Dear Screen Institute Community,

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

From new programmes and upcoming sessions to festival highlights and alumni successes — here’s what’s coming up:

• Application Extended: Business & Legal Affairs

• 50% Fee Reduction – ÖFI Collaboration

• Applications Open: Future Ready & Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab

• Diagonale Recap

• Alumni & Partner News

Application period extended: Business & Legal Affairs

There’s still time to apply for our Business and Legal Affairs programme (22 – 26 June 2026, Vienna) — submissions are now open until March 29.

Designed for experienced producers and industry executives, the programme offers practical insight into the legal, financial, and commercial frameworks shaping film and television today. From intellectual property and rights acquisition to contract negotiation, financing structures, and international co-production models, it equips participants with the tools to confidently navigate the global audiovisual landscape.

If you’re looking to strengthen your strategic understanding and move through complex legal and business environments with more clarity, this is your moment.

Submit your application by March 29 – we look forward to welcoming you in Vienna!

Austrian Residents:
50% Fee Reduction with ÖFI Support

Participants with Austrian residency can benefit from a 50% reduction on participation fees across all our programmes, made possible through our cooperation with the Austrian Film Institute. In exceptional cases, additional support may be available.

We offer scholarships and a variety of fee reductions, such as the support for professionals from Low Capacity Countries! Explore our Financial Support Guide for an overview of funding opportunities available for training and further education across Europe.

All financial support is subject to availability and assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Applications Open – Future Ready

With Future Ready (30 November – 2 December 2026 in Vienna), we are introducing a new programme for producers and audiovisual professionals with at least two years of experience who want to actively engage with the transformations shaping our industry.

Over three intensive days, the programme explores technological, legal and creative developments — from AI and virtual production to immersive storytelling, digital workflows and evolving regulatory frameworks. Participants develop forward-looking strategies that balance innovation with ethical responsibility and creative integrity.

Apply until 8 June 2026!

Join us in December: Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab

The Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab (3–4 December 2026 in Vienna), developed in collaboration with EAVE, is a practical workshop for producers already working with AI tools.

Designed as a hands-on environment, the lab enables participants to integrate AI into their development and production workflows, refine prompting techniques and build customised AI-based workflows or first prototypes tailored to their own projects.

Applications are open until 8 June 2026 – apply now!

Photo: © Diagonale / LippZahnschirm / Miriam Raneburger

International Screen Institute @ Diagonale 2026

As part of this year’s Diagonale – Festival of Austrian Film, we hosted the public talk Den Bildern Voraus. Neuausrichtung und Resonanz im Zeitalter generativer KI in Graz.

Together with curator Eva Fischer (Programme Director of Future Ready and Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab) and artist and filmmaker Claudia Larcher, the conversation explored alternative ways of engaging with generative AI — moving beyond narratives of speed, control, and optimisation. Instead, the focus was on creating space for reflection, reorientation, and resonance, and what this shift could mean for the future of cinema and image-making.

We were very pleased to see such strong interest and engagement from the audience, and to be part of the wider dialogue at this year’s festival.

Thank you to everyone who joined us.

Alumni Highlights:

Photo: © Susanne Brandstätter (via official website)

Cinema Release: Hungry

We’re delighted to share news from our alumna Susanne Brandstätter (Market Ready: Documentary, 2024), whose latest film HUNGRY continues to gain international momentum.

This compelling sci-fi documentary follows a mysterious Being in a near future, investigating the disappearance of humanity through interviews with scientists recorded before the collapse. What begins as an environmental reflection evolves into a wider examination of food systems, political power, and global structures.

Following its world premiere at IFF Rotterdam, HUNGRY was also presented at the Diagonale – Festival of Austrian Film.

Vienna Premiere: 23 April 2026, Votiv Kino
Austrian Cinema Release: from 24 April 2026

A bold and thought-provoking work — congratulations to Susanne and the entire team. We’re proud to see this project, following her participation in Market Ready, reaching audiences on the big screen.

News from our Partners & Friends:

La Femme International Film Festival Expands to Europe

The La Femme International Film Festival, a long-established platform dedicated to women filmmakers, is expanding to Europe with the launch of its first edition in Budapest (4–7 June 2026).

Building on over 20 years of experience in Los Angeles, the new European edition aims to create a dynamic space for screenings, industry exchange, and international networking — with a strong focus on supporting women in key creative roles. Alongside a curated film programme, the festival will offer panel discussions, professional development opportunities, and connections to global industry partners.

Call for Entries – Now Open

Submissions are currently open for the inaugural edition of La Femme International Film Festival Europe.

The festival welcomes projects across a wide range of categories — including feature films, documentaries, shorts, series, and screenplays — from filmmakers worldwide. Submissions are open to all genders, provided that at least one key creative role (director, producer, or writer) is held by a woman.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of the launch of a new European festival platform, connect with international industry professionals, and present work to a broad audience.

Extended submission period: until 20 April 2026

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.