Streaming and funding strategies, high-end shows, and co-productions: from 26 to 29 April, about 100 decision makers in the film industry met in Meran/Merano for some networking and discussions about current and future challenges. INCONTRI #11 in retrospect
For years, the INCONTRI IDM Film Conference has acted as a platform for the industry, building bridges between the film markets of Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. Having taken place online the year before, the 2022 conference was once again an in-person event. After the traditional welcome dinner on April 26, Birgit Oberkofler, head of the South Tyrolean Film Fund and Commission, officially opened the three-day conference on 27 April. The first speaker was screenwriter Nicola Guaglianone, who talked about the authors’ perspective and the reinvention of the movie theatre. Ivan Madeo (Contrast Film) and Bettina Alber (SRF) provided some insight into the creation and financing plan of the high-end show Davos.
The afternoon saw the pitches for the three projects from the IDM script lab RACCONTI #10: Lorenz Tröbinger presented the draft screenplay for the horror film Advent (FreibeuterFilm), Daniel von Aarburg introduced the social drama Lizard Boy (Dschoint Ventschr), which draws on a dark chapter in the history of Switzerland, and Ben von Grafenstein pitched the feel-good movie We Don’t Need Another Hero (Osiris Media). The day ended with the keynote “The Impact of Streaming According to Evolutionary Psychology” by Prof. Dr. Frank Schwab on the evolution of the brain and behaviour in connection with modern media consumption.
The theme of the second day of the conference was “Streaming Strategies”. Sabine Anger (Paramount+) spoke about the upcoming Paramount+ streaming release in Germany, Italy, and other European countries. Afterwards, Heinrich Ambrosch (Satel Film), Nicola De Angelis (Fabula Fictures), Gianluca Curti (Minerva Pictures Group), and Benjamina Mirnik-Voges (Disney+) discussed the development and the future of streaming strategies.
The Baltic countries were at the centre of this year’s international co-production focus, in co-operation with When East Meets West and Meeting Point-Vilnius. The producers Rūta Adelė Jekentaitė (Baltic Production), Guntis Trekteris (Egomedia), and Evelin Penttilä (Stellar Film) presented funding and production requirements as well as current projects. The participants concluded the day in the form of a group visit to the gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle and a subsequent dinner.
The last day of INCONTRI #11 was all about funding strategies: Tomas Eskilsson presented the “Public Film Funding at a Crossroads” report by Film i Väst, which was based on workshops and talks with more than 700 film professionals in Europe. The panel that followed featured Marco Alessi (Dugong Films), Iole Giannattasio (Italian Ministry of Culture, MiC), Henning Ferber (Henning Ferber Filmproduktion), Sergio García de Leaniz (Eurimages), and Birgit Oberkofler, who discussed the role of national and regional film funds and any future ways for them to adapt.
We would like to thank all speakers and participants for their interesting contributions and discussions!
