For 15 years When East Meets West has been a meeting point of opposites, the intersection between East and West, physical and digital, creativity and innovation. Bridging past and future, WEMW 2025 (Trieste, January 19-22) will continue pushing the boundaries between established practices and emerging paradigms, all the while keeping the need to explore the Other at its core.
Balancing tradition with innovation, WEMW is now launching 5 different sections with a total of 15 calls for 15 different initiatives, ranging from the established Co-Production Forum and Work in Progress sessions to the cutting-edge Labs, all designed to foster collaboration, inspire creativity, and drive the industry forward.
1. CO-PRODUCTION FORUM
—deadline: October 18, 2024
WEMW 2025 will select 20 projects in development (live-action features, creative documentaries and short animated projects) from all over Europe and beyond, with special attention to the 2025 East & West spotlight countries: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
All selected projects will be pitched in front of more than 500 decision makers and professionals from over 60 countries, and will compete for two main cash prizes: the Film Center Serbia Development Award and the CICLIC WEMW Award (granted by the French Centre-Val de Loire Region). Thanks to the WEMW network of partners, the Co-Production Forum will also feature a series of other major awards, including EAVE Producers Workshop Scholarship, the Pop Up Film Residency Award, the Marché du Film Producers Network Badges and the DAE Talent Development Prize.
2. WORKS IN PROGRESS
—deadline: November 5, 2024
Starting from today there will also be the possibility to submit a project to the WIP sections organized by WEMW and Trieste Film Festival, and present selected scenes in post-production to an exclusive panel of festival programmers, sales agents, TV commissioning editors and distributors.
LAST STOP TRIESTE will select documentary projects in a stage of fine-cut, previously developed or presented in one of our partners platform: Ex-Oriente Film Workshop, BDC Discoveries, Docu Rough Cut Boutique, Baltic Sea Docs, ZagrebDox PRO and WEMW Co-Production Forum.
All selected docs will be in the running for the HBO Europe Award, the Film Center Montenegro Award, and the Arte Video Award.
THIS IS IT, run in partnership with L’Atelier - Milano Film Network, will focus on feature films and hybrid works with a strong visual and artistic approach produced or co-produced by Italian producers, or coming from any of the East & West 2025 spotlight territories: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. All selected films will compete for the Laser Film Award.
3. EAVE SLATE
—deadline: November 5, 2024
EAVE Slate will select up to 12 European and Latin American companies that are developing a slate of A/V works and will combine the EAVE group work method with a series of plenary sessions and individual consultancies focusing on strategic company planning, potential risk evaluation and company diversification.
4. INSPIRATIONAL LABS
—deadline: November 5, 2024
European, Latin American and Canadian producers will also be able to apply to one of our Inspirational Labs, a series of initiatives run in collaboration with leading training programmes and meant to encourage producers to develop new content and explore new business models:
AMAZING INTELLIGENCE, finding a way between human ability and AI efficiency
in partnership with ACE Producers
ANIMA SPIRIT, a journey into the exciting and complex world of animated film production
in partnership with CEE Animation Workshop
COLD OPEN, a hands-on workshop if you’re interested in moving into drama series contents
in partnership with MIDPOINT Institute
DOCS MEET SERIES, a key to produce high-end creative docuseries within an international perspective
in partnership with EURODOC
EAST & WEST, a complete journey through the main co-production and distribution opportunities offered by the European and international film landscape
in partnership with WEMW
FILMS x GAMES, an expert look into the opportunities of video game production
in partnership with SpielFabrique
GENRE RULES, an extensive guide to the inner workings of genre cinema
in partnership with the Fantastic Film Forum of the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival
IMPACT ZONE, a co-creation workshop to make your film an impactful change in society
in partnership with ESoDoc
STREAMERS ECOSYSTEM, a dive into the trends and insights of the ever-evolving digital landscape
UNLOCKING CAPITAL, empowering producers to work with private investors
VIRTUAL INNOVATION, a 360-degree look into the endless possibilities of virtual production
in partnership with European Virtual Production Alliance
5. FIRST CUT LAB TRIESTE
—deadline: November 5, 2024
First Cut Lab Trieste 2025 is open to films that previously participated in When East Meets West’s Coproduction Forum. It offers the selected teams (director/producer/editor) a creative framework, both challenging and protective, where to open up new perspectives and to explore the whole artistic potential of their films. They screen their rough cut in a private session, and receive expert feedbacks from three international film industry advisors, as well as tailor-made advice from a consultant editor.
2025 EAST & WEST FOCUS: BALTICS & BENELUX
Ever seeking to challenge spatial dichotomies and open new horizons, WEMW will dedicate an exciting East & West Focus to the Baltic Countries & Benelux, bringing projects, professionals, ideas and funds from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, with the main goal to facilitate new creative and business exchanges with all these spotlight territories.
This upcoming East & West Focus is made possible thanks to the support of Flanders Audiovisual Fund, Screen Flanders and Screen Brussels, CCA-Film and Audiovisual Center, Netherlands Film Fund, Film Fund Luxembourg, Estonian Film Institute, Lithuanian Film Center, National Film Centre of Latvia.
15 YEARS BETWEEN EAST & WEST, PAST AND FUTURE, CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
WEMW 2025 confirms the idea that there cannot be opposition without complementarity, no West without East, no self without the Other. The exploration beyond what is familiar, established, comforting is not only a way to widen one’s horizons, it is first and foremost a way to define and redefine oneself. Over 15 years, WEMW has expanded the terms of these polarities well beyond the mere geographical terms, to support professionals' transition from traditional practices towards innovative tools, new business models, ever changing technologies. In our rapidly evolving landscape, the rich and diverse 2025 program reflects the complex and diverse industry we need to navigate, with the belief that the fine balance between creativity and innovation is the key towards the future.
CO-PRODUCTION FORUM—deadline: October 18, 2024
WORKS IN PROGRESS—deadline: November 5, 2024
EAVE SLATE—deadline: November 5, 2024
INSPIRATIONAL LABS—deadline: November 5, 2024
FIRST CUT LAB TRIESTE—deadline: November 5, 2024
