The Explorer Konferenz is expanding its curatorial team and further developing its online format, Explorer Impuls. Producers Heejung Oh and Ali Hakim are joining the team. The Explorer Konferenz will take place on October 1, 2026, as part of the FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS (September 28 – October 1, 2026), with the theme “Redefining Production”.

Now in its seventh year, the Explorer Konferenz once again addresses the key challenges and future opportunities facing independent producers. The 2026 edition will focus on new organizational and business models, creative and economic innovation with a particular emphasis on Asian markets, and a highlight on comedy, and how projects can be successfully developed here. Taking place on October 1, 2026, the one-day conference will bring together innovation & international perspectives and explore how producers can adapt and reposition themselves to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving market. The conference, founded by PROG Producers of Germany and MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein is aimed at producers, financiers, distributors, broadcasters and streaming platforms, funding institutions, and students.

Heejung Oh and Ali Hakim Complete the Curatorial Team

Alongside FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS Director Fabian Massah (Producer, Endorphine Production), responsibility for shaping this year’s program once again lies with Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Producer and Advisor for Legal & International Affairs, Paris). Joining the team for the first time is producer Heejung Oh (Seesaw Pictures, Seoul), who broadens the conference’s perspective with valuable insights into Asian markets. The online format Explorer Impuls will be led by Hamburg-based producer Ali Hakim (Hakim&König).

Fabian Massah, Head of FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS: “Building the right curation team is as important as building the right program. Adding Heejung Oh to the team is a real highlight. As a Korean producer, she brings an inside perspective on the world’s most dynamic audiovisual markets, Asia, and that will reflect directly in the program. Ali Hakim rounds out the team, and that genuinely excites me: by taking charge of Explorer Impuls, he allows us to turn these popular online events into a year-round conversation. Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine and I have a strong working history, and her instinct for what producers and decision-makers truly need from a conference is something I deeply trust. Together, this team brings exactly the mix of experience, geography and innovative thinking that will resonate with our audience.”

Explorer Impuls Becomes a Year-Round Industry Dialogue 

The successful online series Explorer Impuls will continue and be further expanded this year. In the months leading up to and following the Explorer Konferenz, digital sessions are designed to strengthen professional exchange within the industry and further connect the community. Starting in July, events will take place at intervals of four to eight weeks and will be curated in the spirit of the conference, with a focus on innovation in the film and media industry.

The FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS have established themselves as a key platform for filmmakers, producers, distributors, festival curators, and other stakeholders in the international film industry. In addition to the Explorer Konferenz, key formats include European Work in Progress (EWIP), the International Film Distribution Summit (IFDS) and the Made in Germany series. The Industry Days are further complemented by several emerging talent and professional development programs, including #ATELIER in cooperation with the Semaine de la Critique of the Festival de Cannes and the FIRST STEPS initiative, as well as the programs FUTURA CINEMA, NORDIC NEST and ENCOURAGE Film Talents, which is aimed at emerging filmmakers from the DACH region. The four-day program features pitch sessions, panels, talks, and networking events, building a bridge between artistic ambition and economic realities.