With the much-welcomed news that SAG-AFTRA has ratified their new 3-year contract deal with the AMPTP, it is time to look ahead to Berlin’s European Film Market, the first strike-free film market we will see. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer in USA, Brandon Blake, sets the scene.
A Project Bonanza
As we finally see not only writers but also actors get back to work post-strike, the European Film Market is expected to benefit from a crop of new projects delayed or postponed under this year’s uncertain strike environment. This climate of anticipation is being boosted by some promising feedback from buyers and sales agents who held back projects in the uncertainty of the SAG-AFTRA waivers that were offered.
This would be a welcome indie industry pick-me-up after dull deal making at both the Toronto Film Festival and American Film Market this year.
Sold-Out Spaces
Despite being almost two months out from the market, reports are that exhibition space is already nearly sold out, with 11,500 participants expected. The 2024 festival has already added a new ‘pop-up’ space, the Gropius Dome, to facilitate networking and get-togethers. This will also be the inaugural year for the AfroBerlin platform, focusing on the African film industry and the increasing push for locally-made, internationally appealing content.
Additionally, we will see ‘Reel Time’ launch a day before the event, offering promo reels of upcoming and latest titles as a pre-market show. These will be themed by genre and overall themes like arthouse, animation, and horror. Italy is set to be the ‘country of focus’ for the special, highlighting the Italian film industry.
Let’s hope to see the first strike-free film festival on the industry’s calendar hit all the right notes with sellers and buyers alike, to pave the way for a 2024 in which the indie film industry can get back to what it does best without labor woes to hinder it.
Film and Television 