The UK’s sales agents are approaching this year’s EFM with enthusiasm, excited about the new regime but cognisant of the challenges 2025 may pose.
The UK sales agents are arriving for the European Film market (EFM) and Berlinale in high spirits, as one of their own takes the reins of the festival. It is Tricia Tuttle’s first edition in charge — a well-respected figure from the UK industry who was praised for helping to rejuvenate the BFI London Film Festival during her time at the helm.
“I am a big fan of Tricia. She did a great job in London. It’s always tough to expect a huge sea change in the first year, but I’m excited,” says Hugo Grumbar, partner and co-founder at Embankment Films.
“It needs to be spiced up a bit,” says Mister Smith Entertainment founder and CEO David Garrett. “I’ve always felt going to Berlin there has been a complete disconnect between the market and the festival. In Cannes, everyone knows every festival film that’s playing. There’s a buzz and excitement. I’m hoping and thinking [Berlin and EFM] will feel more connected this year.”
A complete rehinge between the EFM — now headed by Tanja Meissner — and Berlinale will not be a quick fix. While the UK distributors and some US studios always head home early due to the regular clash with the Bafta Film Awards, this year many buyers from across the globe are understood to be staying only until the first Saturday (February 15) or Sunday (February 16, the date the Baftas will be held).
“I don’t know if there is a way back to the old days,” says Sarah Lebutsch, acting senior vice president of sales and distribution at Protagonist Pictures, who has Jan-Ole Gerster’s thriller Islands world premiering in Berlin’s Special Gala selection. “I don’t think it’s necessarily connected to the festival programme — Tricia’s programme has been well-received. I don’t think there is anything Tricia can do. That movement is more to do with the way decisions are taken, and the markets having shifted online a bit more, and cutting costs.”
Although they may not be staying at the EFM for long, all key buying territories are expected to be well-represented — bar Asia, which is now an accepted post-pandemic reality. “Berlin is a good point to understand the year ahead,” says Maya Amsellem, founder and managing director of WestEnd Films. “People come with energy. It’s Berlin and Cannes, and then nothing. Unless Toronto becomes more of a market. Let’s see.”
“The market has always been very robust,” says Fabien Westerhoff, CEO of Film Constellation, “and it’s a great blend of efficient dealmaking and it’s all very accessible. There is great entertainment at night, with fantastic dining options and some good parties.” The company will be introducing a promo for Jérémy Comte’s Paradise at the market and represents Fernando Eimbcke’s upcoming Berlin Panorama world premiere Olmo, from Plan B and Teorema.
“Efficient” is the word every sales agent uses to describe EFM.The UK crowd is particularly pleased to be heading to such a well-oiled machine after the last major market, the American Film Market (AFM), proved to be a costly and cumbersome exercise. “We did good business, it [Las Vegas] is just a horrible place,” says Garrett of last year’s AFM, with all UK sellers expressing delight at the recent announcement the market will return to Los Angeles this year.
Genre titles, particularly horror and thriller, are what buyers continue to hanker after. “Genre films have worked best for the past few markets, especially on the pre-buy side, as there is less of a risk. It’s less execution dependent than drama,” says Lebutsch.
As always, genre titles were popular at AFM, with Embankment reporting strong sales there on Rob Savage’s horror film Molepeople. Sellers anticipate the genre run will continue at EFM.
There is caution among some, however, that a market saturation is coming. “There seems to be a lot more horror around than there used to be,” says Garrett. “I wonder whether there’s a point at which everyone ends up behind the curve, and audiences are going to tire a bit. One has to be very careful.”
Greater variety
Amsellem, who is bringing action thriller Breaking Cover to the market, wants to see more comedy scripts hit her desk. “We are dying to find a comedy, and distributors are dying to find a comedy,” she says. “The comedy is either the studio prerogative, it’s theirs and very big and you can never get it, even for buyers, or it’s a local comedy and it’s difficult to sell.”
Signature Entertainment’s chief commercial officer and buyer Elizabeth Williams, meanwhile, is on the lookout for “more creature features and independent sci-fi”.
Film Constellation’s Westerhoff adds: “Animation and family entertainment are performing strongly in a lot of international territories where there are younger cinemagoing audiences, like Latin America and southeast Asia.”
On the documentary front, Dogwoof will be selling its two Sundance titles at EFM: 2000 Meters To Andriivka and Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore. “There are still a lot of those name-driven projects, and biopics continue to be a big part of what works,” says Cleo Veger, head of sales at Dogwoof.
A mixed ecology is key at a time when documentary has had difficultly in the theatrical market. “Theatrical for docs continues to be a challenging landscape,” notes Veger. “It’s about finding those two or three films that can work theatrically and trying to focus on those, and that’s not always going to be every territory. It’s a mix of broadcaster, streamer and theatrical. It’s very rare that a film does purely theatrical [deals] on documentaries internationally.”
Challenges ahead
While sellers are all feeling enthusiastic about a trip to EFM, there are several challenges facing both the global and local industries that are weighing heavily on their minds. There are concerns about what Donald Trump’s second term as US president may mean for global economic and political stability, at a time when the independent film market is already somewhat fragile.
“Somewhere down the line, maybe not this year but the year after, what Trump is doing might throw the world into complete chaos,” reflects one seller.
Cast remains top of the more industry-specific concerns. “It is the same one that comes round time and time again — retaining talent, prior to financial close,” says Grumbar. “That for independent film is always a challenge.”
Some good news came in the form of the 40% relief from the UK Independent Film Tax Credit, fully approved by the government in October. Embankment will be making use of it as it heads into production in the UK on Sunny Dancer, George Jacques’ sophomore feature, with significant pre-sales in the bag and North America still up for grabs.
Mister Smith’s slate is becoming increasingly UK-focused, with sales launching at EFM on Sleeping Lions, a murder mystery starring Jonathan Pryce and Nick Mohammed, and directed by Mat Whitecross, as well as UK-set Christmas film Tinsel Town, starring Kiefer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson.
And it is not only the UK producers soaking up the tax credit. “US producers that we work with are increasingly assuming they will shoot over here,” says Lebutsch. “And not necessarily only in the UK — there is a lot going on in Spain and Eastern Europe because of the attractive tax credit and soft money. There is very little in comparison over in the US.
“As we all see now, after the fires in Los Angeles, there are a lot of voices in the US that say they need to increase their tax credits and keep productions in the US,” she continues. “The UK is a very attractive place to shoot. It’s probably a bit crowded here.”
“It’s still a struggle if you do have something that’s quintessentially British,” notes Garrett. “The idea is to make films in the UK that have broad international appeal. Those projects are still quite hard to find and to cast. You still need a cast that’s meaningful overseas.”
Cost of productions continue to go up, and the minimum guarantees from distributors are not following in an upward trajectory. The UK’s subsidy support does not match that of Europe, and in particular France, where sales agents as well as producers can access support. There is also the major issue of UK sellers feeling at the mercy of SVoD platforms for financing.
“We don’t have as much agency as we used to have in terms of controlling windows and influencing how much revenue we generate,” notes Garrett. “That’s the biggest problem.”
“The cream will rise to the top,” believes Mike Runagall, managing director at Altitude Film Sales, who is launching Danny Cannon’s horror thriller Obey at the market. “Look at Together [Michael Shanks’ body horror starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco, bought by Neon for $17m in Sundance]. If you have something that’s distinctive, a bit subversive and is well executed, you’re in an incredibly powerful position in this market.”
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