Market Ready
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Led by distribution, marketing, and finance experts Julia Short and Satesh Mathura, Market Ready 2025 will address both feature films, and documentaries, as well as projects fit for TV (series format). The programme improves participants’ knowledge of international markets, developing strategies, and confidence for navigating markets and festivals.

Topics covered include packaging, pitching, negotiating, and securing sales and distribution deals. Individual mentoring on specific projects is also an important part of the curriculum. A combination of in-person and on-line, aims to impart a deeper understanding of the interconnected nature of the film/doc industry. At the end of the programme, participants will have enriched their skills and knowledge. And leave with the confidence to tackle the market with a “tool kit” of good practice. This will include an overview of recoupment schedules, what it takes to secure a sales agent and also develop other routes to market, such as how to approach festivals. 

The programme is designed to impart a greater knowledge and understanding of the interconnected film value chain. ​ ​The programme will include a 4 1/2-day intensive module in Vienna followed up with a Market Preparation/Review Day Online.  In addition each participant will be assigned a mentor, who will work with them on a tailored strategy for their project. ​The participation in a film market is not limited to a specific festival. 

The programme to date has enabled participants to secure agents, find distribution but most of all have the confidence to leave relative “comfort zones” and embrace the true nature of filmmaking and that is the need to collaborate.

Venue Location:

To Be Announced


Application Deadline:

23 June 2025

Programme Outline

  • Individual Work on Project/s being taken to market  ​ 
  • Improve knowledge of international markets, how they differ, who attends what and why; ​ 
  • Identify the most suitable market(s) for their own individual projects and film slates; ​ 
  • Mentoring / Expert support  ​ 

Take-aways / Output

  •   Develop tools and strategies for successful market engagement.
  •   Improve their skills, knowledge and confidence in packaging, pitching, negotiating, selling, understanding and closing deals.
  • Achieve effective follow-through and maximise the benefits of international relationships and opportunities.

Fees

Early Bird Rate:

855,- Euros excl. VAT

For more information regarding fees visit: Fees and Funding Support Page

Who is it for?

This intensive practical short programme has places for approx 16 participants.   It will bring together filmmakers, producers, and is also open to distributors and sales agents at the earlier part of their career. Participants can take part with a project in late stage development, post-production, or have completed their first feature film or documentary. Sales, distribution and marketing executives will have typically a minimum of one year’s experience in their role. ​By having a mixed cohort, it will also increase awareness of each other’s roles and help build stronger networks for the future. 

Applications are welcome from individuals of all nationalities!

Course Directors

Julia Short

Julia Short

Course Director - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024, 2025 Marketing & Distribution Expert

With over 25 years of working in the film industry from production to distribution Julia Short has always had a passion for training. She is keen that opportunities that weren’t available to her when she was developing her career are made available to those working in the industry now. Actively involved in delivering training. For 7 years Julia ran the Marketing & Distribution Course for the Media Business School in Ronda, Spain and was Director of Content for the Creative Europe/ScreenSkills funded senior executive training programme Inside Pictures, as well as delivering training programmes for Screen Skills Ireland, Film Distributor’s Association, Focus in Scotland, and Creative England. Julia has been a driving force in creating The International Screen Institute when the UK announced it would be leaving the EU and wanted to continue working with those in the international industry.

Satesh Mathura

Satesh Mathura

Treasurer of the International Screen Institute / Course Director - Market Ready | 2024, 2025 Financing Expert

Satesh is a distribution and financing expert, former Production Financial Officer at Terra Mater Studios and Chief Operating Officer of Mel Gibson’s Icon Entertainment International.

Satesh’s career has spanned a few decades and during this phenomenal journey handled the finance and distribution on the likes of Wild at Heart, The Piano, Little Buddha, Muriel’s Wedding, Secrets & Lies, Virgin Suicides, What Women Want, The Ivory Game and Sea of Shadows.

Satesh has been heavily involved in the creation of the International Screen Institute and currently holds the position as Treasurer where he also acts as co-course director for the Market Ready programme.

Programme directors Julia Short and Satesh Mathura each bring a wealth of experience to the programme. Julia is a distribution and marketing expert, former Director of Content on high profile courses such as Inside Pictures. Satesh is a distribution and financing expert, former Chief Operating Officer of Icon Entertainment International.

In 2024 they designed and delivered the hugely successful Market Ready: Fiction and Market Ready: Documentary courses for the Screen Institute.

 

 

SPEAKERS

2025 speakers to be announced soon!

Past speakers include:

Xavier Henry-Rashid

Xavier Henry-Rashid

Alumni - Business and Legal Affairs, Speaker - Market Ready: Fiction | 2022, 2024 CEO | Film Republic

Xavier Henry-Rashid started his career as a photographer, which introduced him to the festival circuit some 18 years ago. Thereon he contributed to publications including Variety, Screen, Esquire, GQ, as well as a writer for the original Yahoo Movies, Film247 and BBCFilms news websites.

He has worked in various festival positions, from previewing for Sheffield Doc/Fest, in sponsorship for Sundance London/AEG and the East End Film Festival, and in management as programmer and Executive Director of Raindance Film Festival where he also ran the year-round training programme.

Since 2012, he has run Film Republic, a London-based world sales company specialised in director-driven features and young auteurs. He is a Berlin Talent Campus alumnus, Screen Institute alumnus, and member of EAVE.

Xavier attended the Business and Legal Course in 2022 and is one of the Sceen Institute´s esteemed alumni.

Simon Crowe

Simon Crowe

Speaker - Market Ready: Fiction | 2024 Managing Director | SC Films International Ltd

Simon is one of the most respected names in the film sales industry. Founder of Velvet Octopus and formerly Head of Sales at Icon Entertainment International and Capitol Films, Simon has a wealth of experience in the International sales, production and distribution business.

In November 2008 Simon decided to go solo and formed SC Films International with financier Matthew Joynes. He has been responsible for the International sales of commercial and art house films, most recently: ‘Monkey King – Hero is Back’ (No.1 Chinese animation film of all time: $155,000,000 BO), ‘The Reef’ animation franchise, ‘Yellowbird’ from TeamTo, Gabor Csupo’s ‘The Secret Of Moonacre’, Sony’s ‘Legion’, George Clooney’s ‘Sand and Sorrow’, Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’, Robert Altman’s ‘A Prairie Home Companion’, ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ starring Josh Hartnett, Morgan Freeman and Bruce Willis and the action adventure ‘Stormbreaker’.

Mark Byrne

Mark Byrne

Speaker - Business and Legal Affairs, Market Ready: Fiction | 2023, 2024 Group Head of Business Affairs | Element Pictures Ltd

Mark Byrne has been Group Head of Business Affairs at Element Pictures since 2012. Current films include the Academy Award winning Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures/ Film4), written by Tony McNamara and starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe, which won the Golden Lion in Venice and Best Picture Musical or Comedy at the Golden Globes and four Academy Awards including Best Actress. Prior to joining Element Pictures, Mark spent 6 years with the Irish Film Board as Head of Legal Affairs. Mark is also a member of BAFTA and the European Film Academy.

Holly Daniel

Holly Daniel

Speaker - Market Ready: Fiction | 2024 Film Festival Industry Market, Training, Events & Talent Development Producer

Holly is a freelance industry, talent development and events manager for film festivals, training bodies and arts organisations, delivering talent initiatives supporting writers, directors, producers, animators, sales agents, composers, sound designers and exhibitors.

Currently overseeing the industry programme and film market at the Red Sea International Film Festival, Holly previously ran the Industry department at Edinburgh International Film Festival. She has most recently delivered training and projects for BFI, EURODOC, Cork Film Festival and Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Michael Frenschkowski

Michael Frenschkowski

Honorary Member of the International Screen Institute / Mentor - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024 Producer

Michael is working in the film industry for more than 30 years. He is co-owner of Berlin-based production company MUT Productions.

Until 30th of November 24, Michael acted as GM of Terra Mater Studios Germany and Head of Features & Special Projects at Terra Mater Studios (Vienna), where he helped produce the feature films Brothers of the Wind and Mindgamers, the 2017 Oscars© shortlisted feature doc The Ivory Game and the feature doc Sea of Shadows, which won the Audience Award at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Both films were produced alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Their latest feature docs The Bastard King, Patrick and the Whale, and Orca – Black & White Gold are currently touring various festivals and being theatrically released in Europe. He is currently developing and producing a slate of national and international drama and multimedia projects.

Michael is a member of the European Film Academy, a board member of Bridging the Dragon, and co-initiator of the Vienna-based International Screen Institute.

Eun-Zi Kim

Eun-Zi Kim

Speaker - Market Ready: Documentary, Market Ready: Fiction | 2024 Media Consultant & Creative Producer | X Verleih AG

Eun-Zi Kim, an Austrian media executive with Korean roots, has a diverse background in legal training and film production across Europe and Korea. She’s produced documentaries like FEMMEfille and managed business affairs for DCM, contributing to hits like “BIBI & TINA.” As General Manager of THE AOS, she’s developed numerous audio projects.

There are two hearts beating inside of Kim. One, which flourishes in the business side i.e. the development, packaging, financing, production and licensing of films. And another one, which is Kim discovering, furthering and producing creative talent and content with unwavering passion and alert curiosity. Hence she continues to work as a creative producer. Kim is an alumna of ACE Animation, Inside Pictures, Torino Film Lab, EAVE Ties That Bind and HFF Munich’s Script Lab (Drehbuchwerkstatt München).

David Pope

David Pope

Speaker - Market Ready: Fiction | 2024 Creative Producer and Script Consultant | Advance Films

David is a creative producer and script consultant working internationally. Consultations include TIGER STRIPES, winner Jury Prize Critics Week Cannes 2023 and candidate for Best International Film Academy Award 2024, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT, a candidate for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award 2019 and TRUTH OR JUSTICE, a candidate for Best International Film Academy Award 2020.

He was Creative Producer on feature film THE GOAT (2023). Among many other contributions he is the annual advisor for the Rotterdam Lab at IFFRPro, an external advisor for Eurimage and co-founder of Stowe Story Labs in the US.

Lena Simone Vurma

Lena Simone Vurma

Speaker - Market Ready: Fiction | 2024 Head of Acquisitions & Producer | Filmwelt Verleihagentur, Dragonfly Films, Skye Films

Lena Vurma is Head of Acquisitions for Filmweltverleih (GUNDA, THE SALT OF THE EARTH, LUNCHBOX, BEAUTIFUL BOY).
She is also a producer with companies in Germany and Scotland. On release is ADVENTURES OF A MATHEMATICIAN (D-PL-UK) about the Manhattan Project and her 4th feature LEONORA IN THE MORNING LIGHT is currently in post (D-MEX-UK-ROM).

Lena is a Film Independent and Tribeca Film Institute fellow, Alfred P. Sloan grant winner and eave & Inside Pictures alumni, program delegate for the Zurich FilmFestival, ScreenSkills mentor, lecturer at filmschools and runs the Skye Community Cinema.

Stephanie Fuchs

Stephanie Fuchs

Speaker - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024 Managing Director | Autlook Filmsales

Stephanie Fuchs has been a part of the Autlook Filmsales team since 2014 and has been assigned Managing Director 2024. Stephanie licenses films to theatrical distributors, broadcasters and VOD platforms worldwide.
She offers her expertise as a consultant, industry advisor and panelist, and has been part of several international festival juries.

Autlook Filmsales is a leading world sales agent for documentaries, hybrids and series. Autlook offers a full spectrum of distribution, in-house, customized sales and festival strategies that help maximize revenues and audience engagement that fosters filmmakers’ careers.

We are currently representing: NO OTHER LAND (Berlinale awarded 2024) by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, FAVORITEN (Berlinale 2024) by Ruth Beckermann, IBELIN (Sundance 2024) by Benjamin Ree, SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD (Sundance awarded) by Anna Hints, THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES (Cannes awarded) by Asmae El Moudir, THE CORRIDORS OF POWER by Dror Moreh, THREE MINUTES – A LENGTHENING (Giornate degli Autori, Telluride, TIFF, Sundance) by Bianca Stigter, A COMPASSIONATE SPY by Steve James, BELUSHI by R.J. Cutler, WRITING WITH FIRE by Rintu Thomas & Sushmit Ghosh (94rd OSCARS® nominee), FOR SAMA by Waad Al Kateab & Edward Watts (Emmy® Awarded, 92nd OSCARS® nominee) and OF FATHERS AND SONS by Talal Derki (91st OSCARS® nominee).

Salma Abdalla

Salma Abdalla

Speaker - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024 PR | Austrian Film Institute

In August 2024, Salma Abdalla started her new role at the Austrian Film Institute. Since 2017, she had been CEO of Autlook Filmsales, specializing in high-end documentaries and docuseries. Joining Autlook in 2005, she oversaw the company’s representation of acclaimed films like For Sama (Oscar-nominated), No Other Land (Berlinale awarded), and Ibelin (Sundance awarded). With extensive industry experience, Abdalla was key to expanding Autlook’s catalog and breaking into the U.S. market. She is also a frequent panelist and speaker at major film festivals.

Brigid O’Shea

Brigid O’Shea

Mentor - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024 Consultant and Director | Documentary Association of Europe

Brigid O’Shea is a freelance documentary consultant based in Berlin, Germany. She worked for film festivals for more than 10 years including Berlin International Film Festival and DOK Leipzig, where she was head of the Industry Programme. She founded Documentary Association of Europe in 2020, which has now grown to 800 members from more than 30 countries. Additionally she curates programmes and helps filmmakers and producers reach their international potential in her consulting work.

Vladislav Ketkovich

Vladislav Ketkovich

Speaker - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024 Producer | Little Big Story

Vlad Ketkovich. Born in Moscow in 1971. In the 1990s, worked in visual anthropology, and organized expeditions to Asia, Africa and the Amazon. Published materials in Geo, Nat. Geographic, and other media. Producing films since 2005. Graduated from several European producers’ workshops, including EuroDoc, Ex-Oriente, Documentary Campus Masterschool, and EAVE (2017). Has produced and co-produced over 30 films with various European countries. The films have screened and won prizes at many notable festivals including IDFA, CPH:DOX, HotDocs, Zurich, EI Gouna, Krakow, DokLeipzig, DocAviv, Shanghai, and have been broadcast on ARTE, ZDF, WDR, BBC, MDR, ORF, YLE, SVT, VPRO, Czech TV, The Guardian.

Hanne Phlypo

Hanne Phlypo

Speaker - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024 Producer | Clin d'oeil films

Hanne Phlypo is a Belgian producer. Her recent 2024 productions include the award-winning MARCHING IN THE DARK (CPH:DOX), award-winner KAMAY (Visions du Réel) and DRAWING A LINE (HotDocs). Previously, her productions included DREAMING WALLS: INSIDE THE CHELSEA HOTEL (2022), BY THE NAME OF TANIA (2019) and GODS OF MOLENBEEK (2019) all of which premiered at leading festivals and won multiple awards worldwide. Hanne trained as director at the Belgian film school INSAS. In 2010 she founded Clin d’oeil films and has since then produced over 40 films. The company focuses on creative documentaries and author-driven film with a clear preference for films with a social or political statement by innovative filmmakers. Today, Clin d’oeil films is one of Belgian’s most prominent documentary production companies, famous for cinematic films and local stories with a global impact. Hanne is an alumna of EAVE, Eurodoc and a member of the European Film Academy. Together with her colleague producer Evelien De Graef, Hanne cofounded the impact non-profit organisation Blue Bird Docs. Next to filmmaking, Hanne is also teaching producing at the film school INSAS.

Valeria Richter

Valeria Richter

Speaker - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024 Scriptwriter and Pitch Coach | Nordic Factory / New Nordic Narratives

Scriptwriter Valeria Richter writes and consults on feature films/TV series, develops lab concepts, and is a renowned international pitch coach. She has headed 70+ workshops since co-developing training outfit TorinoFilmLab in 2008, where she created a strategic approach, Audience Design, writing a book on it in 2018. She premiered an 8-part TV drama series, Next of Kin, as head writer/creator in Finland 2022. She runs New Nordic Narratives, a sustainability, inclusion, audience- and leadership focused platform with Danish-Swedish Nordic Factory. She holds an MA in film & media science / CphU.

Cleo Veger

Cleo Veger

Speaker - Market Ready: Documentary | 2024 Head of Sales | Dogwoof

Cleo is Head of Sales at London based sales agent, producer and distributor Dogwoof. Working across acquisitions, sales and festivals for their production and sales films, she has led sales on award winning films including BAFTA and Oscar winning 20 Days in Mariupol, BAFTA and Oscar winning Navalny and Oscar-nominated films The Eternal Memory, Minding The Gap, and The Mole Agent.

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