Martina Bleis, head of the Berlinale Co-Production Market (14-17 February - see the news), shares some insights into the market’s record number of submissions, the increasing prominence of genre-driven projects, and how underrepresented voices are finding both artistic and structural resilience. She also zooms in on the evolving influence of younger audiences and the shifting series co-production landscape.

Cineuropa: Genre cinema, particularly body horror, is especially notable in this year’s selection. Why has genre become such a strong vehicle for addressing questions of identity, power and self-determination within international co-productions?
Martina Bleis: I guess one of the reasons is the success of recent arthouse horror projects that have inspired others. In the festival scene, Tiger Stripes [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Amanda Nell Eu
scheda film] by Amanda Nell Eu raised an impressive amount of awareness, and her new project Lotus Feet instantly caught our attention – and I am sure it will also resonate with our participants. Genre projects can open up audiences abroad, which of course also supports marketing strategies. There has been a trend in arthouse towards genre for quite some years, but it seems to have accelerated. I suppose the rise in horror partly reflects how artists perceive the current state of the world. At the same time, in films, horror and violent uprising against oppression have proven to be efficient ways of addressing longer-term societal matters, for example bringing forward feminist and decolonial perspectives with full force.

The market received a record 390 submissions for just 35 slots. Has this level of demand influenced how you assess a project’s “readiness”, particularly regarding co-production potential and financing structure?
Not really – we always look for projects with a clear co-production potential, which are ideally partially financed, so potential partners can see their validity and feasibility. If directors are established and the artistic potential is obvious enough, we can also look at earlier-stage projects, as is the case in our “Berlinale Directors” section. Generally, we advise producers to have a script that is ready to be read by potential partners and a clear idea of how they want to set up the co-production. To test out ideas, it’s good to carefully lay out your own questions to gain inspiration and ideally find partners at the market, rather than risk confusion from too many perspectives “bumping” into your creative vision. We want projects to thrive, and as a market, it’s our responsibility to determine the right point in time together with the producers.

You’ve emphasised supporting underrepresented voices while ensuring strong structural foundations. With more partially financed projects from established filmmakers in the line-up, how do you balance market efficiency with the risk of reinforcing existing hierarchies?
Balance is the core point. We need projects that are attractive for the market and offer valid business proposals, which is why experienced producers and financially solid projects are key. Often, projects offer both, but we remain flexible. Within our selection, we always push to support new voices and projects from regions that may not be as strongly represented. We aim to support diversity and representation, and we are proud of our strong record of successful projects by female and non-binary directors. The goal is to challenge existing social, political and economic hierarchies by proposing fresh stories that also have clear potential to reach audiences internationally. The most common weaknesses we see are projects that are too early-stage – when you are not fully clear which film you want to make – or too late-stage, when you cannot accommodate co-producers any more. Conveying a clear perspective on why your project is urgent, timely and bound for success right now is essential – not just stating it, but letting readers discover the promise themselves.

The Gen Z Audience Award is entering its second year. How has the presence of a Gen Z jury influenced how projects think about audience strategy, without reducing younger viewers to a marketing category?
The award was thankfully initiated by our Berlinale Pro director, Tanja Meissner [see the interview]. Last year, some projects wanted to redefine their target audiences after the award was announced, but what happened on site was that everyone treasured the meetings we had arranged. The Gen Z jury felt like they were taken seriously, and producers genuinely appreciated the concentrated feedback. We’re curious to see the first films finished in one or two more years. Together with our partners from the Franco-German Youth Office (DFJW/OFAJ), we’re curious to see the effects on those films once they are completed, and we look forward to continuing this experience.

The Co-Pro Series [see the news] line-up brings together first-time series creators, established auteurs and projects at very different financing stages. What does this edition reveal about the evolving series co-production landscape?
At Co-Pro Series, we always aim to present a variety of projects – as far as this is possible within a mix of only ten: the participants range from experienced series producers and creators to companies and directors proven in making feature films, and with an A-list festival track record, who are taking their first steps in series. They are geographically and thematically diverse, also in terms of their genres, and range from earlier-stage to more advanced projects. Over the past few years, budgets have generally gone down, and producers often come with more developed projects, looking for a broader mix of partners. The gold-fever times, when exposés by newcomers were picked up by streamers from scratch, may be over. But what’s great is that the market has diversified, and we now get exciting and solid projects from regions generally considered to be of lower production capacity. These projects ideally resonate beyond their home territory and can be produced on reasonable budgets. Everyone needs partners, probably more than a few years ago, to realise their series. Series projects today are more likely to become proper international co-productions with real artistic and financial contributions from different sides, rather than just sales/pre-sales or buyouts.