European Film Market

Source: Berlinale

European Film Market

The Berlinale’s European Film Market (EFM) has unveiled an expanded programme for its 2026 edition, which takes place from February 12-18.

Additions for 2026 include a major new animation initiative as well as new pitching and training sessions and extra partnerships.

The market will launch EFM Animation Days, running February 12-14, for its 2026 edition. Billed as a ‘major expansion of the market’s portfolio’, the three-day programme will gather animation creatives, studios, producers, buyers, financiers and cross-IP partners for curated showcases, pitch formats, case studies, workshops and networking opportunities.

Part of the new initiative is the Annecy Animation Showcase EFM, curated by MIFA and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, showing a selection of animated works in progress ready for the second half of 2026 and targeted towards buyers and festival programmers.  

The EFM Animation Days is being supported by the regional fund MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung.

Berlinale Pro director Tanja Meissner said: “The EFM Animation Days is a vital new initiative that champions a very creative and dynamic sector, in which Europe provides a very export-ready world-class pipeline. Showcasing the extraordinary talent and creativity that drive the European animation industry is both an industrial economic and a cultural imperative.”

Also new for 2026 is EFM Beyond, a new training programme dedicated to innovative market strategies and cross-media collaboration that brings together film, animation, gaming, and adjacent creative sectors such as story-based XR.

EFM Beyond is targeted towards producers and will mainly unfold in the EFM Producers Hub on the second floor of the Gropius Bau, and will include workshops like creating additional revenue streams by expanding IP across multiple media, a worldbuilding session as well as a cross-IP accelerator organised in collaboration with SpielFabrique and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Another new initiative is the Berlinale Film School Summit, which will welcome up to 100 selected directing and producing students from leading film schools worldwide. Participants will gain access to the Berlinale Pro universe and the Market alongside workshops, masterclasses and networking formats.

Also new this year are several WIP and pitching sessions, including the EFM Far East in Progress WIP selection, a new partnership of EFM with EAVE Ties that Bind and Focus Asia (Udine Far East Film Festival). The curated showcase will present new Asian films in post-production, ready to make their debut at autumn markets and festivals.

Also, under the new banner EFM Frontières Focus, five international genre projects in advanced financing, production or early post-production will be highlighted.

The EFM Innovation Hub, which showcased cutting-edge production technologies, will also return this year.

EFM Startups Programme will return for its 12th edition, introducing ten international media-tech entrepreneurs, whose solutions span production, distribution, rights management, exhibition and audience engagement.

EFM Investors Forum will return after last year’s pilot format, bringing together film and media finance leaders for a day of talks and networking.

As previously announced, the EFM is set to spotlight Morocco as its Country in Focus in 2026, highlighting its production landscape and co-production potential.

The Berlinale Series Market also returns. Among this year’s highlights is Series Match, a new initiative presented in collaboration with Iberseries & Platino Industria, connecting Ibero-American and German producers working on early-stage series projects. The BSM also introduces networking and showcase hub “Series Talks” at the CinemaxX lounge.

DocSalon, the Berlinale’s networking platform for nonfiction professionals, also returns in partnership with FFF Bayern. It includes the Archive Market, a platform for restored classics, archival research, heritage re-releases and restoration. New this year is a special focus on animated documentaries as part of the EFM Animation Days.

Meanwhile, the EFM Conference Programme will run from February 13-16, offering talks, masterclasses and panel discussions.

Festival director Tricia Tuttle said: “The work that Tanja Meissner and her team at European Film Market deliver is an absolutely vital part of the Berlinale. They support film businesses who ensure cultural cinema reaches audiences around the world. It’s also great to see the energy that EFM are putting into the future – from focusing on digital innovation and expanded emphasis on different forms to creating pathways into the business for new talent. This is why it continues to be a must-attend market bringing tens of thousands of professionals from over 130 countries to Berlin during the festival each year.”

The EFM Industry Programme is co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA. The EFM Animation Days are also funded by MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, while EFM Toolbox receives additional support from Hessen Film & Medien and the Canada Media Fund and the DocSalon from FFF Bayern.

The Berlinale Series Market (BSM) is supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW as main partner, with additional support from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg (MBB).

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