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Building on lessons from digital Cannes and digital AFM, Berlin s online-only European Film Market is running like a well-oiled machine, though participants long for a return to in-person events. It s slick and efficient, if a bit dull.
When, last May, the Cannes Film Market bowed to the inevitable and went online-only, it was a leap in the dark.
Could the independent film industry a business that relies, perhaps more than any other, on trust and personal connections function in a virtual space? Would buyers continue to bet millions on pre-sale movies if they couldn t see sellers in person, couldn t shake their hands, and look right in their eyes when they make their pitch, but had to base everything on a Zoom call or online pitch? Would buzz and buyer bidding wars the lifeblood of any film market even be possible with buyers scattered across time zones, working from their homes and offices, and watching movies via lifestream with all the regul