Tanja Meissner predicts “significant business” at EFM as last-minute projects come to market | News

Berlinale Pro director Tanja Meissner says she is hopeful for “significant business” being done at the European Film Market, which kicks off tomorrow. 

Speaking at a Berlinale Pro press event this afternoon, Meissner said she had been encouraged by the immense number of recent projects that have been announced by sales agents on the eve of the EFM.

Until recently, many buyers had expressed fears that the Los Angeles fires would disrupt the ability of US sales agents in particular to finalise film packages to be sold at EFM.

However, the past 10 days have seen a slew of EFM packages announced in the trade press from US, UK and European sellers.

“To me, it felt like there’s a huge variety of new projects that have just been launched for this market, as if people are confirming that there is a really great momentum at the beginning of the year,” said Meissner.

“From the few conversations that I have so far with sales agents that have just arrived, everybody’s really hopeful. And I think there’s going to be significant business.”

Execs contacted by Screen also say they are hopeful for a busy EFM after a disappointing AFM last year, and a relatively tranquil Sundance in terms of dealmaking.

Meissner’s role as director of Berlinale Pro encompasses leadership of the EFM as well as the Berlinale Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents and the World Cinema Fund. She was joined at the press launch by Nikola Joetze and Tobias Pausinger, the heads of Berlinale Talents; Martina Bleis, head of the Berlinale Co-Production Market; and Vincenzo Bugno, head of the World Cinema Fund. 

35 film projects are being pitched at the 2025 Berlinale Co-Production Market from 27 countries, all looking for financing and production partners. They include recent features by Tatiana Huezo, Kirsten Tan and Stephan Komandarev. Bleis said the Market is organising around 1,500 one on one meetings this year.

Joetze and Pausinger said Berlinale Talents had had 3,800 applicants for its networking and training programme, and that many of the 201 Talents taking part had started arriving today. They said that 129 former Talents have contributed to 77 films across this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. They include Johanna Moder, the director and screenwriter of competition film Mother’s Baby and Dorothe Beinemeier, the producer of competition film Yunan.

Bugno said the WCF, which focuses on the democratisation and decolonisation of the film landscape, had backed five films playing in the festival including Argentinian director Ivan Fund’s competition film The Message.