INTERNATIONAL www.VideoAge.org Over the past few months, VideoAge received several press announcements from the three publicists for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which, for the first time this year, and after a 51-year run, is staging a film market. According to the various releases, TIFF: The Market, starting on Thursday, September 10 and ending on Wednesday, September 16 (while the related festival is running from September 10 to September 20, 2026) is already a success. However, trying to get specific answers about the events required an e-mail to the market’s director, former Canadian filmmaker Charles Tremblay, since the TIFF telephone numbers only led to recordings. For its 15th edition, the Venice Production Bridge (VPB) — the business side of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival — will bring together 4,000 professionals from around the world from September 3-9, 2026, at the MIPCOM: From “Cannes you believe it?” to “Yes, you Cannes believe it!” Planet of the screen people: When our phones shape how we understand the world Prophecy is only a matter of predictions, data, and ultimates My 2¢: Blame TV for the social, political polarization that amplifies social media Page 8 Page 6 Page 4 Page 3 THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, STREAMING, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION August/September 2026 - VOL. 46 NO. 6 - $9.75 TIFF: The Market Officially Expected to Be Outstanding A Fantastic Film Market Is Finally Heading to AFM New Biz Events to Shine at the Venice Film Fest (Continued on Page 12) (Continued on Page 10) (Continued on Page 14) Less than a handful of years ago, there were rumblings of doubt among regular attendees at the annual American Film Market (AFM). Was the film market, which began in 1981, still relevant? How did it stack up against other major international film markets? Would it continue to be worthwhile? Having outlived its Santa Monica, California location, where it had been held since 1991, and failed to endear itself to the industry with a move to Las Vegas By Carolina Mancini
3 My 2¢ September 2026 MAIN OFFICES 216 EAST 75TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10021 TEL: (212) 288-3933 WWW.VIDEOAGEINTERNATIONAL.COM WWW.VIDEOAGE.ORG VIALE ABRUZZI 30 20131 MILAN, ITALY EDITOR-in-CHIEF DOM SERAFINI EDITORIAL TEAM SARA ALESSI (NY) ENZO CHIARULLO (ITALY) LEAH HOCHBAUM ROSNER (NY) SUSAN HORNIK (L.A.) CAROLINE INTERTAGLIA (FRANCE) CAROLINA MANCINI (ITALY) OMAR MENDEZ (ARGENTINA) LUIS POLANCO (NY) MIKE REYNOLDS (L.A.) MARIA ZUPPELLO (BRAZIL) PUBLISHER MONICA GORGHETTO BUSINESS OFFICE LEN FINKEL WEB MANAGER BRUNO MARRACINO DESIGN/LAYOUT CLAUDIO MATTIONI, CARMINE RASPAOLO © TV TRADE MEDIA INC. 2026 What was once considered unthinkable is now becoming acceptable. In Europe — and quite possibly elsewhere in the world — intellectuals and commentators are currently debating how society has come to “accept” social and political positions that, until recently, were considered “unacceptable.” This phenomenon is often explained using the concept of the Overton Window, a model that describes how ideas move from the political fringe into the mainstream. Some experts argue that television, more than print media, has played an important role in shifting that window over time, contributing to today’s widespread social and political polarization. Social media has undoubtedly contributed to these changes. However, it arguably needed the legitimacy provided by television — more than by print media — to become as influential as it is today. For example, programs like the syndicated television show TMZ (now on FOX in the U.S.) frequently turn stories that first gain some attention on social media into mainstream television news, helping legitimize them for a broader audience. Indeed, some observers argue that today’s world is increasingly divided into two opposing camps, symbolized by two prominent Americans: U.S. president Donald Trump (whose public profile was shaped, in part, by television), and Pope Leo XIV (Robert Prevost), head of the Catholic Church. The term Overton Window is named after Joseph Overton, an American libertarian policy analyst and former senior vice president at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. In the early 1990s, Overton described a spectrum of public policy ranging from from “more free” to “less free” with regard to government intervention. After Overton’s death in 2003, his Mackinac colleague, Joseph Lehman, further developed the idea and named it after him. Then, in 2010, American conservative political commentator Glenn Beck published the political thriller The Overton Window, which helped introduce the concept to a broader audience. Later, in 2019, another American conservative political commentator, Joshua Treviño, described six stages through which public ideas can move as they gain acceptance: unthinkable, radical, acceptable, sensible, popular, and policy. Television tends to respond to political polarization (i.e., satisfying a market), a dynamic that can be understood through the concept of the Overton Window. One need only compare CNN and FOX News to see this evolution. In many countries, public broadcasters have addressed political diversity by providing programming that represents different viewpoints or major political parties. This explains why politicians often advocate positions that fall within the Overton Window, where they are more likely to gain public support. But what was once considered “unthinkable” — that CNN could become more conservative under the possible ownership of Paramount — is now becoming “acceptable.” At the same time, what was once “unthinkable” — that FOX News might move toward the political center — is becoming “popular.” These shifts illustrate how ideas can move along the Overton window from “less free” to “more free.” The Overton Window provides a useful framework for understanding not only where television is today, but also where it may be headed in the years to come. Dom Serafini Blame television for the world’s social and political polarization, which amplifies social media more than print media. Such polarization now has a name, the Overton Window. “No, Honey. It’s not de-ja-vu. It’s summer, and re-runs from social media!”
4 industry, for example, studios must estimate the potential revenues of a film or television series before deciding whether to give it the green light. NEM Success: A Printed Floor Plan One of the secrets behind the success of the NEM Dubrovnik market appears to have been its printed floor plan and agenda (pictured). If the international TV industry is wondering why the June 8–11, 2026, Dubrovnikbased New Europe Market (NEM) for the Central and Eastern European TV industry proved more successful than similar events, the reasons may be surprisingly simple. There were no timeconsuming QR codes, no apps to download, no digital links to remember, and no Wi-Fi passwords to search for. Instead, attendees were given two practical printed flyers. They were quick to read, easy to carry, simple to keep, convenient to consult, and always readily available. NEM provided one flyer containing the market and conference agenda and another listing exhibitors and their locations. It is a reminder that, despite the industry’s increasing reliance on digital tools, welldesigned printed materials can still make a meaningful contribution to the attendee experience. Other international TV markets may wish to take note. In the past, the entertainment industry depended on predictions, particularly those made by producers and distributors, as reflected in the studios’ “Ultimates,” which projected the revenues of films and television shows. In the digital era, the “Ultimates” were supplemented by “data,” which guided decisions about what, when, where, and how to produce in order to maximize the chances of success. But now a new book has come out, Prophecy, by Oxford University professor Carissa Véliz, which questions the need, usefulness, and accuracy of predictions. First, Véliz argues that “predictions are not facts” but rather educated guesses. She then illustrates the potential harm they can cause: “Predict a downturn in demand and you may trigger a decrease in supply.” Ultimately, however, predictions are unavoidable. In the entertainment Predictions, Data & Ultimates VIDEOAGE September 2026 World Let your MIPCOM marketing strategy be CARRIED OUT by A premier league trade publication
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6 Planet of the Screen People: When Our Phones Shape How We Understand The World By Luis Polanco Consider the phenomenon of dance challenges on social media and short-form video platforms like Instagram and TikTok. There, creators with the smallest of followings to those with audiences in the millions create dances for others to replicate in their own videos. The light-hearted trend of dance challenges spiked during the COVID lockdown when most people were stuck at home with nothing to do, and it has continued to be a successful marketing tactic for talent who need to promote a new song, movie, or TV series. Many might view this type of silly phenomenon as an innocuous fad that brings people together while creating content. For journalist Megan Garber, this type of trend also represents an aspect of the contemporary media landscape that raises questions about how people relate to one another. In Screen People: How We Entertained Ourselves Into a State of Emergency (HarperOne, 304 pgs., 2026, $27.99), Garber presents a timely argument about how people’s relationship to screens shapes their relationships with other people. She is particularly interested in how we all — whether we’re journalists, content creators, or even your neighbors — become “characters” to one another mediated through our screens. Garber, a Washington, D.C.-based staff writer for The Atlantic, where some of the writing in the book originally appeared, brings in examples from popular culture, political commentary, reality TV shows, social media fads, and online fringe groups, among others, and in doing so suggests that the effects of all these different types of interactions with screens boil down to the same thing. Instead of more connection, community, and adherence to evidence-based communication, she sees loneliness, fracture, and paranoia about what is true. To provide context for her argument, Garber draws on media theorists such as Canada’s Marshall McLuhan (who famously quipped that “the medium is the message”) and America’s Neil Postman. Internet optimists might have once believed that the Internet would correct the passivity that television engendered due to the fact that people are not simply consumers or audiences, but co-creators of shared narratives. But Garber suggests that the Internet carries forward much of the passivity and spectatorship that television did without following through on the ethos of participation that early Internet evangelists promised. The Internet was supposed to level the difference between creator and audience, but instead it has created screen people who embody the worst aspects of both: idle spectatorship and emotional reactivity. “Audiences are empowered only to watch and to react,” Garber writes. “They can clap; they can heckle; they can leave. The structures of social media—the narrow economies of reaction they offer to their users—mimic in large part those limitations: clap, like, log off.” She adds, “Under the guise of empowerment, the platforms often assume passivity and encourage it. They entice. They lull. They can turn citizens into passive audiences.” Garber suggests that the “producing” of content such as reality TV programming, which is itself heavily edited and stylized to create specific effects on audiences, applies to other aspects of our current media landscape. For example, the tech companies behind our social media platforms continue to accrue data from users and consumers to design an algorithm that engages them with video after video. However, even the language of “engagement” poses a problem to Garber. “Adopted for algorithmic purposes, though, ‘engagement’ makes little distinction between love and hate, between conversations and screaming matches,” she writes. “When engagement is the metric, questions about benefit and harm, social good and social ills, cannot apply.” In one chapter, Garber looks at how political parties in the U.S. have utilized political rhetoric to target specific demographics of citizens. Garber says that social media purports to offer its users a form of connection but instead leads them to further isolation that relies on creating an us-versus-them dynamic and imagining that reality is being produced by government actors. Garber claims to dive into the uncertainty and chaos created by the current media landscape in order to shine a beacon of light on the possibilities of changing our relationships to our phones and hence other people, as well. However, much of the writing in the book is undergirded by a foreboding tone, as if to inspire further fear and paranoia that she claims to find troubling about the current state of media consumption. For example, on the topic of deepfakes, AI-created images and videos that distort reality, Garber writes, “The ability to create the fakes is spreading and democratizing, which opens exciting new avenues for human creativity, but also means that anyone can create a piece of media that further destabilizes the lines between the real and the merely ‘real.’” What are we screen people left to do? In the conclusion of Screen People, Garber recommends believing in the power of language, as any journalist would. “Language can help people talk to—and more important, with— one another,” she says. “It can bring a bit more humanity to the story we’re writing together.” American journalist Megan Garber delivers a razor-sharp analysis of how our lighthearted and playful consumption of media has a toxic effect on our relationships with others. Under the guise of empowerment, the platforms often assume passivity and encourage it. VIDEOAGE September 2026 Book Review
8 Yes, You Cannes Believe It! MIPCOM Doubles Down on Deals MIPCOM Cannes is fast approaching, and participants seem to be equal parts excited and anxious. Although the fall market has seen attendance decline — from 14,000 participants in 2016 to 10,600 in 2025 — the event remains the world’s largest and most important TV trade show. As usual, and in keeping with today’s markets, conferences, workshops, and seminars will dominate conversations, accompanied by speakers who are both well-known and lesser-known. However, VideoAge’s Monthly and Daily publications (available both online and in print) will focus on the bread-and-butter of the TV market: the exhibition floor, the hotels, and the back rooms where content buying and selling actually take place. This year, VideoAge is also prepared to cover the increasingly significant topic of gaming rights. Last year, the sector received relatively little attention at MIPCOM despite its growing importance, as evidenced by the large crowd hoping to gain entry to an already packed evening party hosted by Swiss gaming company eClutch at a restaurant on the Croisette. Therefore, considering the content available from the expected 350 exhibiting stands, the large number of announced international buyers, and even the conference’s topics, the answer to the question of whether MIPCOM can leverage its exotic locale for more content sales, has now turned from “Cannes You Believe it?” to “Yes, You Cannes Believe it!” Meanwhile, MIPCOM, which is set to take place October 12-15, 2026, in Cannes, has unveiled new program additions for this year’s edition. Lucy Smith, director of MIPCOM Cannes and its related MIPJunior, said: “We’re seeing entirely new sectors of the entertainment business mature at remarkable speed. What were emerging trends only a year ago, from vertical storytelling and creator-led businesses to AI-powered production, are now attracting investment, generating scalable business models and becoming an increasingly important part of the global content economy.” Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the CSI TV franchise, will take the Grand Auditorium stage for the global debut of Cinemalistics, a new platform featuring AI-powered motion picture and short documentary versions of breaking true crime events. Anatolii Kasianov, co-founder and co-CEO of Holywater Tech, will take the stage in a separate MIP Headliner session. The market will also bring together many of the executives shaping the rapidly evolving market of vertical storytelling and microdrama, including Timothy Oh of COL Group; Maria Rua Aguete of Omdia; Alex Montalvo of GammaTime; Scott Brown of Second Rodeo Productions; Cassandra Yang of RJ RisingJoy; Stephen Liu of NetShort; Vivian Yin of Y+X Entertainment; and Jay Blumenfield of Jay & Tony Show Productions. MIPCOM will also partner with The Media Odyssey podcast for a special recording examining the era of premium vertical television. Moderated by Evan Shapiro and Marion Ranchet, the conversation will feature RoseBerry Media CEO and co-founder Guy Hameiri and head of Business Development and co-founder Lior Friedman. Additionally, the program will feature an invitation-only Global Microdrama & Vertical Leaders’ Summit, and a new official matchmaking platform that will introduce a dedicated Vertical Content Speed Matchmaking category. MIPCOM has also launched the MIP AI Entertainment Forum, a new international conference and marketplace that will connect AI innovators with studios, streamers, producers, creators, brands, and IP owners. Among the first confirmed partners for the Forum were Versos AI and Protege, alongside an expanding exhibition line-up, which initially included HappyClient, Lingopal.AI, LoglineAI, and Massif Network. “What we are seeing now with AI is not incremental evolution, it is a fundamental rewiring of how content will be created, financed, distributed, and monetized globally over the next decade,” said MIPCOM’s Smith. “MIPCOM Cannes 2026 will bring together the international entertainment community to engage with that transformation — not to theorize about it, but to build partnerships, strike deals, and define what comes next.” The Forum will spotlight three key areas: Creation & Storytelling, Production & Workflow, and Licensing & Distribution. YouTube will return to MIPCOM with an expanded presence building on its market debut in 2025. Pedro Pina, vice president of YouTube EMEA, will kick off the market with a main-stage keynote on opening day in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais. YouTube will also be present at MIPJunior (October 10-11) as the official sponsor of the Opening Happy Hour. According to Pina, “The media landscape is shifting rapidly, and YouTube is here to help broadcasters and studios grow.” In addition, MIPCOM 2026 has unveiled MIP BrandWorks, a new initiative connecting brands and agencies directly with studios, production companies, streamers, creators, IP rights-holders, and commissioners. This builds on last year’s introduction of “brand entertainment” into the MIPCOM program. This year, it will run across the three days of the market and will be co-produced in partnership with Doug Scott, co-founder of UNXNOWN, founder of Ogilvy Entertainment, and former Cannes Lions jury president for branded content. Lucy Smith, Entertainment division director, RX France VIDEOAGE September 2026 Market Preview
AMERICAN FILM MARKET® November 10 – 15, 2026 Fairmont Century Plaza Los Angeles americanfilmmarket.com SO DO WE SCREENS EVOLVE
(Continued From Cover) 10 in 2024, AFM organizers knew that its postVegas location would be critical to the market’s future. Fast-forward to 2025. Following the Las Vegas debacle, AFM made its triumphant return to California, setting up shop at the Fairmont Century Plaza hotel in Century City, close to Beverly Hills and a number of talent agencies. Small wonder that bookings for the upcoming event, November 10-15, are surpassing those of last year at this time, in late August. Enthusiasm and expectations are definitely riding high. Had anyone designed a “one-size-fits-all” location for AFM, it might well have been the Century City area of Los Angeles. It is large enough to accommodate market attendees and just a short walk from the event’s screening venues, eliminating the 20-minute bus ride that was necessary when the market was held in Santa Monica. There are also eateries galore and even great shopping right by the hotel. No wonder people and companies have been drawn back to AFM in record numbers. Last year’s edition in Century City sold out quickly, with 285 exhibitors from 35 countries in attendance. Old-timers surely remember the original Palais during the Cannes Film Festival, where bars on every level served as meeting venues where connections were made and business was conducted. Last year, those old-timers found the same Palais energy and enthusiasm at and around the lobby bar of the Century Plaza Hotel. Former National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) exec Jackie Brenneman now leads AFM, having taken the reins from Jean Prewitt, who led and helped shepherd the American Film Market for the past 25 years. Brenneman told VideoAge: “I am not here to pretend that the market hasn’t had significant challenges in recent years as new market entrants have set and reset the terms of this business in rapid succession. That said, audiences have been remarkably consistent in their desire for original stories. We have seen it in the box office. We are seeing it across traditional and streaming platforms. We are seeing the growth of Internet-first filmmakers building audiences and legitimacy that translates into global ticket sales. And we are just at the beginning. “AFM is the annual global gathering of the independent sector. As an Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA) organization, we are not just a market but also a platform to advocate for the sector. This year, we are doubling down on our optimism for the future by finding more opportunities to bring changemakers to the stage. We have added the AFM House this year to allow creators, cinemas, and technology companies to have conversations about the future of distribution and exhibition. And there is more to come, with highprofile discussions of the business models that will emerge in this new connected era.” “This is what we mean by our theme this year: ‘The New Global Screen Economy.’ We exist not to talk about the way things were. We are here to build for the way things should be. Our stages are just the beginning of conversations that will shape the future.” However, according to Mario Niccoló Messina, founder of Los Angeles-based film production and distribution company Insurgence, “the role of film festivals and markets has been in decline for years. The reality is that many film markets are still built around the legacy of a world that no longer exists — a market that no longer exists, and an industry that is going through a profound identity crisis and still has not figured out what kind of ‘animal’ it will become when it emerges from the ashes. “The positive part is that I believe it will emerge. The real question is: What role will markets like AFM have in that new industry? “A company in Los Angeles can reach an audience in Brazil, Mexico, Germany, or the Philippines without needing an intermediary sitting at a table in a hotel suite. So, the traditional function of a market as a bridge is becoming less relevant. “That does not mean AFM is irrelevant. It means AFM — and every major film market — has to answer a much more difficult question: ‘If we no longer need you simply to connect us, what unique value are you creating by putting all of us in the same place?’ That is the question I will be asking when I attend. “But changing venues does not solve the larger structural problem. AFM becomes a must-attend again if it creates something that cannot be replicated efficiently through Zoom, email, LinkedIn, databases, and AI-driven deal-sourcing. If AFM can put the right 500 people together rather than simply putting 5,000 people in the same building, that is incredibly valuable.” (By Mike Reynolds) Multicom Entertainment Group’s Irv and Darrin Holender are long-time AFM participants. “The real question is: What role will markets like AFM have in the new industry?” — Niccolò Messina VIDEOAGE September 2026 AFM 2026
17-20 NOVEMBER 2026 MOON PALACE, CANCUN, MEXICO More information www.mipcancun.com ONE GLOBAL CONTENT COMMUNITY
12 (Continued from Cover) According to one press release, “The [TIFF] Market, funded by the Government of Canada with a C$23 million [U.S. $16.35 million] investment and supported by Telefilm Canada, will expand TIFF’s scope of offerings and reinforce its role as a global entertainment industry leader in screen-based storytelling while fostering sustainable growth for the industry worldwide. Aligned with the Festival, TIFF: The Market will foster the buying and selling of screen-based projects, intellectual property, plus immersive and innovative content across all platforms, elevating Canadian and international talent while driving global distribution and sales.” Added Tremblay, head of TIFF: The Market: “We designed the Market to meet the needs of a global sales community seeking more buyer engagement through access to premium screening facilities, cost-effective exhibition solutions, and a compact footprint that reduces travel time and maximizes opportunities for face-to-face meetings.” The market’s exhibition spaces (which will have both booths and stands) will be located at the Metro Convention Center, plus exhibitors’ suites will be available at the InterContinental Hotel and at The Ritz Carlton, all of which are located within walking distance of Union Station in Old Toronto. In terms of exhibitors, in July 2026, the market reported a line-up of 150 companies “from every continent.” However, in early August, pressed by VideoAge for specific answers, Tremblay had the market’s communication department come up with the statement that said: “Our sales team is still actively pitching the Market, so we don’t have those final numbers at this time. We should have a better sense by the end of [August].” Regarding the number of expected buyers, TIFF officials were more forthcoming, but only about market attendees: “The former Industry Conference, which served as a precursor for the market, attracted over 5,000 industry professionals from around the world each year. Our aim is to exceed this number with the market,” the official reported. Over 250 international buyers have already reportedly been invited. The question now remains if those will be part of the 800 or so acquisition executive who regularly attend TIFF. Nonetheless, comments from Canadian film executives were unanimously enthusiastic. From Montreal, Michel Zgarka, executive VP, International Business Affairs, Sonic Origin, stated: “As artificial intelligence, rights management, and global distribution reshape the entertainment landscape, successful festivals must become platforms where innovation, financing, technology, and creativity intersect. I think that TIFF’s new market will reflect that future, and that it will attract not only filmmakers and distributors, but also investors, technology companies, rights holders, and strategic partners — making Toronto an even more influential hub for the global entertainment industry.” But will the market improve the festival? “Absolutely,” said Henry Gagnon, president of the Blainville, Quebec-based HG Distribution. “A successful market attracts producers, distributors, sales agents, financiers, and buyers, making TIFF not only a place to premiere films but also a place where deals are made. That increases industry attendance, international visibility, and long-term value for the festival,” he said. Still, is a new international film market necessary? “Yes,” replied Gagnon, although he noted that he would require "a broader vision. The future isn’t just about theatrical films. The most successful markets will serve content across all screens and formats: feature films, series, documentaries, animation, FAST channels, AVoD/SVoD platforms, and new digital media. The market that recognizes this evolution will be the one that remains relevant for decades,” he concluded. Jalal Merhi, president of Toronto’s Film One Media, will “be watching whether buyers actually attend in meaningful numbers,” as “a successful market depends on decision-makers with acquisition authority, active sales agents and financiers, structured meetings that lead to deals, and films being bought and financed during or shortly after the event.” To Merhi, “if TIFF can consistently deliver those elements, it could become the leading film market in North America. A thriving market in Toronto would benefit Canadian producers, international filmmakers, distributors, and companies like Film One Media by creating another venue to finance, sell, and acquire content without having to rely exclusively on overseas markets.” According to Merhi, “North America has lacked a major international market tied to a world-class festival since the decline of the traditional AFM model.” However, explained Merhi, “the industry already has established markets (Cannes, Berlin, AFM, Hong Kong, Busan), [while] streaming platforms increasingly acquire films directly without relying on traditional markets. TIFF does not need to become another Cannes. Instead, it has an opportunity to become the premier North American marketplace for independent films, television, and co-productions.” “TIFF’s new market will make Toronto an even more influential hub for the global entertainment industry.” — Michel Zgarka, Sonic Origin Charles Tremblay, head of TIFF: The Market The Toronto Metro Convention Center VIDEOAGE September 2026 TIFF Market
THE GATEWAY TO GLOBAL STORYTELLING & MEDIA 12 - 15 October 2026 Palais des Festivals, Cannes. In the business of building businesses More information www.mipcom.com
(Continued From Cover) 14 Hotel Excelsior, at the Biennale Match Point Arena (the venue of the Festival, a few steps away from the Excelsior), and at Lazzaretto Vecchio Island. The latter is home to Venice Immersive (the section of the festival dedicated to Extended Reality, or XR works), which is also celebrating its 10th anniversary, as well as the fifth Venice Immersive Market, which is the marketplace for the immersive media industry. It is also a time of anniversaries for VPB, and of a brand “new baby”: the VPB Location Market, which VPB’s director Pascal Diot defined as “the missing part of the production chain in our offer to producers.” Among the 4,000 participants, the 1,400 international producers who are expected to attend are at the heart of the Venice Production Bridge. Services, networking events, panels, and one-on-one meetings are mostly designed for them and for their projects in an advanced production stage, which will be presented in different sections of the market. Over 370 projects applied for the Venice Gap Financing Market, which is the VPB section dedicated to films that need to “close the gap” of financing. Of those, 66 were selected and will be discussed in one-on-one meetings with industry stakeholders. Of those 66 projects, 38 are feature-length dramas and documentary films that have secured 70 percent of their budget and need to complete financing through minority co-production quotas. Some of the selected films are directed by renowned filmmakers such as Jessica Hausner (Austria), Lav Diaz (Philippines), Ursula Meier (Switzerland-France), and Rita Baghdadi (USA-Morocco). Other acclaimed creators are behind the 14 immersive works, which require a secured budget of 30 percent to be selected. These include Jorge Tereso and Fernando Maldonado (Argentina), Samantha Gorman and Scarlett Kim (U.S.), and Hsin Hsuan Yeh (Taiwan). Fourteen projects were developed under the Biennale College Cinema and Immersive Workshops initiative, through which La Biennale of Venice finances new talents and gives them the opportunity to create micro-budget features and immersive works. In addition, there are six works in progress for “Final Cut in Venice,” a business program that supports (with different awards) the completion of films from all African countries and six countries in the Middle East: Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen. From the top to the bottom of the film production chain, producers at the VPB can dive into the full catalogs of 30 selected international publishing houses and literary agencies for one-on-one meetings of the Book Adaptation Rights Market (or BARM), September 4-6. Only two of the 30 publishing houses come from outside Europe: BookEnds Literary (U.S.) and Catrina Wessels Rights Management (South Africa). Film producers can also book meetings at “Meet the Streamers” sessions with invited platforms that include Cinobo (Greece), Justwachtme.tv (Canada), Neterra TV+ (Bulgaria), Netflix EMEA, SRG-SSR (Switzerland), WBDiscovery Spain, and WeShort (Italy). On the conference side, two panels will focus on “Stories Across Platforms: Crossover Strategies Between Books, Audio and Film” (on September 5 at Excelsior Hotel, Spazio Incontri) and “The Future of Streaming Content: Balancing Originals, Acquisitions and Pre-Acquisitions” (on September 6 at Excelsior Hotel, Spazio Incontri). The first edition of the VPB’s new Locations Market will take place September 7-8, with 10 international film commissions participating. Producers and location managers will be able to meet with reps from the following film commissions: Asturias Natural Paradise Film Commission (Spain); Azania Mediaworks (South Africa); German Film Commissions; Hellenic Film And Audiovisual Centre – EKKOMED (Greece); Screen Flanders (Belgium); Swiss Film Commission; Tokyo Film Commission (Japan); and Uzbekistan National Film Commission. Explained Diot: “When we started the conversation, film commissions and sound stage studios immediately showed an interest in taking part in an event where we could arrange one-to-one meetings with so many producers. Also because, apart from Shooting Location Marketplace in Valladolid and Focus London, there are no similar markets, especially inside a film festival.” Diot admitted that attendance could have been stronger, but “as we started to talk concretely about the organization during the last Berlinale, some film commissions were already too late to commit for this year due to administrative reasons. I think we will have many more next year.” In terms of acquisitions, around 200 international buyers and 100 worldwide sales companies are expected to attend. Deals occupy a minor part of the Venice Production Bridge, which is a very different kind of market compared to the AFM, the EFM, or the Marché du Film. “We don’t have any B or Z movies, which usually make up the majority of film market selections,” said Diot. “The only buyers here are interested in author-driven films, and most sales companies only come if they have films in one of the festival’s sections.” The 30 to 40 market’s screenings are mostly dedicated to films in the competition section, especially in the last days of the festival after the VPB is over. Explained Diot: “I am allowing sales agents to show the films beforehand through a private screening, embargoed for the press, while the distributors are here for the VPB.” The focus countries for this VPB edition are Greece and Switzerland, financed by the Hellenic Film and Audiovisual Centre (EKKOMED) and Swiss Films. A significant delegation from each country will be present at all market events. In 2017, La Biennale of Venice became the world’s first A-list festival to launch a competition for virtual reality works. Five years later, it established the Venice Immersive Market, which Diot emphasized, is “the number one market in the world for immersive content.” At the time of this writing (August 3, 2026) only one panel has been announced: “AI for Cinema: The 10,000 Parallel Universes Initiative” (on September 5 at the Excelsior Hotel, Spazio Incontri). Diot explained, “We received at least 15 requests for panels on AI, but we limited them because we are hosting a large event dedicated to AI with major players,” the details of which are yet to be finalized. Pascal Diot, director of the Venice Production Bridge “The only buyers here are interested in author-driven films, and most sales companies only come if they have films in one of the festival’s sections.” — Pascal Diot VIDEOAGE September 2026 Venice Film Mart
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16 Now Air Travelers Are Purposely Missing Luggage Airlines have turned checked luggage into a profit center, leading some travelers to abandon their luggage at airports and hotels rather than pay additional baggage fees. Hotels and airports, in turn, have responded by imposing their own charges for abandoned luggage. Some hotels in Tokyo, for example, display warning signs stating: “Abandon your luggage and you will be charged.” It has been reported that Narita Airport in Tokyo stores dozens of unclaimed bags each day. Airports typically hold unclaimed luggage for up to 90 days before auctioning, donating, or destroying it. VENICE FILM FESTIVAL September 2-12 Venice, Italy Tel: (+39) 041 521 8718 www.labiennale.org TIFF MARKET September 10-16 Toronto, Canada Tel: (+1 416) 934-5834 www.tiff.net MIPCOM October 12-15 Cannes, France Tel: (33) 77769 3496 www.mipcom.com NAB SHOW NEW YORK October 21-22 New York, U.S. Tel. (1 202) 429-3183 www.nabshow.com MIP AFRICA October 28-30 Cape Town, South Africa Tel: (27) 010 496 3500 www.mipafrica.com AMERICAN FILM MARKET November 10-15 Los Angeles, U.S. Tel: (1 310) 446-1000 www.americanfilmmarket.com MIP CANCUN November 17-20 Cancun, Mexico Tel: (33) 77769 3496 www.mipcancun.com Recognized standard of quality in Audio Description descriptivevideoworks.com With more than 40,000 television shows, feature films and LIVE shows completed, you can rely on us to deliver your project on budget and on time. Our technical expertise guarantees a top quality product - a commitment we’ve made to our clients for more than 20 years. Descriptive Video Works is committed to providing access to all forms of visual media Request a Quote info@descriptivevideoworks.com VIDEOAGE September 2026 Event Planner
Explore the technologies, tools and workflows transforming how stories are created, produced and delivered. Discover solutions from more than 200 exhibitors and hear from industry leaders in more than 40 free sessions across four show floor theaters. Then connect at Wednesday’s Show Floor Party with meetups bringing together film, production, and media and entertainment professionals. Save $30 when you register with code MP04 through September 24. CREATE ‘The future of media is always in production.’ OCTOBER 21-22, 2026 Javits Center · New York · nabshowny.com
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