability of the model, noting that it is economically autonomous and does not rely on public funding.

The morning of the first day concluded with a presentation by Jagoda Komunsinska, economic analyst at the European Commission working within the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme, and Stefano D’Orilia, representative of the MEDIA Unit of the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, which implements the programme. Together, they explored the European Commission’s support for film distribution through its different schemes. D’Orilia began by previewing minor changes to the European Film Distribution call, mainly concerning the reporting and counting of admissions, following an extensive survey that revealed wide national discrepancies and persistent sector demands.

Komunsinska then presented a summary of another monitoring review launched last year to assess the impact of the Films on the Move scheme. Although the study was experimental and based on a relatively small sample, it revealed some clear trends. “We chose Films on the Move because it lends itself well to comparative analysis. We introduced a big change in 2019, asking sales agents to play a more engaging, coordinating role for an orchestrated release. Soon after, Brexit made many films ineligible. We wanted to check the relevance and added value of Films on the Move on top of the European Film Distribution automatic support”, explained Komunsinska. The main takeaway was that the scheme is proving successful, with supported films attracting roughly one-third more audiences than comparable non-supported titles. “Overall, Films on the Move is not the only path to cross-border success, but it clearly reaches the right films and makes a difference”, she added. To conclude, Komunsinska also provided a brief introduction to a large study on the audiovisual market carried out by the Commission: the European Media Industry Outlook, whose results are already available.

The second day of the conference started with a new panel exploring the practical use of AI in film distribution, addressing its ethical, creative and legal implications. Moderated once again by Gubbins and under the title ‘Mapping AI in Film Distribution & Promotion’, the roundtable assembled distributors Štefan Cima (Zero Gravity, Czech Republic) and Simon Wullens (Lumière Publishing, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg), alongside Cécile Despringre, Secretary General of the Society of Audiovisual Authors, and Marie-Line Lormans, Project Coordinator at Europa Distribution. The session kicked off with Lormans mapping out how the association is compiling an evolving AI toolbox, shaped by contributions from its members, and organising a Film Distribution Innovation Hub at the Trieste Film Festival next January. “We gathered all these tools and put them into a document that we want to make available to all members. The idea is an evolving toolbox: we’ll keep updating it, keep researching, and keep asking for feedback so we can share knowledge with each other”, announced Lormans.

The distributors on the panel went on to share the AI tools they are already using in their day-to-day operations, ranging from drafting, translation and transcription tools to graphic design software for creating quick assets, as well as data management tools. These are primarily used to save time on routine operational tasks, especially within reduced teams. In this context, prompt engineering emerged as a key skill for achieving higher-quality results. “We’ve had interns who are excellent prompt engineers in their wording and task framing. It’s all in the command you give. They strike the right tone and balance to get immediately what they want”, mentioned Wullens.

Despringre raised the question of who is truly benefiting from these tools, pointing to the significant revenues of major tech companies and criticising the lack of transparency around how AI systems are trained. “There is no transparency yet, no obligation to say which data was used”, she warned. Other issues flagged by panellists included confidentiality risks, the potential replacement of human jobs, and the threat of cultural homogenisation and loss of creativity. The discussion also touched on legal implications and the current EU policy landscape around artificial intelligence. At the same time, distributors reiterated that for smaller companies, AI tools can help level the playing field with larger competitors, making daily work easier and saving valuable time. As Cima put it, “we can concentrate on more creative tasks like implementing better marketing and being more in touch with our target audiences”, while underlining that the aim is never to replace human workers.

Next up on the agenda, the panel ‘Ethical Campaigns to Steer Debate Among Local Audiences’ convened distributors Gerald Knell (Polyfilm, Austria), Romain Leloux (Imagine Film Distribution, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), and Anastasia Plazzotta (Wanted, Italy), alongside Coline Aymard and Mélanie Simon-Franza, founders of the French impact agencies Citizen 7 and La Grande Distribution, respectively. The discussion focused on the instrumental function of independent distribution in fostering debate around social and political issues through the medium of film, supported by specialists working in “impact campaigning”. While impact campaigns have been a staple in the US for over a decade, they remain relatively rare in Europe. The session began by laying the foundations of this approach to film distribution, examining how distribution strategies can encourage political engagement beyond box office goals.

“As impact producers, we work at the crossroads of activism, cinema, and advocacy. We design strategies and goals that are specific, measurable, achievable and realistic”, explained Aymard. The work of these agencies spans the entire life cycle of a film, from production, where they help secure funding and define impact goals, to distribution, where they support the creation of partnerships and the organisation of events. Simon-Franza also highlighted their pivotal role in audience outreach, designing strategies aimed at specific communities, such as those in rural areas with limited access to film theatres. “When I founded La Grande Distribution in 2019, I observed something important. In France, and I’m sure it’s similar in several European countries, 45% of young people live in rural areas […] We often hear distributors, producers, and cinemas say ‘We need to bring young people back to theatres’, but it’s complicated when they live in small villages”, she noted, asserting their responsibility in finding those audiences.

The invited distributors shared their release strategies for two politically charged titles in their catalogues, Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk [+lee también:
crítica
ficha de la película] by Sepideh Farsi and The Voice of Hind Rajab [+lee también:
crítica
tráiler
entrevista: Kaouther Ben Hania
ficha de la película] by Kaouther Ben Hania. “We wanted the film to be more than a film, to create a small cultural phenomenon”, said Leloux, reflecting on their work with Farsi’s documentary, which encompassed numerous events across the Benelux, including a photo exhibition featuring works by the protagonist, journalist, and photographer Fatma Hassona, who was killed by Israeli forces. Plazzotta described a similar approach for the Italian release, where cinemas purchased the rights to the photographs and the proceeds went to Hassona’s family. She also highlighted the difficulties of sustaining such initiatives in Italy: “Being independent in Italy now is complicated; freedom to speak openly and choose films like these isn’t free”.

Knell pointed to similar challenges when releasing Ben Hania’s film in Austria, noting the difficulty of securing press coverage for these titles. “A big problem is the media crisis, especially for these films and for democracy”, he regretted, underscoring the need for creativity and alternative approaches, such as collaborating with peer groups and NGOs, not only to promote the films but also to support their broader work. Strategies included building impact platforms that provided resources and calls to action. “A good film can open minds, move people, and sometimes change things faster than any NGO report or petition”, concluded Aymard.

Finally, the roundtable ‘Leading by Example – Challenges and Progress in Ethical Business’ wrapped up the second morning of the programme. This closing discussion gathered Christine Eloy, Managing Director of Europa Distribution, exhibitor Clara Léonet from Belgium’s CinéCité, and distributors Anne Marte Nygaard (Arthaus, Norway) and Paulina Jaroszewicz (New Horizons Association, Poland). The panel looked into how film distributors translate ethical intentions into everyday practice across various areas such as sustainability and inclusion. Eloy opened the discussion by outlining Europa Distribution’s “ethics map”, which connects many of the organisation’s activities, including green workshops and a mentoring programme for emerging female distributors, and has led to the development of concrete toolboxes. “We adapt a lot because things are changing all the time […] We try to understand what can be done to support distributors and other professionals, exchanging with other organisations”, she commented.

Jaroszewicz proceeded to describe the structure and mission-driven approach of New Horizons regarding both festival organisation and distribution, with a strong focus on education. “Our board, team leaders and all employees need to share the idea that the mission is most important and everything has to be coherent”, she claimed, while also acknowledging the challenges of communicating ethics externally and managing audience expectations. Léonet then presented CinéCité, a cooperative initiative designed to bring new dynamics to local cinemas in Brussels by building inclusive spaces that address accessibility in all its forms, from physical access to screenings with audio description for blind audiences and special subtitles for hearing-impaired viewers. “We wanted to do it all, and to welcome audiences who are not disabled as well”, Léonet noted.

For Marte Nygaard, ethics are also embedded in curation and outreach, turning film releases into community events through partnerships. The Norwegian distributor also reflected on her experience as a long-standing mentor in the EDMentorShe programme launched by Europa Distribution, an initiative that aims to empower and create safe networks for women in the industry while encouraging mutual learning between experienced distributors and younger professionals. “I think I’m the one learning the most. It’s healthy and important to learn about other countries, territories and workplaces. It gives perspective on yourself and others. I’m happy to be part of this community of women, which is more important than ever now”, as she clearly expressed it. All panellists agreed that ethical work ultimately delivers greater benefits, including stronger communities, greater brand trust and, ideally, tangible real-world impact.

In the afternoons, Europa Distribution members took part in private working sessions, divided into groups to explore in greater depth the issues identified during the public panels and discussions. The first day focused primarily on acquisitions and promotion, examining the importance of partnerships and community-building, as well as acknowledging the challenging realities of an increasingly concentrated market. On the second day, discussions revolved around the practical integration of AI, impact campaigns, and ethical initiatives into everyday distribution. The main takeaway was that passion remains central to their work, driving both creative choices and audience engagement, even as new technologies influence strategies and become essential tools in this evolving landscape. After the sessions, the different working groups came together for a roundtable moderated by Gubbins, sharing their insights and findings with the wider group. This session allowed members to ground their reflections, exchange ideas, and identify collaborative strategies for navigating the multiple obstacles raised throughout the conference.

Europa Distribution will continue to host networking events for distributors and other film professionals, providing a singular platform to address their specific concerns and challenges. Upcoming activities include the Film Distribution Innovation Hub in Trieste, marking a new partnership with When East Meets West, running from 18 to 21 January 2026, as well as a public panel at the EFM in Berlin on Sunday February 15.