European Film Market 2026 Announces Major Program Expansion
A new programme cluster, EFM Beyond, will be introduced in 2026 as a strategic platform dedicated to cross-media collaboration and innovative market strategies.
RMN Stars Film Festival Desk
December 8, 2025
Overview and Market Context
The European Film Market (EFM), scheduled for February 12 to 18, 2026, launches its new edition as a key component of the 76th Berlinale. The market features an expanded program, new strategic partnerships, and a continued emphasis on cross-sector collaboration and innovation to address the evolving requirements of the global audiovisual industry.
Festival Director Tricia Tuttle noted that the work of the EFM team is an absolutely vital part of the Berlinale, supporting film businesses that ensure cultural cinema reaches worldwide audiences. The EFM brings tens of thousands of professionals from over 130 countries to Berlin annually. The EFM is part of Berlinale Pro, which also includes the Berlinale Co-Production Market, Berlinale Talents, and the World Cinema Fund, providing comprehensive industry infrastructure.
New Focus on Animation and Innovation
The first edition of the EFM Animation Days will take place from February 12–14, representing a major expansion of the Market’s portfolio. This three-day program will bring together global animation creatives, studios, producers, buyers, and financiers for curated showcases, workshops, and networking. Tanja Meissner, Berlinale Pro Director, highlighted this initiative as vital for championing the highly creative and dynamic European animation sector, which offers a world-class pipeline ready for export. The Animation Days are supported by MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung.
A new programme cluster, EFM Beyond, will be introduced in 2026 as a strategic platform dedicated to cross-media collaboration and innovative market strategies. EFM Beyond focuses on future-facing creativity where film, animation, gaming, and related creative sectors like story-based XR meet. The program, targeted towards producers, includes practice-oriented upskilling workshops, such as creating new revenue streams by expanding IP across multiple media, and a Cross-IP accelerator organized in partnership with SpielFabrique and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Furthermore, the EFM Innovation Hub will again serve as a central venue for exhibiting cutting-edge production technologies and tools on the second floor of the Gropius Bau.
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Business Development and Talent Platforms
The Investors Forum will assemble premier film and media finance leaders for high-level exchanges and peer-to-peer dialogue, following the success of its pilot format last year. It offers a unique context for investors seeking to understand the current balance and developments between public and private funding. The twelfth edition of the EFM Startups Programme will introduce ten international media-tech entrepreneurs with solutions spanning rights management, production, distribution, and audience engagement. The EFM plays a distinctive role as the only market where startups gain traction by being highlighted in their own dedicated section.
A new initiative in 2026 is the Berlinale Film School Summit on February 17, which will host up to 100 directing and producing students from leading film schools worldwide. This summit offers participants exclusive access to the Berlinale Pro universe, masterclasses, and networking formats to strengthen early international collaboration.
Showcases, Series, and Documentaries
The Country in Focus 2026 will spotlight Morocco, highlighting its exceptional co-production potential and production landscape. The EFM will provide curated pitching sessions and networking events to draw attention to this dynamic creative country in the MENA region.
Several new Works in Progress (WIP) and pitching sessions have been introduced, including the EFM Far East in Progress WIP selection, a new partnership showcasing brand-new Asian films ready for post-production. Additionally, EFM Frontières Focus will highlight five bold and innovative international genre projects in advanced financing or early post-production.
The Berlinale Series Market (BSM) returns from February 15-18 with an expanded line-up, including Series Match, a new initiative with Iberseries & Platino Industria that connects German and Ibero-American producers on early-stage series projects. The BSM will also introduce “Series Talks” at the CinemaxX lounge. The DocSalon & Archive Market offers a widely acclaimed networking platform for nonfiction professionals, with the Archive Market (Feb 17) focusing on archival research, heritage re-releases, and restored classics. New this year, the DocSalon will include a special focus on animated documentaries as part of the EFM Animation Days.
The main EFM Conference Programme will run from February 13 to 16, featuring four days of masterclasses, talks, and panel discussions exploring emerging trends, market consolidation, and innovative business models shaping global filmmaking. Support for the various EFM programs is provided by partners including Creative Europe MEDIA, FFF Bayern, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, and MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung.
