How TorinoFilmLab is making sustainability more accessible for European film producers

Italy’s TorinoFilmLab (TFL) — National Museum of Cinema is adding the Green Production Lab (GPL) to its suite of groundbreaking initiatives. It is all aimed at equipping film professionals with the practical and financial tools they need to immediately introduce sustainable filmmaking methods on set.

The European Climate Law has set a legally binding target of a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030. Currently, sustainability is a prerequisite for accessing European public funding, and this trend is anticipated to accelerate in the coming years.

In the independent cinema sector, sustainability strategies are typically managed by production professionals, adding to the workload and costs for producers. This is where the Green Production Lab will step in.

Supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe Media programme, GPL will bring together European professionals with a background in environmental science to introduce their skills to the audiovisual sector. They will work closely with producers and create a concrete and comprehensive plan to implement green practices for specific projects.

“The audiovisual industry is facing a growing need for highly skilled professionals who can implement sustainability practices during the production and post-production stages of feature films and TV series,” says Mercedes Fernandez, managing director of TFL.

For the first iteration of GPL, up to 12 European professionals from the world of sustainability will be trained to become sustainability consultants for the audiovisual sector.

They will be matched with three European producer-production assistant teams that have a project at pre-production stage, three to six months out from cameras rolling. Together, GPL will enable them to learn the relevant skills to develop and set up a full sustainability plan for the project.

The Lab will comprise several online sessions in December, in which the film professionals will work on how to engage the crew in sustainable practices, and the sustainability professionals will be introduced to the specificities of a film production.

Everyone will meet in person during the five-day residential workshop taking place from January 28 to February 1, 2025 in El Prat, Spain. Each group will comprise four sustainability professionals who work with the producer and production assistant to create a full sustainability plan for the project.

The sustainability professionals will then rework the materials before meeting again for an online follow-­up and feedback session. The deadline for applications to GPL is November 5.

Complementary workshops

GPL represents the latest step in TFL’s commitment to sustainability. It builds on the success of the Green Film Lab (GFL) launched in 2022 to raise industry awareness and promote sustainable production practices, particularly by sharing European standards applicable to co-productions. Since its inception, GFL has conducted nine editions in seven countries, engaging 239 professionals and 53 projects.

“We are proud to affirm the Museo Nazionale del Cinema’s commitment to addressing sustainability issues within the film industry,” comment Enzo Ghigo and Domenico De Gaetano, president and director of the Museo. “It is not just a necessity but an opportunity for growth and innovation.”

Some of Europe’s leading producers have participated in various GFL workshops. They include Britta Rindelaub and Thomas Reichlin from Switzerland’s Alva Film with Georgian director Elene Naveriani’s Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry, and Serena Alfieri and Marco Compiani from Italy’s Vivo Film, who attended with Federico Bondi’s Superluna.

The Lab gave Alfieri a technical understanding of how to adopt sustainable protocols. “During the workshop I had the chance to work with sustainability managers who helped me to analyse every decision and its impact,” she says.