EFM Clocks Over 12,000 Trade Visitors

A record number of over 12,000 trade visitors from 143 countries attended the European Film Market (EFM) at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.

More than 614 exhibiting companies and institutions from 69 countries presented. The number of buyers reached 1,263, as 664 films were shown in 1,029 screenings, including 536 market premieres.

Producers also introduced an additional 660 new film projects, arranging meetings in search of international partners.

New partner events such as AfroBerlin and the Entertainment Finance Forum were also utilized.

EFM Industry Sessions for 2024 promoted a “growth mindset” when looking to the horizon of the film and media landscape. Presentations and talks focused on developments and concerns around AI, distribution trends and strategies in the post-Covid era and accessibility and inclusion in the industry.

Italy was this year’s “Country in Focus.” Italian filmmakers presented themselves at the Italian Pavilion and explored the range of filmmaking and funding opportunities in Italy, finding partners and networking at the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

Participants with an online market badge can watch the conference program of the EFM Industry Sessions as VOD until the end of June. A selection of the films presented at the market are also available to stream until March 31.

“From day one, it was apparent that the European Film Market 2024, the first trade fair event of the year and also the first after last year’s industry strikes in the U.S., was very well-attended and extremely busy,” said Dennis Ruh, EFM director. “The market participants’ meeting schedules were filled to capacity. Many high-turnover deals were being reported every day. The large number of participants in the conference program, especially in those program components focusing on AI, indicated that we certainly have our finger on the pulse in terms of relevant topics and that there is a huge need for knowledge transfer and learning in the film and media industry to prepare us for future technological and economic change processes. Over the last seven days, Berlin has been the place to be for the international industry!”