It`s A Match! Connecting Formats to Audiences

Donata von Perfall, Managing Director Documentary Campus

Minister of State Dr. Florian Herrmann 

Thomas Hinrichs, Info-Director BR, Coordinator Documentary Department ARD

Sina Weber, Co-Head, DOK.forum Marketplace and Susana Fernandez, Head of Perspectives

Curator`s statement: AC Coppens, The Cataylsts

Where are we headed? Opening keynote.

Speaker: Peder Haugfos, Media City Bergen AS / NCE Media

How is the audience changing? With challenges like audience retention and building new audiences, which key facts can help us better strategize on what it takes to create documentaries the audience wants to see? In this session, we will go beyond facts and figures based in audiences research with the Launch of the Equinox Report.

Speaker: Sarah Calderon, The Film Agency

In this inspirational fireside chat, we look at the current developments in some of the most advanced Broadcaster's Labs. How  can tech help with content production for specific audiences, and how does it transform the media ecosystem of the future?

Speakers: Uli Köppen (BR), Christian Radler (Tagesschau)

Coffee break

A series of 4 short case studies and short presentations from industry experts for a thought-provoking exploration of cutting-edge technologies.

Speakers: Niels Alberg (Publikum), Sami Arpa (Largo.ai), Fiona Gillies (My Smash Media), Cæcilie Bach Kjærulf (MediaCatch)

Lunch Break

In this unique and poetic talk, Nusrat Durrani makes a compelling case for addressing the crisis of imagination in the Western film industry by tapping into talent and stories from unseen places and creating a new global mythology and a richer, more inclusive narrative of our time.

Speaker: Nusrat Durrani

Interactive format: As documentaries gain popularity, diverse content is crucial to reaching new audiences, and ensuring meaningful inclusion on and off-screen is essential amidst the current climate of performative inclusion. This informal, guided discussion format will bring together creatives, producers, and distributors to discuss challenges and solutions for achieving meaningful inclusion from their respective perspectives.

Group leaders: Marion Schmidt (DAE), Willy Rolle (TAVMA), Mandisa Zitha (Encounters)

A constant struggle in film: commercial viability vs artistic integrity. Documentaries seem to be winning more awards recently, but does this actually guarantee success or increase their impact? How can we support emerging filmmakers and diverse voices in telling creative stories that push boundaries? And what is a creative documentary anyway?

Panellists: Paul Rieth (audience strategist), Anna Hints (filmmaker), Mohamed Saïd Ouma (filmmaker and festival director)

Ignite presentations and panel: Experts in mediatheques, AVOD / FAST channels and digital distribution share insights on how documentary filmmakers can navigate the crowded marketplace, find and boost the right distribution for their films: channels and platforms currently prioritizing documentaries, the pivot to branded content and narrative features, and all the latest in distribution.

Panellists: Pola Nathusius (ARD, BR), Lara Sword (Little Dot Studios), Antoine Schmidt-Roy (NIKITA VENTURES)

coffee break

This session is your chance to ask experts questions about the future of the creator's economy: from the first European movie ever funded by NFTs through blockchain up to innovative social platforms, we will discover how the industry finds fresh ways to monetize.

Panellists: Jan Spielhoff (Filmchain), Giorgia Aubrey (Kyra TV), Miguel Faus (filmmaker)

Wrap-up of conference themes by AC Coppens