International film congress in Tallinn focuses on funding and artificial intelligence
The World Congress of Science and Factual Producers is taking place at Kultuurikatel through Thursday. Held in Tallinn to mark the 30th anniversary of the Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF), the event has attracted nearly 600 participants from more than 30 countries.
The forum, dedicated to science, history, nature and other factual content, brings together creators, producers, distributors, broadcasters and streaming platforms from around the world. One of the industry's main challenges at the moment is shrinking funding and declining budgets.
"The biggest challenge for congress delegates is finding new sources of funding. Should they move from traditional broadcasting to YouTube, become content creators themselves or seek funding from foundations? There is a huge number of challenges facing people in this industry," said congress executive producer Sara Ramsden.
"Every country struggles to finance large and important documentary projects. Cooperation with international partners is important both editorially and financially. Today, it is not just important, it is often the only way to bring such projects to life," filmmaker Charlotte Cayre Tisseyre said.
Another key topic at the congress is how to reach new audiences. Participants are also examining the impact of artificial intelligence, which is reshaping film production and the wider industry.
"We have four different discussions dedicated to artificial intelligence. It is a major challenge for the television sector because some broadcasters accept its use while others do not. AI is eliminating jobs across the industry. We are still trying to understand how to deal with this new, amazing but also frightening technology," Ramsden said.
According to PÖFF CEO Mikk Granström, hosting the congress in Tallinn is both a major recognition for the festival and Estonia and a valuable opportunity for local filmmakers and researchers to establish new direct contacts.
"All the major documentary films we are used to seeing on television actually begin at congresses like this. One reason people come here is to find interesting creators from this region. The organizers have done their homework well. When we talk about digitalization and artificial intelligence, Jaan Aru is here precisely to speak about AI. Estonia is actually the first country to make this kind of artificial intelligence leap in education. Many countries have a great deal to learn from that," Granström said.
--
Editor: Karmen Rebane, Argo Ideon
