Applications Open for Business & Legal Affairs Programme – International Screen Institute
Applications Open for Audience Design Lab – International Screen Institute
To sign-up and for more details see below:
Applications Open for Business & Legal Affairs Programme – International Screen Institute
Applications are now open for the 2026 edition of The Business & Legal Affairs Programme at the International Screen Institute in Vienna offers practical insight into the legal, financial and commercial structures that underpin audiovisual production. Taking place 22–26 June 2026 in Vienna, the five-day in-person programme explores key topics including IP, negotiations, 
contracts and financing, while helping participants develop confidence in professional decision-making.
Great films are not only built on creative vision, but also on a strong understanding of the legal and business frameworks that bring projects to life. From intellectual property and rights management to negotiations, contracts and financing, these elements shape how projects move from development to the screen.
Through lectures, workshops and case studies with leading industry experts, the programme covers areas such as rights acquisition, production agreements, financing models and international co-production frameworks. It also addresses emerging industry developments, including the legal implications of AI-generated content and new technologies shaping rights management.
“An insightful and well-structured course offering a practical overview of business and legal affairs in film and television production. The sessions on financing were especially useful, delivered by speakers with deep industry knowledge and experience. I’d recommend this course to anyone working in production management or business and legal affairs.”
— Matthew Mulligan, Production Manager, Alum – Business and Legal Affairs 2025
The programme also offers the opportunity to connect with filmmakers, producers and industry professionals from across Europe and beyond and become part of the International Screen Institute network.
To support broad participation, the International Screen Institute offers scholarships and financial support to help overcome financial or structural barriers, including reduced participation fees for applicants from Creative Europe MEDIA low-capacity countries. Additional funding opportunities can be explored through the Financial Support Database:
https://www.screeninstitute.eu/financial-support/
Applications are now open for the 2026 edition of the programme and close on 16 March 2026.
For more information and to apply, please visit: https://www.screeninstitute.eu/programmes/business-and-legal-affairs
Applications Open for Audience Design Lab – International Screen Institute
Applications are now open for the 2026 edition of the Audience Design Lab which takes place place at the International Screen Institute in Vienna in June.
The Audience Design Lab is an intensive workshop that supports filmmakers and creative teams in connecting their creative vision with clear audience strategies. Led by Audience Designer Síle Culley, the programme introduces the methodology of Audience Design, focusing on the relationship between story, positioning and audience engagement.
For a film to find its place in the world, it needs to understand its audience. Identifying and engaging audiences early can shape the long and complex journey of independent filmmaking.
Taking place 9–12 June 2026 in Vienna, the Lab brings together a small number of film teams working across fiction, documentary and animation for an immersive programme combining project-based workshops, one-on-one consultations with industry experts and collaborative peer exchange. Participants work closely with Audience Designers to define audience segments, refine their projects’ positioning and develop concrete routes to market.
Projects developed within the programme have gone on to achieve notable international success. One recent example is Breathing Underwater, directed by Eric Lamhène and co-written and shot by Rae Lyn Lee, both participants of the 2024 Audience Design Lab. The film premiered in competition at the Warsaw Film Festival and later received multiple awards, including the Special Jury Prize and the Cineuropa Award at the Lecce European Film Festival, as well as Best Luxembourgish Feature Film and Best Screenplay at the Luxembourg Film Awards. It was also selected as Luxembourg’s official submission to the 2026 Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.
Many participants emphasise how the Lab changes the way they think about audiences and the positioning of their projects. As Audience Design Lab 2024 alumna Elżbieta Benkowska notes:
“If you want your films to be watched – listen to Sile Culley and other audience designers. It’s worth it.”
The programme also offers the opportunity to connect with filmmakers, producers and industry professionals from across Europe and beyond and become part of the International Screen Institute network.
To ensure that professionals from a wide range of backgrounds can take part, the International Screen Institute offers scholarships and financial support, including reduced participation fees for applicants from Creative Europe MEDIA low-capacity countries. Additional funding opportunities can be explored through the Financial Support Database: https://www.screeninstitute.eu/financial-support/
Applications are now open for the 2026 edition of the Audience Design Lab. Applications close on 23 March 2026.
For more information and to apply, please visit:
https://www.screeninstitute.eu/programmes/audience-design-lab
