Dear Screen Institute Community,

We’re happy to share the latest news from the International Screen Institute!

From upcoming programme deadlines to interesting insights into our programmes and alumni highlights — here’s what’s coming up:

• Apply until 15 August: Future Ready & Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab

• The Audience Design Lab – Recap

• Business & Legal Affairs – Recap

• Insight into Market Ready – Interview with Lena Vurma

• ScreenCraft – Catch up on the Cross-Border Networking Event

• Alumni Highlights

• Partner News

• New Office

Apply until 15 August: Future Ready & Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab

Apply until 15 August for Future Ready & the Hands-On A.I. Producers Lab and benefit of the package offer for participating in both programmes!

The programmes are complementary: Future Ready provides inspiration, orientation and strategic perspectives by panel talks, case studies and lectures. The lab is designed as a practical follow-up, in which producers are given the space and time to shape their tools, and to further develop and test ideas that were introduced during Future Ready or the Online EAVE AI Skills Booster. Apply for both and benefit of our packages offers!

Scholarships available! Make sure to check our Financial Support Guide.

A big thank you to all our partners who make these two programmes possible – the Austrian Gallery Belvedere for its collaboration on the Future Ready programme and  EAVE together with FAMA – Film and Music Austria (trade association for the film and music sector in the Federal Economic Chamber) for our partnership for the Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab. 

Recap: The Audience Design Lab

This year, from 09 – 12 June 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming filmmakers, audience designers and industry experts to Vienna for the fifth edition of the Audience Design Lab.

Over four days of workshops, mentoring sessions, and conversations, teams working across fiction, documentary and hybrid films explored new ways of thinking about audience engagement, positioning, and communication for their projects.

A huge thank you to our Lab Director Síle Culley, and to all of our wonderful audience designers and experts for sharing their knowledge, experience, and perspectives throughout the week.

We are also incredibly grateful to Terra Mater Studios for welcoming us into their beautiful office spaces.

Most of all, a heartfelt thank you to the participants for their openness, curiosity and creativity. We can’t wait to see where your projects go next.

Recap: Business & Legal Affairs

From 22 – 26 June 2026, the International Screen Institute hosted the Business & Legal Affairs programme led by programme directors Kai May and Maria-Christine Rieder.

Throughout the week, participants gained valuable insights into various business and legal aspects of film contracts, including rights management, financing, and contract negotiation. The programme focused on providing practical knowledge from international industry experts and helping participants navigate the business side of filmmaking.

On Thursday, 25 June 2026, we hosted an Industry Talk in cooperation with the Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI) and ABA – Film in Austria. The event featured a keynote by Jeannette Gorzala, followed by a conversation with filmmaker Georg Tiller on how AI is already influencing filmmaking today.

A warm thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this programme a success, with special thanks to our experts and partners for their support in empowering film professionals.

Insights into Market Ready with Lena Vurma

Lena Vurma, Programme Director of Market Ready, shared insights into what participants can expect from the programme in an interview with Film New Europe.

In the interview, she discussed how the programme helps participants address their biggest challenges when it comes to markets, sales and distribution as well as the transformation it brings to both projects and producers. In addition, she explained why it is so important for producers to understand the entire value chain of a project.

A huuge thank you to Lena for sharing her approach and perspective on Market Ready.

Cross-Border Networking Event with ScreenCraft Works

On 27 May 2026, Andrea Elisa Pisu, Chairwoman of the International Screen Institute, took part in a virtual Cross-Border Networking event hosted by the ScreenCraft Works community to present ISI’s training programmes and connect across international networks. Alongside Andrea Elisa Pisu, the event featured Lesedi Mphothwe, co-founder and festival director of the Bantu Film Festival.

Bringing together voices from across Europe and Africa, the conversation created space for exchange, new connections and future collaborations within the global screen sector.

Missed it live? Watch the full event on YouTube now.

Alumni Highlights:

Interview with Film New Europe: Marta Krzeptowska

Following her participation in the Market Ready programme and the ProPro – Producers’ Programme for Women, Marta Krzeptowska recently shared her insights in a podcast interview with Film New Europe.

As Head of the International Cooperation Department at the Polish Film Institute (PISF), Marta reflected on her experience in both programmes and spoke about the value they bought to her professional development.

We are delighted to see the impact our programmes continue to have across the industry and sincerely thank Marta for sharing her experience.

News from our Partners and Friends:

Apply until 3 August for EAVE AI Skills Booster

If you’re looking to expand your AI expertise, the EAVE AI Skills Booster is well worth exploring. Designed for film professionals who want to stay ahead of industry developments, this series of three half-day online workshops explores the transformative role of AI across the audiovisual value chain.

Through a strong focus on practical, industry-specific applications, participants will gain hands-on knowledge of AI tools that can be directly integrated into their professional practice while developing a deeper understanding of the technology’s creative potential. Apply until 3 August!

Through our partnership, graduates of the EAVE AI Skills Booster are eligible for a reduced fee for the Hands-on A. I. Producers Lab of the International Screen Institute.

New Partnership with ERIAC

We are excited to announce our new partnership with ERIAC – European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture. Through this partnership, we will be able to offer scholarships to members of the ERIAC community and look forward to welcoming you at our programmes.

ERIAC exists to increase the self-esteem of Roma and to decrease negative prejudice of the majority population towards the Roma by means of arts, culture, history, and media. ERIAC acts as an international creative hub to support the exchange of creative ideas across borders, cultural domains and Romani identities.

International Screen Institute: New office

Please note: As of 1 July 2026, we have relocated our offices to:

Hermanngasse 18/3

1070 Vienna, Austria

Thank you for reading! Let’s stay connected to learn and train together in Vienna and around the world.

International Screen Institute is supported by Creative Europe MEDIA Sub-programme of the European Union, ÖFI, Terra Mater Studios, Satel Film, UNVERZAGT Rechtsanwälte.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or MEDIA sub-programme of Creative Europe. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.