In a rapidly evolving audiovisual landscape, marked by constant shifts in production models, independent cinema is being called to reinvent itself. The panel Indie Voices in a Shifting Industry, held this afternoon at the MIA | Mercato Internazionale dell’Audiovisivo, brought together professionals from diverse cultural and market backgrounds to discuss strategies for resilience, new forms of collaboration, and the need to preserve authentic creative freedom within an increasingly competitive global ecosystem.
Dyveke Bjørkly Graver, Partner & Producer Eye Eye Pictures, shared the Norwegian experience, highlighting how international cooperation has become an essential condition: “Every film we make is the result of a co-production, but coming from Norway this is quite normal. I think that for those working in co-productions, the most important thing is to find long-term partners with whom to share obligations, risks, and joys”.
Joseph Rouschop, Producer Tarantula, emphasized the importance of building strong alliances to access global markets: “One of the first things we understood in my company is that if you want your product to reach the international market, you need partners through whom you can raise resources — financial resources that would be impossible for us to obtain alone, unless we worked on a very low budget. Productions must fight against nationalisms and create networking strategies among different countries”.
Alexandre Moreau, Head of sales Paradise City, reaffirmed the added value that international collaboration brings to independent projects: “We understand from producers that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find partners for co-productions. The European system is different from those in Asia or the United States, but it’s clear that collaborations bring richness and diversity to projects, while also making it possible to realize more ambitious works”.
In the end, Yuji Sadai, Founder & CEO of Bitters End and Producer, offered a perspective from the Japanese market, highlighting the challenges of establishing cross-border partnerships: “It’s not easy for Japanese films to find co-production opportunities with other countries”.
The discussion underscored a shared urgency: to strengthen international ties in order to sustain independent creativity and ensure the survival of a cinema that continues to tell stories capable of transcending borders.
