On 15 February, Berlin’s European Film Market (12-18 February) hosted a panel organised by Europa Distribution head Christine Eloy, examining how stronger collaboration across the audiovisual value chain might help European films reach audiences more effectively. Framed as a practical exchange, rather than a lament on industry pressures, the discussion brought together representatives from sales, distribution, exhibition and production to share concrete experiences of co-operation in an increasingly fragile marketplace.

Opening the session, Eloy stressed the importance of creating spaces where professionals from different sectors can exchange ideas and best practices. She described workshops bringing together distributors, exhibitors, producers and sales agents as “very powerful” environments, noting that participants consistently report returning with actionable insights. Such initiatives, she argued, foster organic dialogue across the value chain and can be replicated locally by organisations willing to convene professionals around shared challenges.

Moderated by trade journalist and critic Wendy Mitchell, the panel quickly moved on to examine concrete examples. Bulgarian producer and distributor Mira Staleva, of Art Fest, emphasised that collaboration is essential in smaller territories. Having worked across festivals, production and exhibition, she said she sees the ecosystem from multiple angles and has observed a gradual shift towards co-operation over recent decades. “In the last 30 years,” she noted, professionals have been “co-operating more for the benefit of the whole ecosystem, in order to understand the problems of the other.” In Bulgaria, where cinema infrastructure is limited, partnerships with publishers, NGOs or brands are often crucial to building visibility. “Without partnerships and cooperation, we can’t do much,” she added, describing such work as both demanding and indispensable.

From the sales perspective, Benjamin Cölle, of Pluto Film, highlighted how collaboration can begin at the acquisition stage. His team runs workshops with directors and producers to position films and define audiences collectively, an approach rooted in audience-design methods. Such sessions can streamline later decision making, he suggested: “If you just have a workshop and you have two hours together in one spot, then the synopsis is there… And you don’t have to send thousands of emails.” Cölle also described a past case from his consulting days where a carefully designed campaign worked in one territory but was ignored elsewhere because communication broke down. The lesson, he said, was clear: “We realised that the sales agent is an important intermediary that can bring things from one side to the other.”

Dutch distributor Gabrielle Rozing, of Imagine Film Distribution, emphasised the importance of sustained communication across a movie’s life cycle. Early meetings with producers, sales agents and exhibitors at festivals, she said, help shape releases long before theatrical openings. She cited a Dutch release accompanied by screenings organised with Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam Novib, where all partners worked without fees, and revenues went to humanitarian causes. “We all worked for free… Everything went towards their work,” she explained, noting that cinemas were crucial to the initiative’s success. For Rozing, such collaborations show how shared goals can mobilise audiences beyond conventional marketing.

Spanish distributor Eduardo Escudero, of A Contracorriente Films, focused on the risks inherent in distribution. Unlike consumer products, films rarely get a second chance in theatres, he observed: “In our market, we only get one shot.” This reality has encouraged Spanish independent distributors to exchange information regularly, even among competitors. “We don’t share the Coca-Cola formula,” he said, “but we do share many things because, at the end of the day, we have the same goals.” Escudero described joint initiatives such as nationwide streamed Q&As linking talent with audiences in dozens of cinemas, an approach initially supported by Europa Cinemas and later financed collectively by distributors.

On the exhibition side, Ida Johanessen, head of marketing at Oslo’s Vega Scene cinema, discussed how audience research can inform programming without dictating artistic choices. Her movie theatre’s studies showed that curiosity drives its core audience, shaping how films are presented, rather than how they are made. “It’s not about changing the film,” she stressed; “it’s about changing the meeting of the movie with the audience.” Early dialogue with producers can allow exhibitors to test positioning strategies before release, a practice she considers increasingly important as more films compete for limited screens.

Throughout the discussion, speakers returned repeatedly to the need for earlier engagement between sectors. Co-production markets were cited as essential meeting points where producers, sales agents and distributors can build relationships long before a film is finished. While acknowledging the growing volume of projects, Staleva defended these spaces as irreplaceable: “Co-production markets are the only place where the industry meets and where people can talk face to face.”

Funding structures were another recurring concern. Cölle argued that European support schemes encouraging co-ordinated campaigns are vital but often favour bigger titles, leaving smaller films without resources. Escudero called for more support for company growth and shared data tools, noting that micro-companies lack staff to analyse markets. Staleva urged policymakers to consider targeted funding for limited theatrical runs, warning that many movies risk disappearing without structured support.

Despite differing perspectives, the panel converged on a few core principles: collaboration should begin early, extend across sectors and be sustained through regular communication. Smaller think tank-style meetings were proposed as a way to share experience between territories without adding to festival-season overload, while exhibitors should be integrated more consistently into development-stage discussions, bringing audience insight without constraining creativity.