In just a matter of days, WEMW will kick-start its 15th edition, offering a rich combination of inspirational talks and networking opportunities tailored to inspire and connect more than 600 attendees coming from all over the world.

WEMW 2025 Talks

This year’s programme introduces a whole new series of Talks in collaboration with our long-lasting partners, targeting a unique variety of topics.
The 2025 Opening Keynote Creative Innovation: Exploring Challenges and Opportunities will explore how innovation can lead to new means of creation while also delving into its implications for training, organizational development and business models.
The lecture Marketing for Movies from Development Stage to Release in collaboration with First Cut+ will share a quick overview on how marketing can help producers and distributors attract both financial partners and audiences.
To celebrate the first European Residency run by Global Media Makers, GMM mentors will engage in two talks: Uprooted: An American Perspective on Docuseries, will explore what makes a great docuseries whereas Money for Movies: Equity Financing and Raising Capital will provide a 360° overview of the equity financing model.
In collaboration with EAVE Impact Think Tank, the panel Inclusive Co-Productions: A Roadmap from Development to Release will tackle different strategies for embedding inclusivity into the co-production process, drawing insights from the 2025 EAVE Impact Think Tank. Following, in collaboration with Pop Up Film Residency, Pop Up Film Residency Dialogues: A Creative Community, an opportunity to exchange with members of the community on what’s been accomplished since its launch in 2019 and what’s to come.
For the 2025 EAST & WEST Focus we will host the panels Spotlight on Benelux and Spotlight on Baltics, both moderated by Tamara Tatishvili, in cooperation with MEDICI – The Film Funding Journey (organised by FOCAL).
In collaboration with 14 Creative Europe MEDIA Desks (Belgium Flanders, Belgium Wallonia-Bruxelles, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Grece, Italy,  Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia) the talk Embracing for change and innovation. Towards a better and stronger level playing field in the EU AV landscape will address how to keep up with innovative trends as regards the content, streamers and digital platforms.
Spotlight IDM Film Commission Südtirol will offer an interactive and stimulating session to discover the funding opportunities and initiatives offered by IDM Film Commission Südtirol – Alto Adige.

WEMW 2025 programme will also include a new set of talks directly connected to the themes tackled in the WEMW Inspirational Labs. The talks – in collaboration with MIDPOINT Institute, SpielFabrique, ACE Producers, CEE Animation Workshop and Trieste Science+Fiction Festival – will space from genre film production to drama series content, animation production and the encounter between film, videogames and artificial intelligence.

Finally, WEMW programme will also feature different opportunities to connect with a fine selection of guests in a cosier atmosphere, such as the Networking Ring & Breakfast by Circle Doc Women Accelerator and the DAE Confidential, a series of chats with wine about documentary film financing and distribution in collaboration with the Documentary Association of Europe.
As in previous years, our programme will also include plenty of occasions to network and recharge.
Each day attendees can connect during lunch and cocktail hours, thanks to the collaboration with Catalan Films, Apulia Film Commission, Italian Film Commissions, all 2025 East & West Spotlight Countries and the Creative Europe Desks from 14 different countries.

You can find here the complete programme!

WEMW Juries & Awards

The WEMW Co-Production Forum Jury consisting of Jean-Baptiste Bailly-Maitre (Alpha Violet), Svetlana Cherrier (Ciclic Center-Val de Loire) and Edvinas Puksta (Black Nights Film Festival) will assign the cash prizes Film Center Serbia Development Award and CICLIC WEMW Award, together with series of  other major awards, including the EAVE Producers Workshop scholarship, the Marché du Film Producers Network Badges, the DAE Talent Development Prize, the Taskovski #DocsConnect Training Award, the Pop Up Film Residency Award and two brand new awards: GoGo25 Residency Award and the CEE Animation Forum Award. Moreover, all female identifying directors will be eligible for the EWA Network’s Award for Equality & Inclusion.

For the Works in Progress section, in collaboration with Trieste Film Festival, the Last Stop Trieste Jury composed by Sarah Dawson (IDFA) , Maria Bonsanti  and Carmen Vicencio (American Documentary) will hand out the Film Center Montenegro Award, the long-lasting HBO Award and the Arte Video Award.

The This is IT Jury, headed by Caterina Mazzucato (Bio to B – Biografilm), Gaia Furrer (Giornate degli Autori) and Pascale Ramonda (Ramonda Ink), will award the Laser Film Award.

Last but not least, WEMW has planned a special surprise dedicated to all of our Inspirational Labs participants, through our new Inspirational Labs Special Gifts programme. Thanks to our partners, this unique set of gifts will include one spot on the International Screen Institute Market Ready Course , one spot on a TFL Next Workshop by TorinoFilmLab and private counseling sessions on green production, held by Trentino Film Commission – Green Film.

And many more things are yet to be discovered in just a few days in Trieste.

 

See You Soon at WEMW 2025!