Sustainability Management
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The Sustainability Management programme is aimed at filmmakers and industry professionals seeking a comprehensive approach to sustainability in all film-related areas – from production and scriptwriting to distribution and impact. The programme covers economic, ecological, cultural and social dimensions of sustainability and works alongside the intersection of these dimensions. Key topics include reducing the industry’s carbon footprint, adopting cost-effective green digital solutions, and integrating sustainability themes into storytelling and minimising ecological footprints from scriptwriting to pre-production. By addressing the intersection of economic decision-making and environmental responsibility, the programme emphasises strategies to achieve financial stability alongside sustainable production practices, ensuring long-term growth and alignment with global standards. The field of social sustainability covers topics such as leadership and management, collaboration, workplace design and accessibility, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. How can socially sustainable concepts be implemented and applied in various sectors? What practical examples are there? As part of a thematically interlinked program, experts from various contexts and trades will share strategies, fields of action and tools. They will show how sustainable working methods in the film industry can be initiated, strengthened and secured in the sense of a holistic understanding of dynamics and changes.

Venue Location:

To Be Announced


Application Deadline:

21 July 2025

Programme Outline

This intensive and practical programme spans 5 days onsite in Vienna, with an additional 2-day online component, accommodating up to 20 participants. The programme will cover the key areas of sustainability in a business or project context. The programme will be interactive, requiring participation, engagement and group work. A reading / watching list will be provided ahead & after the programme for participants to be able to prepare and delve deeper into subjects.

Whether you’re a experiences professional refining your sustainability strategy, a newcomer aspiring to take on the role of a sustainability coordinator or you are eager to implement a new diversity strategy, this programme equips you with the knowledge and tools necessary to drive meaningful change within your organisation.

Take-Aways

Through immersive learning experiences and interactive discussions, attendees will gain theoretical knowledge and practical skills essential for steering their organisations and initiatives towards a greener and more socially responsible future. This inclusive environment fosters collaboration, diverse perspectives, and empowers participants to become catalysts for positive change within their spheres of influence.
Delving into the intricacies of sustainability management, participants will gain a deep understanding of navigating the complexities of their projects while prioritising environmental and social responsibility.
Participants are encouraged to come prepared with a project, challenge, or sustainability goal in mind, enabling them to apply the programme learnings directly to real-world scenarios. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, attendees will leave with actionable insights and a tailored roadmap for implementing sustainable practices within their respective fields.

Fees

Early Bird Rate:

855,- Euros excl. Vat

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

Who is it for?

Tailored for the Film, TV and Media Industries:

– Individuals in mid-level executives,
– Senior and middle management roles,
– Producers,
– Line producers,
– Production managers,
– Business owners,
– CEOs,
– Freelancers,
– Filmmakers,
– Sales and distribution executives,
– Acquisition executives with several years of experience and active practice in the industry,
– Dynamic change-makers,
– Forward-thinking decision makers hungry for innovation.

This programme offers a platform for deep exploration and transformation. We actively encourage individuals from underrepresented groups and communities to apply!

Applications are welcome from individuals of all nationalities!

Course Directors

Zsófia Szemerédy

Zsófia Szemerédy

Course Director - Sustainability Management | 2024, 2025 Co-Founder and CEO | Green Eyes Production

Zsófia is a Co-Founder of GreenEyes Productions. Zsófia’s love of film and unwavering dedication has been aiding her in her entire career. Zsófia is a firm believer in always finding a solution, and this comes handy every day in this field. Previously, she worked both in the independent sphere and the more commercial side of the film industry. Most recently, she served as the International Manager at BAFTA albert, and as a development executive at BAFTA Rocliffe. Zsófia graduated from the prestigious NFTS MA course in 2019 and during her studies she gained experience at eOne, Picturehouse Entertainment, Curzon Artificial Eye, New Sparta, and Sundance London to name a few companies. Zsofi’s passion is storytelling, in every shape and form. To combine sustainability with film, is her absolute dream come true. Film for her holds magical powers, and that always comes with immense responsibility.

Djamila Grandits

Djamila Grandits

Course Director - Sustainability Management | 2024, 2025 Curator and Film Programmer

Djamila Grandits is a Vienna-based curator and film programmer. Part of CineCollective and D/Arts. Currently working on the pre-selection committees of Berlinale Panorama and Diagonale, programming for frameout – digital summer screenings, and member of the non-fiction commission of Zürcher Filmstiftung. Lecturer at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Moderator and host of various panels, events, and interviews. Previously programmed with DOK Leipzig, Kasseler Dokfest, sixpackfilm, and tricky women – tricky realities. Former artistic director of this human world – International Human Rights Film Festival. Djamila cares about entanglements and the exploration of collective spaces.

SPEAKERS

2005 speakers to be announced soon!

Past speakers include:

Katherine Dennis Gonzalez

Katherine Dennis Gonzalez

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Psychotherapist / Social Sustainability Consultant | Expanding Circles

Katherine Dennis Gonzalez is a psychotherapist, social sustainability, and mental health consultant specialising in leadership development. With a background in clinical psychology, neurodevelopment, and philosophy, she focuses on liberatory psychology through an intersectional, politically informed, and ecologically mindful lens. Based in Berlin, Katherine works with international artists, writers, and leaders, offering expertise in leadership consulting and management strategies that foster mental well-being and social sustainability.

Fatih Abay

Fatih Abay

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Diversity & Inclusion Officer / Freelance expert | European Film Academy

Fatih Abay is an expert on diversity and inclusion and works also freelance for the European Film Academy as diversity & inclusion officer. He was prior working in the academic field researching and teaching in the fields of migration, racism, ethnicity, gender and post-colonial studies and focuses in his work on representation of strategically undervalued communities.

Janka Neustupova

Janka Neustupova

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 H&S/ MH & Wellbeing Advisor IPA Intimacy Coordinator | New Era Safety s.r.o.

After completing her Civil Protection and Crisis Management degree in the Czech Republic, Janka Neustupova embarked on a journey across several EU countries before settling in the UK. There, she earned her BA (Hons) in Film Studies and Practice and an MA in Directing Digital Film and TV. Beginning her career in independent features, she transitioned seamlessly into broadcast TV, leveraging her technical expertise, managerial acumen, and background in health and safety. With acute analytical skills, Janka swiftly carved a niche for herself as a versatile production professional capable of overseeing every aspect of production, domestically and internationally. A few years preceding the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Janka became involved in mental well-being support for crew members, drawing from her own experience of work-induced burnout and subsequent hospitalisation. As COVID-19 cases surged globally, Janka redirected her focus to health and safety, supporting international projects as an H&S/C-19 Supervisor. Recognising the profound impact of the pandemic on mental health within the entertainment industry, she advocated for enhanced support both on and off set. Her advocacy led to the creation of the Insight initiative, spearheaded by New Era Safety with the support of Motivation Labs, inspired by the need to address workers’ mental and physical well-being and satisfaction levels. Janka’s ongoing objective is to combine psychological health & safety and intimacy support for the cast and crew and to continue the advocacy of these important topics across the international audiovisual industry.

Birgit Heidsiek

Birgit Heidsiek

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 CEO | Green Film Shooting

Birgit Heidsiek is an award-winning sustainability consultant, author, and founder of the European Centre for Sustainability in the Media World, which informs creative professionals of the latest developments in eco-friendly methods of film and media production.
With Green Film Shooting magazine and numerous green reports, she has created a comprehensive overview of sustainable activities within the European film and media industry. Birgit is a well-known lecturer at universities, TED speaker, and panel host at international film festivals throughout Europe. A graduate in Political Science, she also teaches courses at the Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Technical Journalism Departments of the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences.
Birgit is the author of The Green Cinema Handbook, published by the German Federal Film Fund (FFA). As the FFA Green Cinema Consultant, she advises exhibitors on the sustainable operation of their movie theaters.
She is also a team member of the Eisvogel – Prize for Sustainable Film Production, which is awarded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, as well as the green consultant of the environmental film festival Green Visions Potsdam.

Brontie Maria Ansell

Brontie Maria Ansell

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Co-Founder and Director | Lawyers for Nature CIC

Brontie is the Co-Founder and Director of Lawyers for Nature, a Community Interest Company acting to represent the natural world, developing the Rights of Nature and Nature-Positive Corporate Governance. Brontie, as lead lawyer, has pioneered the company’s work to put ‘Nature on the Board’. Brontie is also a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Essex. Brontie specialises in clinical legal education, land and property law, and wild law. She is also the Supervisor at Essex Legal Clinic, offering free legal advice and legal support to those who most need it. Brontie also provides legal advice on matters such as unlawful eviction of environmental camps, planning and judicial reviews, and use of the Localism Act to purchase community assets.

Persson Perry Baumgartinger

Persson Perry Baumgartinger

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Founder | TransComm Das Büro für transformative Kommunikation

Dr. Persson Perry Baumgartinger. Founder of TransComm The Office for Transformative Communication. Applied Linguistics, Trans Studies, Social History, Critical Diversity & Social Justice, Critical Art and Cultural Production. Works for the University of St. Gallen, University of Salzburg, brunnenpassage, D-Arts, museum gugging and Diakonie, among others.

TransComm The office for transformative communication. Consulting, training & mentoring for the development and implementation of diversity-sensitive, anti-discriminatory and gender-diverse transformations. Let’s do it! Train your diversity communication muscle! To transform your corporate culture. Be part of the diversity & communication revolution!

Themba Biko Bhebhe

Themba Biko Bhebhe

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Independent film industry programmer | Indigenous Cinema Alliance / Third Horizon

Themba, after a decade in international film sales, led Diversity & Inclusion at the European Film Market (Berlinale) from 2017 to 2024. He curated inclusion events at EFM’s Industry Sessions and collaborated with community-based film organizations and advocacy groups. He co-managed the Doc and Fiction Toolbox Programmes and the EFM (Online) Market Badge Inclusion Initiative with Nadja Tennstedt. Themba co-founded Engage, a think tank series on African film industry challenges, with Mitchell Harper and Tiny Mungwe. He is also a founding member of the Programmers of Colour Collective (POC2). Since 2021, Themba has mentored at Durban FilmMart’s Pitching and Financing Forum, advising projects across Africa. He co-founded the Caribbean Film Academy with Chloë Walters-Wallace, organizing the Third Horizon Caribbean Film Industry Think Tank in Miami in May 2024. Themba has held various programming roles at festivals like Carla 2020 (WIFT), Mind the Gap (Mill Valley Film Festival), Medici – The Film Funding Journey (FOCAL), Generation (Berlinale), and Arica Nativa (Chile). He is a regular member of selection committees for the New Dawn Film Fund and Zürcher Filmstiftung, and a member of the European Film Academy.

Zuzana Bielikova

Zuzana Bielikova

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Manager | Slovak Film Commission

Zuzana Bieliková is a graduate of Prague‘s FAMU, having worked in various professional positions in film production for almost 20 years. She actively devoted herself to foreign film marketing, where she gained worthy knowledge of the current situation in the film and television market in an international context. She has experience with managing projects for important film and television events as well she has assisted on many high-profile projects for international film and television producers. In 2018, Zuzana was appointed the manager of the Slovak Film Commission (SFC) – the organizational unit of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund. Under her leadership, a platform was created that actively presents the possibilities of filming in Slovakia, monitors the activities of film professionals intending to strengthen their position on the market, and continuously works with domestic and foreign producers who want to shoot in Slovakia. Since its launch, SFC has also been promoting the greening of the film industry and has created an enviro platform for film professionals where they can find useful information on how to film audiovisual works to reduce the environmental impact. Zuzana is a member of the EUFCN board, and she is currently called to sit on the evaluation committees of European and regional film commissions & funds.

Raquel Kishori Dukpa

Raquel Kishori Dukpa

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Screenwriter, Film Producer, Casting Director | Jünglinge

Raquel Kishori Dukpa is a screenwriter, film producer and casting director. She studied at the University Hildesheim, specialising in film, queer feminist theory and popular culture. She has been part of JÜNGLINGE since 2016, working as a casting director, in production and research for their debut film FUTUR DREI. Together with Arpana Berndt, she is the editor of the catalogue “I See You – Gedanken zum Film Futur Drei” (edition assemblage). Since then, Raquel Dukpa develops and produces various feature film and series projects as part of the collective JÜNGLINGE together with Faraz Shariat and Paulina Lorenz. Together with Tara Afsah and Lilian Pfeuffer she curates CINEMA+CONTEXT at the Volksbühne Berlin. The focus is on films and their contextualisation from a decolonial and intersectional feminist perspective.

2020 Raquel Dukpa was the screenwriter and casting director for the sixth season of the youth series “DRUCK” (ZDF/funk). In 2021, Raquel was awarded the German Acting Award for her Casting achievement in the series “DRUCK”. She wrote for the medical series “KRANK” (ZDF) and for the anthology-series “ZEIT VERBRECHEN” she is the screenwriter for the episode “LOVE BY PROXY” (together with Faraz Shariat and Paulina Lorenz), which celebrated it’s premiere at the Berlinale 2024 in the section Panorama.

Katrin Fürnkranz

Katrin Fürnkranz

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Sales and Project Manager | HQ7 Studios

Katrin Fürnkranz is Sales and Project Manager at hq7studios, the newly established filmstudio facility. She has been working in the film and festival industry since 2010. After finishing her diploma in Film & Media Studies in Vienna, she gathered experience in national TV and international film production as a production coordinator and production manager. In 2013 she started working for the Berlinale in the international competition team, until she joined the team of Autlook Filmsales in 2018 as a TV & VOD Sales Manager.

In 2022 Katrin joined the team of hq7studios with focus on national and international co-productions. hq7studios is a brand-new film studio facility in Austria, Vienna, started operation in 2024 with two soundproof stages matching the highest industry standards, tailormade to fit any creative vision.

Nina Keidies

Nina Keidies

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Film Commissioner | Austrian Business Agency - FILM in AUSTRIA

In the position as Film Commissioner at FILM in AUSTRIA, Nina Keidies is jointly responsible for informing about FISA+, promote Austria as film location and acquire international film, TV and streaming projects. In addition, she supports FILM in AUSTRIA by informing foreign producers about potential film funding/production conditions and searching for possible Austrian partners.

Eszter Lanyi

Eszter Lanyi

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Director | National Film Institute Hungary

Eszter Lányi is the Head of Training at the National Film Institute, Hungary with a colourful portfolio of programs: short-term, targeted skills trainings in the shortage areas, creative lectures, workshops and master classes for young, entry- level professionals under the Fast Forward Program, audience education and development, career orientation for youth, filmmaking camps for both teenagers and young adults, research and development. Eszter spearheaded the NFI’s green film production guide and hosts and leads the green production working group.

Rico Johnson-Sinclair

Rico Johnson-Sinclair

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Skills and Training Director | Warner Bros. Discovery

Currently working as Skills and Training Director at Warner Bros. Discovery developing and leading on CrewHQ, a skills and training centre based at the renowned Warner Bros. Studio Leavesden, Rico works to develop and nurture ‘belowthe-line’ crew and embed inclusion into training and skills from inception. After working with Flatpack Festival in Birmingham, Rico Johnson-Sinclair went on to build CineQ, a queer film festival that prioritises queer and trans, Black and Indigenous people and people of colour which is now in its 6th year. Although his career has developed since then, his ethos has always centred audiences first, understanding that the screen’s industries have the power to shape hearts and minds. His last role was as Race Equality Lead for the British Film Institute, working to bring a critical perspective into conversations about race in the film industry and working intersectionality to develop work around class, disability and gender from an intersectional perspective. Outside of programming and exhibition, Rico consults with organisations around events that focus on inclusion and diversity and works with talent to develop emerging voices centring on untold stories from historically marginalised communities in partnership with organisations such as European Film Academy and The New Black Film Collective. Rico was also co-director of ARTEF (the Anti-Racist Taskforce for European Film) an organisation that seeks to develop equitable processes across European exhibition and production, with successful events at Cannes, Berlinale and BFI London Film Festival in 2022 and 2023.

Luiza Cristina Maddalozzo dos Santos

Luiza Cristina Maddalozzo dos Santos

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Sustainability Officer | Take 2 Studios

Luiza Maddalozzo currently works as the Sustainability Officer at Take 2 Studios, a virtual production studio in the heart of Salzburg. Since joining the team, she has been dedicated to reducing its environmental impact and actively works towards making operations and productions more sustainable. One of her key initiatives has been teaming up with WABE, a local relocation and second-hand goods organization, to create an extensive prop and costume reuse network. Luiza is also a key player in the studio’s educational and community outreach programs, as well as in its YouTube Channel. Whether in front of or behind the camera, this Brazilian actor infuses every project at Take 2 Studios with a unique blend of creativity, positivity and sustainability.

Juliane Schulze

Juliane Schulze

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Strategic Creative Economy Expert | Juliane Schulze Media Consulting

Juliane Schulze is a Strategic Creative Economy Expert in Business, Finance, Investment and Sustainability. She was member of the board of Media Deals, a pan-European investor network constituted of business angels and early-stage venture capital funds and Senior Partner at strategic financing consultancy peacefulfish. As Executive Advisor with more than 30 years of experience in the creative economy, Juliane holds an extensive cross-industrial knowledge, consults European and international funding institutions and business agencies, and specialises in financing and business strategies for audiovisual and technology driven entrepreneurs. Her motto is create.sustain.invest.

Juliane is Fellow at the Competence Centre Cultural and Creative Industries of the Federal Republic of Germany and board member of European Women’s Audiovisual Network (EWA). Being a voting member of the European Film Academy, she lectures at the Free University Berlin, at Eave (European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs), at Midpoint Institute, and is one of the heads of studies at the Master Programme European Film Business and Law at the Erich Pommer Institute (EPI).

Louise Marie Smith

Louise Marie Smith

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Founder and Managing Director | Neptune Sustainability Ltd

Louise’s academic background is in science and resource management, with a Biology (Hons) BSc from University of Hull (2002) preceding an MSc in Aquatic Resource Management from King’s College London (2003.) Louise established Neptune in 2006, following several years working as an Environmental Consultant and driven by her passion for the Film and Television industry, Louise began the transition to working in the industry between 2011 and 2013. Since embarking on her first studio feature project in 2013, Louise has remained steadfast in her commitment to driving innovation and ambitions across multiple domains within the industry.

Lucie Trémolières

Lucie Trémolières

Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2024 Freelance writer, consultant and trainer

Lucie Trémolières is a writer, consultant and trainer in the green transition of the audiovisual sector. She develops projects in different formats (Film, TV, stage, animation) with a particular love for comedy. She has created with Ecoprod one of the first trainings in sustainability specifically for screenwriters and is a tutor for Climate Spring’s ‘Changing Climate Narratives’, a unique programme for development executives. She is a regular speaker and consultant at other institutions especially Torino Film Lab and the Series Mania Institute, and at panels on green storytelling (CNC, FilmLondon, Festival de La Fiction de la Rochelle…). She also trains producers and sustainability managers on green production and storytelling, with Ecoprod and TorinoFilmLab’s Green Film Lab.

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