VENICE: FNE spoke to Olimpia Pont Cháfer, manager of European Work in Progress (EWIP) and the International Film Distribution Summit (IFDS), about the evolving landscape of international film distribution, the main strategic topics dominating this year’s summit in Hamburg, and the innovative digital tools helping independent films reach global audiences in a fast-changing market.

TALLINN: Estonian director/writer Eeva Mägi is currently in postproduction with her long hybrid documentary Mo Hunt, which is backed by the Estonian Film Institute, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, and HBO Max through an SVOD licence.

VALLETTA: French director/writer Siegrid Alnoy has wrapped production on her sophomore feature Love Thy Neighbour / L’Amour du prochain, a low budget French/Maltese coproduction backed by Arts Council Malta and the Malta Film Commission, among others.

VIENNA: FNE spoke to Joanna Szymańska, producer and mentor at the Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab at the International Screen Institute, about the practical integration of artificial intelligence into a producer’s daily workflow, navigating the rapid evolution of digital tools, and how tailored, small-group mentorship helps filmmakers transition from theoretical AI concepts to hands-on industry solutions. This interview is sponsored by the International Screen Institute.

VALLETTA: Maltese director/producer Shirley Spiteri Mintoff is preparing her feature film Waiting to Hear from Julia, which will be shot in Malta and Italy in 2027.

TALLINN: Acclaimed Estonian filmmaker Ilmar Raag’s A Girl from Tallinn / Tüdruk Tallinnast is currently undergoing final editing and polishing in Tallinn. The six-part series is an Estonian/Ukrainian/Bulgarian coproduction.

VALLETTA: Maltese director/writer/producer Joshua Cassar Gaspar is preparing his sophomore feature Nativity, which will be shot in Malta and in the United States (Los Angeles) in 2027.

TALLINN: Estonian director/screenwriter Andres Keil is currently in production with his documentary film Target / Sihik, which is produced by Jaak Kilmi through Pimik (Estonia).

VALLETTA: Maltese director Rebecca Cremona is overseeing production on Life Stream, an ambitious omnibus feature film produced by Kukumajsa Productions. The project comprises six distinct segments helmed by international writer-directors Muayad Alayan (Palestine), Ása Hjörleifsdóttir (Iceland), Chika Anadu (Nigeria), Shuming He (Singapore), Javier Colón Ríos (Puerto Rico), and Cremona herself.