Stephen Follows reviewed 20 years of EFM sessions to understand the industry’s recurring discussions and to see what 2026 has in store. Plus, he looks at whether the market’s “decline” narrative matches the data.
“Next Thursday, I shall be joining many in the film community in wintry Berlin for the Berlin Film Festival and European Film Market.
(If you’re going to be in Berlin too, reach out, and we can grab a coffee.
Berlin tends to be more compact and siloed than Cannes, but just as useful for understanding the market. You can read my summary of last year’s EFM here- Six big takeaways from the Berlin European Film Market 2025.
To prepare for meine Reise zur Berlinale, I have gone through the programme with a fine-tooth comb to get a sense of what awaits us.
I’ll go through it in detail later in the article, but here are the key themes as I see them:
The biggest conversation is about how to get through the next few years.
1. AI has become everyday work.
2. The franchise dream is being handled more carefully.
3. Audiences are part of the plan from day one.
4. Technology as tools rather than magic.
5. Environmental impact is something you now have to account for.
6. Fair work and representation are built into the conversation.
7. Rules and regulations are shaping what gets made.
Let’s start by looking at what the EFM has been about in the recent past, before going through those themes in more detail.”
