The Sideletters

Joanna Szymanska and Fabian Massah dive deep into the heated debate surrounding streamer investment obligations in Europe. With tech giants like Netflix and Amazon pushing back against regulations in Germany and France,   what does this mean for the local creative economy?  Is it an unfair tax on success, or a necessary contribution from an "extraction business" to fuel cultural diversit...

This week, we're starting with some exciting news close to home: our own Jennifer is taking over as co-head of studies at the prestigious EAVE Producers Workshop. 👏 Plus: We dive deep into A24 's controversial $75M deal with Google’s DeepMind and what it tells us about Big Tech’s tightening grip on indie film. We also dissect Amazon MGM ’s sudden cancellation of Luca Guadagnino’s Sam Altman movie...

In this episode of  The Sideletters , Jennifer, Joanna and Fabian discuss European Social Media: Is  WSocial  the new European alternative to X? We discuss the push for digital sovereignty and new platforms emerging in the EU. A24 & Google's DeepMind : With Google investing $75 million in the indie darling A24, what does the future of AI-powered filmmaking tools look like? Are the tech gia...

We dive into the ever-shifting landscape of the European creative industries, starting with two major stories: the sobering  Europe 2031 report on AI and digital sovereignty (including the recent Anthropic model shutdown for European users), and the  $250M launch of Compound Creative Holdings by CAA and TPG . Then stay tuned for a thought-provoking conversation on what we need to focus on: We sit...

The  Backrooms  /  Obsession  debate gets sharper. And one of Europe's most experienced distributors asks the question nobody can answer: is all this hype a wave, or just a drop? Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine, Joanna Szymanska and Fabian Massah cut through the noise, and sit down with  Torsten Frehse, CEO of Neue Visionen and founder of European Work in Progress . In this episode of  The Sideletter...

German film had its biggest awards night, and it got complicated. Two young YouTube creators just shattered US box office records. And Netflix is quietly trying to rewrite European media law. All in one week. In this episode of  The Sideletters ,  Joanna Szymanska  and  Fabian Massah  unpack what's really moving the creative industries in Europe right now: 🏆 The Lola Awards & the Wenders...

The dust has settled on the Croisette, and Episode 17 of The Sideletters delivers a wrap-up of Cannes 2026. Joanna and Fabian discuss the major winners, including a historic Golden Palm, a landmark award for African cinema, an outstanding deal, before diving into an insightful interview that Jennifer had with  Guillaume Esmiol ,  Executive Director of the Marché du Film . Discover how the world&#3...

While the Cannes Film Festival 2026 buzzes on the Croisette,  Joanna Szymańska  and  Fabian Massah  analyze the industry from an observer's distance. This episode tackles the major political and structural shifts that impact European production. From the much-discussed  AgoraEU  mega-program to  Canal+  leadership's shock announcement of blacklisting industry professionals, we dive deep in...

Join us as  Thibaut Bracq , Head of La Fabrique, a game-changing program at Cannes that supports emerging filmmakers and producers from around the globe, reveals the secrets to launching your first feature film at the world's biggest film market. In this episode, Thibaut shares, what industry professionals look for in emerging projects, how La Fabrique selects 10 projects from 150+ application...

On the eve of Cannes 2026,  The Sideletters  go behind the scenes with Alexandra Zakharchenko, head of industry programs at the Marché du Film, the beating heart of the global film business. In this special episode, Alexandra reveals how the Marché connects thousands of producers, distributors, investors, and creators annually, explains the innovative Investor Circle program that bridges public an...

With major industry shifts happening simultaneously  - the Academy rewrites Best International Feature rules, Netflix commits to theatrical windows for Greta Gerwig's Narnia, and NATO holds closed-door meetings with European filmmakers - we discuss the fundamental question:  How relevant is cinema? This episode explores how development cycles lag behind cultural moments, why festival-qualifyin...

How is one small country building a golden era of cinema while larger markets struggle?  Kjersti Mo , CEO of the Norwegian Film Institute since 2019, shares the strategy behind Norway's recent Oscar wins, Berlin and Cannes successes, and multiple European Film Awards. Her insights reveal a roadmap for sustainable, culturally relevant audiovisual production in the age of consolidation, streamin...

In this  deep-dive episode , Joanna and Fabian pull back the curtain on how they actually run their production companies in the age of AI. They’re sharing insights, and discussing specific tools, workflows, and philosophies driving their daily work.  From practical implementation of AI agents, automation platforms, to self-hosted European infrastructure  - an essential guide for creative professio...

With  Cannes 2026  fresh off the announcement and  CinemaCo n underway, The Sideletters explore the festival landscape, US box office recovery, and dive deep into global co-productions with Brazilian producer  Leonardo Mecchi , whose film  Elephants in the Fog  just landed in Un Certain Regard at Cannes. Discover how cross-border co-productions work, what it takes to build equitable partnerships a...

In this deep-dive B2B episode, Jennifer Sabbah-Imagine and Fabian Massah compare the theatrical film financing structures of Europe's two largest cinema markets: France and Germany . Discover and discuss with us! Key Topics: • French Cinema Financing: The CNC, broadcaster obligations, Sophica vehicles, and regional funds • German Cinema Financing: ARD/ZDF duopoly, and the Rundfunkräte governance c...

Europe just got a brand new rulebook for TV series co-production . And OpenAI quietly killed Sora , its much hyped video-generating product. In this episode of The Sideletters, Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine, Fabian Massah and Joanna Szymanska dig into two stories that signal a major shift for the European creative industry. First: Jennifer breaks down what the Council of Europe's new Convention on...

Is culture just a nice-to-have for society, or a superpower driving economic and social progress? In this episode of  The Sideletters , Joanna Szymanska and Fabian Massah dig into UNESCO's International Decade of Culture and the Reshaping Policies for Creativity report to challenge how we measure success in the creative industries. You'll hear candid insights on why box office numbers don&...

In Episode #006 of The Sideletters , we explore the forces reshaping European series production with Francesco Capurro, Director of Series Mania Forum , and on what to expect at this year’s edition. He also speaks about why co-productions aren't optional anymore, they're essential, about the new EU legal framework that is unlocking international partnerships, and the European vs. the American mode...

In Episode #005 of  The Sideletters,  Joanna and Jennifer have a conversation with  Kristina Trapp, CEO of EAVE (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), on 35 years of training international producers and why success isn't just about money. How EAVE's Impact Think Tank imagines a better industry through equity, inclusion, and social responsibility. Plus: an exclusive outlook on upcoming workshops, Cr...

In Episode #004 of  The Sideletters,  Joanna and Jennifer sit down with Katharina Gellein Viken, CEO of Metrotone and creator of the  Raynmaker  Project, to discuss what it actually looks like to build an AI-native production company in Europe. Kat's journey - from producing Norway's  Strictly Come Dancing  to rebuilding her company around AI How a small production company turned "dis...

Episode #003 of  The Sideletters  tackles the uproars on the Berlinale jury statement, major industry consolidation moves, and César Awards predictions. This Week: The "stay out of politics" remark that sparked industry backlash - and how legacy and social media picked it up, and certain politicians weaponized it within hours Paramount’s and Netflix's aggressive play for Warner Bros....

Episode #002 of  The Sideletters  comes to you live from the European Film Market and Berlinale 2026! This week, Fabian Massah and Joanna Szymanska report directly from the EFM , with Joanna - whose film “Dust” premiered in Competition - delivering a personal dispatch from the market floor, and Fabian sitting down with Yohann Comte , co-founder and chairman of French sales company Charades. Joanna...

Finally, white smoke in Berlin! After years of uncertainty, the  new German Film Law  is here. In this episode, we break down what the new 8% investment obligation means for  Netflix, RTL,  and ZDF -  and why the numbers might not be as scary for them as they look. And above all:  What does it mean for producers? Then, we head to Potsdamer Platz. With the  European Film Market (EFM)  kicking off t...

Is the independent film model broken, or is it just changing hands? In this pilot episode of  The Sideletters , we look at the numbers that confused the industry this week. While Sharon Waxman (The Wrap/NYT) writes about the "Death of Indie Film" post-Sundance, two "independent" films just stormed the US Box Office top 3: The controversial  Melania  documentary and the YouTube-...