This year’s programme introduces a series of Talks in collaboration with partners, targeting a unique variety of topics. The Opening Keynote Reality in Transition: Strengthening Human Creativity in the Age of AI explored 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 outlines concrete strategies to activate a film’s digital ecosystem through new collaboration models, enabling truly organic marketing.
In collaboration with Europa Distribution, WEMW hosts for the first time the ED Film Distribution Innovation Hub, a dedicated space where representatives of tech companies 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 shares 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, while the Slate Management Case Study The Life of a Slate: Timing, Growth and Sustainability dives into the decision-making processes, challenges and best practices in developing and managing a slate of international, independent projects.
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 provides the IP-owner’s perspective for a successful cooperation between gaming studios, publishers, and producers to widen the future scope of game adaptations.
Additionally, WEMW 2026 programme features a series of Inspirational Talks directly connected to the themes tackled in the WEMW Inspirational Labs, as well as different opportunities to connect with the WEMW 2026 East & West Focus Countries.
The matchmaking session Meet the GAS – Germany, Austria and Switzerland Countries offers the opportunity to meet a wide range of funds, promotion agencies and film commissions representatives from the three countries, while the Italy-Baltic Bilateral Meeting continues strengthening the cooperation between the Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Italian industries in the aftermath of the latest edition of the Italy/Baltic Development Award, according to a press release.
When East Meets West is the industry segment of the Trieste Film Festival, which is underway from 16 to 24 January 2026.
Click HERE to find the full list of talks and additional events, as well as the jury and the awards of the WEMW 2026, and HERE for the full lineup of WEMW’s Works In Progress sections, EAVE Slate, Inspirational Labs and Films x Games Connection Hub.
