REBOOT: Rethinking Competitiveness, Copyright and Film Cooperation

15 April - 15.30 - 17.00
HOPE Alkazar

Speakers: Melis Behlil (Kadir Has University), Marina Rossato Fernandes (University of Liège), Katharine Sarikakis (University of Vienna), Pelin Turan (Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies), Antonios Vlassis (University of Liège)
Moderator: Yamaç Okur

Competitiveness is the word of the day among film stakeholders and policymakers, and this is beginning to trickle down into national and European media and film policies and programmes. Primary data (international surveys and interviews with European and non-European film professionals) gathered for REBOOT, a Horizon Europe project (2023–2026), suggests that the traditional, market-centric way of thinking about film competitiveness is limited in this evolving technological and (geo)political context. By focusing on social and political dynamics, this panel identifies ways for film professionals to support an expanded understanding of competitiveness in the light of VOD services and disruptive Artificial Intelligence.

Festival Talk: Dag Johan Haugerud

16 April - 12.00 - 13.00
Yapı Kredi Culture and Art Center

Speaker: Dag Johan Haugerud
Moderator: Esin Küçüktepepınar

Norwegian auteur filmmaker Dag Johan Haugerud will participate in the festival with a retrospective tribute section featuring his six feature films. Haugerud, who won the Berlinale’s Golden Bear, for his film Dreams in February, creates a world of multi-dimensional and colourful characters in his films that are both extremely enjoyable to watch and thought-provoking, delving into depths of the human condition.

An Outlook on Film & AI - Visions of the Future

16 April - 14.00 - 15.30
Yapı Kredi Culture and Art Center

Speaker: Gerhard Maier

The integration of AI into filmmaking is no longer just a futuristic vision—it is rapidly reshaping the way films are conceived, produced, and edited. While the initial buzz around Generative AI may have settled, the speed of innovation remains relentless. This session will explore AI’s evolving role in storytelling, production, and post-production across documentaries, feature films, and series. What are the most promising applications today, and how will they shape the creative landscape of tomorrow?

Film Funds and the Ethics of Geopolitics

17 April - 14.00 - 15.30
Yapı Kredi Culture and Art Center

Speakers: Kirsten Niehuus (Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg), Mads Wølner Voss (Sørfond), Ada Solomon (Hi Film), Burak Çevik (Director, Writer)
Moderator: Jay Weissberg

Everyone in the industry hears stories about filmmakers being told by film fund advisers to change their scripts to conform to the dictates of the Global North. In many cases, film pitches are tailored to conform to the expectations of these funds, resulting in a stark critical divide between local audience reactions and the Western press. Who should dictate a script’s content? Should funds be leveraging their financial contributions to promote a neoliberal globalised understanding of social justice and equality?

Finding the Right Story, Current Creative Trends in Documentary Storytelling

17 April - 16.00 - 17.30
Yapı Kredi Culture and Art Center

Speakers: Anke Petersen (Jyoti Film), Aleksandra Derewienko (CAT&Docs), Louise Martin Papasian (FidMarseille), Anne Delseth (Visions du Réel)

Documentary cinema continues to evolve, pushing the boundaries of storytelling with innovative approaches. Yet, finding the right story, telling it in the most compelling way, and reaching international audiences remain key challenges for filmmakers.

This panel brings together internationally acclaimed professionals to explore the latest creative trends in documentary storytelling and discuss new narrative strategies. Our expert speakers, coming from production, curation, funding, and distribution backgrounds, will share their insights on how documentary projects take shape and find their audience.