Born from a perceived necessity for a space for open reflection and discussion, shared by Arte France and the festival team, the Europe Conference invites industry professionals to gather and engage critically with urgent shifting political and social paradigms that impact real lives as well as filmmaking, production, exhibition, distribution and broadcasting.

Across the globe, regimes are elected via populist campaigns that propone xenophobic, racist, misogynistic and homophobic values. The impact on the cultural, artistic and journalistic fields has been devastating as these governments are tightening their grip on freedom of speech and of artistic expression, using a variety of means. In tightening control over funding bodies, arts councils, broadcasters and film festivals, these regimes are able to coerce compliance, and police dissent by criminalizing it. 

This year’s edition of the Europe Conference will address the urgency of exploring the consequences of these or policies on institutions, broadcasters and filmmakers on the continent and elsewhere. What are the new ‘red lines’ and how can institutions and individuals refuse or resist compliance? What are the margins of defense afforded or deployed by institutions against mediating measures of repression? What does independence really mean in such circumstances?  Furthermore, filmmakers are the most vulnerable to policing, control and prohibition. They are also targets of personal attacks, character assassination and persecution. What are their means of resistance and self-protection? 

Institutions panel 
Speakers: Erika Dilday (Buyer, POV), Eva Križkova (Filmmaker, Journalist, Director of One World IDFF Slovakia), Ahmet Polat (Editor-in-Chief, HUMAN)

Filmmakers panel 
Speakers: Petra Costa (Filmmaker), Salomé Jashi (Filmmaker, Chairperson of Documentary Association Georgia), Osnat Trabelsi (Filmmaker)

Moderator: Claus Ladegaard (Former CEO of Danish Film Institute)