The European Film Forum kicks off 2019 during the Berlinale

For these reasons, it has become an event not to be missed for Creative Europe MEDIA, where it has been present for many years now to promote the programme and enhance its partnership with the audiovisual industry.

As in previous years, MEDIA is organising a European Film Forum during the Berlinale, a platform for a structured dialogue between policy makers and the stakeholders in the field. The theme for this year is “Subtitling and Dubbing: Using Technology to Help European Films Travel”, and the debate will take place on Monday 11 February from 2pm to 5pm.

The topic has been selected due to the importance of both subtitling and dubbing when it comes to the circulation of European works, particularly given Europe's linguistic and cultural diversity, in a context in which the demand for diverse audiovisual content has risen over the past years.

What has triggered this increase in demand for 'non-national content'? What can we learn from successful TV series? Can the film industry learn from TV? And vice-versa? What can TV learn from film production when it comes to subtitling and dubbing?

These are just some of the questions that will be discussed during the event. Check the programme for more information, and follow the debate online here.

In addition, the EFF will feature a discussion on the development of the Directory of European films in view of the launch of the beta version in the spring 2019 and a roundtable on gender in the audiovisual sector. Statistics on gender balance in the MEDIA programme since 2014 will be presented and will be the basis of a discussion with key stakeholders on what actions are necessary to improve gender balance and ensure that films produced or directed by women circulate as well as films produced and directed by men.

Finally, the EFF will close with a cocktail where MEDIA will recognise the support that Mr Kosslick (Director of the Berlinale since 2001) has given to the MEDIA programme since it started 27 years ago, coinciding with his retirement.