The 2023 European Film Market (EFM) has set all-time records for attendance, plus the number of stands, and screenings – a positive indication that the business has recovered up to and beyond pre-pandemic levels.
With the 2023 edition closing yesterday (February 22), the EFM reported over 11,500 participants – up from the previous record of 11,423 in 2020, the last year of an on-site EFM.
There were 230 stands at this year’s market across the Martin Groppius Bau and Marriott Hotel sites, up from 203 in 2020; with 612 companies exhibiting, an increase of 8.5% from 2020’s 564. The 612 companies originated from 78 countries, with the market participants hailing from 132 countries.
The biggest increase of 57.9% was in the number of screenings, from 971 to 1,533, although this is partly explained by the 647 online screenings which took place this year. 599 of the screenings were market premieres.
The number of films was up too, with 773 compared to 732 three years ago. It is approaching the all-time in-person record for number of films, of 800 from 2018 (this number was topped in both online years in 2021 and 2022).
The total number of buyers was also up, to 1,302.
“THE EFM IS BACK!” said a statement from EFM director Dennis Ruh. “After the past two irregular years, we’re pleased to return to the physical in full force, and with a vibrant, bustling and strong market! The exhibition areas at Gropius Bau and the Marriott Hotel were sold out, and the exhibitors reported strong sales and good business. The decision to group all the market happenings together with the Berlinale Series Market and the market screenings at Potsdamer Platz, and to provide the industry with an efficient infrastructure, was extremely well-received by our market participants.”
The market’s new Producers and Project pages, where producers could create professional pages with a profile including their track records, received 629 film projects.
Industry sessions at this year’s EFM took place under the banner of ‘Shift Happens’; while over 100 guests at the Equity & Inclusion Pathways seminar agreed on five resolutions with concrete goals intended to initiate Europe-wide infrastructural changes.
The EFM gave targeted support to creatives from Ukraine and Iran, including via representative booths in the exhibit areas, and platforms for co-production, financing and networking.
The EFM conference programme is available to online market badge holders until the end of June; with a selection of films presented at the market available until March 31.
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