Editor

The European Film Market (EFM) can report upbeat results at the conclusion of the first major business event of the year. In 2008, the EFM hosted a  record number of exhibitors, sales agents and industry professionals at two venues, the Martin Gropius Bau and the EFM Exhibitor Offices, as well as presented close to 1,100 screenings in cinemas around Potsdamer Platz.

From the business side, this year’s Market can also report a positive balance. Many companies – including such market stalwarts as Fortissimo Films, Bavaria Film International, Kimmel International, Focus Features and the Weinstein Company - reported multiple deals on their completed films, as well as those in development. Market Director Beki Probst remarked: “ Once again the Market has exceeded our expectations. We are delighted that interest in the EFM has grown from year to year. We shall do our utmost to offer exhibitors and buyers optimal conditions for doing business again next year.”

At this year’s event, 430 companies from 51 countries had booths in the Martin Gropius Bau and the EFM Exhibitor Offices, with an additional 60 companies based in local hotels. And 1,073 buyers from 54 countries used this year’s EFM as a platform for acquiring film rights – an increase of three percent over last year. The EFM was also pleased to register a rise of ten percent among industry attendees: approximately 6,400 accredited professionals took advantage of the various screenings and services offered by the Market.

The unique exhibition venue in the historical Martin Gropius Bau and the adjoining Gropius Mirror Restaurant attracted a steady stream of visitors that continued well into the second half of the Festival. On the first weekend alone, 12,000 visitors were recorded daily.

The “EFM Industry Debates” - a series of panel discussions organised by the EFM and programmed by Arts Alliance Media (AAM) – took place at the Marriott Hotel under the heading “Embrace Digital Distribution: Drive Your Business Into The Future”. On each of the three afternoons, over 100 participants (including distributors, exhibitors, filmmakers, festival representatives and sales agents) discussed the opportunities and challenges of digital film distribution.