Few European filmmakers embody intelligent and commercially successful cinema as strongly as Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache. At the Explorer Konferenz, the directing duo behind Intouchables will discuss the art of telling stories that reach millions of people – from finding a universally relatable theme that can carry humour and emotion to creating characters audiences can strongly identify with. Films have a particularly powerful effect on us when they make us laugh. But what actually happens in our brains when we do? In her keynote, Professor Sophie Scott will offer fascinating insights from neuroscience and explore what we can learn from them about telling humorous stories.

Coming up with good stories is challenging; reinventing yourself is even more so. A series of productions pushed Tobias Walker and Philipp Worm (Walker+Worm Film) to their limits and ultimately led them to fundamentally rethink their company. The producers of this year’s Berlinale films Rose (starring Sandra Hüller) and Allegro Pastell will speak openly with organisational consultant Erwin M. Schmidt about structures, roles and company culture – and about how to move forward when the existing model has reached its limits.

This also raises a fundamental question for independent producers: What is independence worth in an increasingly consolidated market? Géraldine Ohana (Pac Story, Paris), Jérôme Denis (CEO, La Pac) and Leontine Petit (Lemming Film) will discuss how leading production companies are positioning themselves through innovative strategies. Maria Ekerhovd (Mer Film, Bergen) will also offer insights into how independent film productions can develop internationally and find their way to audiences. She will talk about the journey of Sentimental Value, from development and financing through to the Oscar season: what such a campaign requires, what matters most and what surprised her along the way. She will also provide insights into her latest production, Butterfly, which will have its German premiere at this year’s FilmFest Hamburg.

As the industry adapts to new forms of storytelling and marketing, vertical video is also transforming the film and media landscape. Produced for smartphones, designed for scrolling and powered by a new platform economy, stories are being created under entirely new conditions. Producer and vertical-drama pioneer Guillaume Sanjorge (Paris) will take a deep dive into how development, financing, production and marketing work in this field – and which mechanisms determine success.

Increasingly, data can be used to analyse which stories actually resonate with audiences. The AI-powered platform “Publikum” is building an ever more precise picture of how viewers perceive and engage with films. Niels Alberg (CEO, Publikum) and Lilith Wacker (Publikum Hamburg) will present the latest findings from the MOIN pilot programme and highlight the broader trends that could shape tomorrow’s market.

Looking beyond Europe reveals just how different the conditions for film production and financing are around the world. Asian film markets are developing rapidly, with a wide range of financing models, regulations and audiences. What does collaboration with the Asian film industry look like today? Lorna Tee (Asian Film Alliance Network) and producer Vincent Wang (Taiwan/France) will discuss agreements, obstacles and concrete opportunities in a panel talk.

A further session will explore what successful international collaboration can look like in practice, with insights into two film projects that have already embarked on international partnerships. Producers Heejung Oh (Seesaw Pictures, Korea), Sara Stockmann (Sonntag Pictures, Denmark) and Alemberg Ang (Daluyong Studios, Philippines) will discuss two verydifferent journeys of European-Asian film projects, Hum and Hana Korea.

Alongside international partnerships, European film policy will also be in focus. The newly planned EU umbrella funding programme AgoraEU is currently under negotiation and is expected to enter into force by 2028. Leading representatives from industry and politics will provide an overview of what the sector expects from Brussels and why AgoraEU should beconsidered a priority as an expression of Europe’s digital sovereignty. The discussion is held in cooperation with Creative Europe Desk Hamburg.