At this year’s European Film Market (EFM, 12-18 February), the producers’ association Bridging Visions – formerly Bridging the Dragon – teamed up once again with the Berlinale to host its European-Asian Film Forum, training the spotlight on how emerging narrative formats and business models from Asia are reshaping the global audiovisual landscape.

Held on 16 February, the event combined a morning panel titled “New Formats, New Opportunities: An Asian-European Perspective”, moderated by veteran producer and former CEO of Constantin Film Martin Moszkowicz, with a more hands-on afternoon case-study session. Together, they explored how new platforms, evolving audience habits and shifting production logics are influencing creative decisions, financing strategies and the prospects for future European-Asian collaboration.

A recurring theme was the rise of vertical short dramas, a format that has grown rapidly across Asian markets. Vivian Wang, head of content at the vertical-series app Crisp Momentum, described the model as fundamentally service-orientated. Rather than asking audiences to commit to a long cinematic experience, vertical series aim to meet viewers on their phones with brief, easily digestible episodes built around instant gratification. This requires faster pacing, frequent narrative hooks and constant engagement, with audience feedback often shaping scripts in real time. Wang noted that projects can be written, shot and adjusted within weeks, reflecting a different production logic, rather than a simple compromise in quality.

She also outlined how monetisation models have evolved from pay-per-episode structures towards hybrid systems combining advertising, subscriptions and revenue-sharing arrangements. Crisp Momentum is already exploring European partnerships – including two recent series produced with Constantin Film – in the hope of expanding genres and leveraging European craft and locations to localise stories for new markets.

In-Ah Lee, a German-Korean producer at Markenfilm Asia, reflected on structural differences between the two regions. Europe’s funding ecosystem, she suggested, remains deeply rooted in cultural policy and long-term planning, while many Asian markets operate with stronger commercial incentives and a greater tolerance for experimentation. One area of convergence could be branded content, as companies increasingly seek to associate themselves with creative works, rather than traditional advertising. Lee cited the short Night Fishing, produced with Hyundai and shot entirely with in-car cameras, as an example of alternative financing that nonetheless achieved a theatrical release, demonstrating how brand partnerships can coexist with festival and box-office ambitions.

Ron Dyens, founder of Sacrebleu Productions and producer of the Oscar-, Golden Globe- and LUX Audience Award-winning animated feature Flow [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], emphasised the need for European producers to rethink intellectual-property strategies. Whereas many European films are still conceived as standalone works, he argued, markets such as Japan often develop IP from the outset as multi-platform brands spanning publishing, games and merchandising. Such thinking, Dyens suggested, need not undermine auteur-driven storytelling, but could help European creators build longer-term value. He also urged producers not to shy away from technological innovations – including AI, VR and interactive media – but to explore them as potential creative tools.

Closing the session, Hong Kong-born, Bangkok-based producer Raymond Phathanavirangoon, whose credits include international co-productions like Plan 75 [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] and Stranger Eyes [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], offered an overview of Southeast Asia’s rapidly evolving markets. Indonesia continues to thrive on local comedies and horror thanks to its large, youthful audience, he noted, while Vietnam is gradually building a production and exhibition ecosystem despite censorship constraints. Thailand and Singapore, meanwhile, boast strong creative talent but face intense competition from global streamers. Across the region, governments are experimenting with incentives, yet European festivals and funds remain vital partners. When it comes to designing co-productions, Phathanavirangoon advised producers to prioritise meaningful talent exchange over purely financial engineering.

Echoing wider EFM debates, speakers said that Europe must engage with new formats as platforms reshape viewing habits, while still safeguarding its creative identity. Across the forum, the takeaway was simple: adapting to rapid change – and learning from Asian narrative models – may open new partnerships and help European producers reach increasingly mobile-first audiences.