The complete programme of the upcoming edition of WEMW with a special East & West focus on the Baltic Countries & the GAS Region – Germany, Austria, Switzerland – is ready to be unveiled. Dive into an exciting series of talks, lectures and networking opportunities designed to explore new horizons and collaborations!

All WEMW Talks

This year’s programme introduces a series of Talks in collaboration with our partners, targeting a unique variety of topics. 

The 2026 Opening Keynote “Reality in Transition: Strengthening Human Creativity in the Age of AI” will explore how AI is reshaping creative industries and professional skill sets, challenging the idea of AI as a standalone solution to the uncertainty facing the audiovisual industry. The lecture “Giving Access and Collaborating to Emerge: The Future of Digital Marketing for Independent Cinema” in collaboration with First Cut+ will outline concrete strategies to activate a film’s digital ecosystem through new collaboration models, enabling truly organic marketing. In collaboration with Europa Distribution, WEMW will also host for the first time the “ED Film Distribution Innovation Hub”, a dedicated space where representatives of tech companies will present various innovative tools with a clear and potential application for independent film distributors. The panel “Holding the Center: Producer Care and Resilience” in collaboration with the 2026 EAVE Impact Think Tank will share a preview of this year’s Think Tank outcomes, focusing on the often unseen mental and emotional load producers carry as the backbone of screen production. The Slate Management Case Study “The Life of a Slate: Timing, Growth and Sustainability” will dive into the decision-making processes, challenges and best practices in developing and managing a slate of international, independent projects. Following, a dedicated panel will highlight this year’s East & West Focus, with the “Spotlight on GAS Countries – Germany, Austria and Switzerland”, in cooperation with MEDICI – The Film Funding Journey. In the framework of the 1st edition of the brand new Films x Games Connection Hub, and thanks to the collaboration with Creative Europe Desks Italy, Slovenia, Serbia, Germany, Montenegro, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Croatia and MEDIA DEsk Switzerland the talk “Risk and Reward: The Game IP Owner’s Perspective on Film Adaptations” will provide the IP-owner’s perspective for a successful cooperation between gaming studios, publishers, and producers to widen the future scope of game adaptations. The talk “Show Me the Money! Into the Italian Regional Funds”, curated by the Italian Film Commissions, will finally offer a practical overview on Italy’s regional fund system. WEMW 2026 will also see the launch of a brand new partnership with the European Film Academy to organise in the aftermath of the European Film Awards 2026, the European Award Season Finale, a talk dedicated to nominated directors and producers following the EFA Awards night.

Additionally, WEMW 2026 programme will feature a series of Inspirational Talks directly connected to the themes tackled in the WEMW Inspirational Labs. These dedicated sessions – in collaboration with the International Screen Institute, EsoDoc, EURODOC, the Trieste Science + Fiction Festival – will space from women leadership and impact campaigns to radical narrative independence and genre film’s distribution. WEMW is also pleased to renew its collaboration with Film Independent, which will see producers from all over the world reuniting in Trieste once again for the Global Media Makers Residency and a new series of talks in collaboration with Inspirational Lab’s partners MIDPOINT Institute and Investors  Circle – Marché du Film, focusing on the future of series storytelling and the influence of quality and vision in private investment.

The WEMW programme will also feature different opportunities to connect with the WEMW 2026 East & West Focus Countries. The matchmaking session Meet the GAS – Germany, Austria and Switzerland Countries will offer the special opportunity to meet a wide range of funds, promotion agencies and film commissions representatives from FFA – German Federal Film Board, MDM | Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung GmbH, German Films, AUSTRIAN FILMS, Austria, Austrian Business Agency – FILM in AUSTRIA, Cine Tirol Film Commission, SWISS FILMS, Switzerland Film Commission, Zurich Filmstiftung, MEDIA Desk Switzerland. On the other side of the focus, the Italy-Baltic Bilateral Meeting will continue strengthening the cooperation between the Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Italian industries in the aftermath of the latest edition of the Italy/Baltic Development Award.  

Last but not least, there will be a wide range of  additional networking activities, such as the DAE Confidential programme and our dedicated lunches and cocktails, thanks to the collaboration with IDM Film & Music Commission Südtirol, Apulia Film Commission, GAS – Germany, Austria and Switzerland Countries, Catalan Films, CIRCLE & DAE – Documentary Association of Europe, and Italian Film Commissions.

You can find here the complete programme!

WEMW Juries & Awards

The WEMW Co-Production Forum Jury consisting of Katharina Boendel (Shellac), Daniela Persico (Locarno Film Festival), Sonja Prosenc (MONOO) and Marija Razgutė (M-Films) will assign the cash prizes Film Center Serbia Development Award and CICLIC WEMW Award  together with a series of  other major awards, including the EAVE Producers Workshop scholarship, the Marché du Film Producers Network Badges, the DAE Talent Development Prize, the Taskovski #DocsConnect Training Award, the Pop Up Film Residency Award, the GoGo25 Residency Award and the CEE Animation Forum Award. Moreover, all female identifying directors will be eligible for the EWA Network’s Award for Equality & Inclusion.

For the Works in Progress section, in collaboration with Trieste Film Festival, the Last Stop Trieste Jury composed by Tereza Bona Keilova (HBO Europe), Marko Erakovic (Montenegro Film Centre), Anne-Laure Negrin (ARTE – GEIE) and Meike Statema (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam) will hand out the Film Center Montenegro Award and the long-lasting HBO Award.

The This is IT Jury, headed by Amaury Auge (ACID), Sabrina Baracetti (Tucker Film) and Núria Palenzuela Camon (Indie Sales), will finally award  the Laser Film Award and the brand new M74 Award.

Last but not least, after a first successful pilot edition last year, WEMW has once again planned a special surprise dedicated to all of our Inspirational Labs participants, through our Inspirational Labs Special Gifts programme. Thanks to our partners, this unique set of gifts will include one spot on the CIRCLE Digital Empowerment Programme, one spot on a TFL Next Workshop by TorinoFilmLab and private counseling sessions on green production, held by Trentino Film Commission – Green Film.

We look forward to seeing you all in Trieste and sharing much more with you very soon.

 

See You Soon at WEMW 2026!