Lumma Archives - Celluloid Junkie

Zurich Summit 2026 - Andreas Wiseman of Deadline, Efe Cakarel of Mubi, Kevin Mayer of Candle Media and John Sloss of Cinetic Media - Andreas Fuchs

Financing Bold Films Takes More Than Money

For MUBI’s Efe Cakarel, financing an Edward Berger film and releasing it around the world requires both capital and capabilities. Getting big enough to do that has taken years of putting brick upon brick into his vision. At the 2026 Zurich Summit, the challenge was how to build that capacity while r…

From Left) Andreas Wiseman, Bill Kramer, Kane Parsons, Robbie Brenner, Michael Barke during the 2026 Zurich Summit on September 26, 2026 in Zurich, Switzerland.

At Zurich Summit, Online Fandom Finds Its Way to the Big Screen

At the 2026 Zurich Summit, a strong theatrical summer prompted a closer look at who was returning to cinemas and what was bringing them there. The success of “Backrooms” and “Obsession,” younger moviegoers discovering repertory cinema, and the continuing appeal of shared experiences all pointed towa…

The TIFF Lightbox remains one of the key locations of Toronto's film festival. (Photo: Nick Wons)

Did TIFF’s First Market Deliver for Buyers? The Answer Is Yes, With Caveats

Toronto’s long-established dealmaking acquired a formal framework this year with TIFF: The Market, a new platform for sales, financing and international partnerships backed by CAD $23 million (USD $14.3 million) in federal funding. Running September 10–16, 2026, it was based out of the Metro Toronto…

(From left) Roeg Sutherland, co-head of the Media Finance department and co-head of the International Film Group, and Glen Basner, founder and CEO of FilmNation Entertainment in conversation with moderator Geoff Macnaughton during the “Perspectives: The Global Sales Playbook” panel at TIFF: The Market. The session was held on 12 September. (Photo: Davide Abbatescianni)

The Global Film Sales Playbook Is Changing as Pre-Sales Carry Less of the Load

As international pre-sales become harder to rely on, FilmNation’s Glen Basner and CAA’s Roeg Sutherland argue at TIFF: The Market that sales agents must take more risk, package films earlier and help filmmakers think about audiences from the outset. At TIFF: The Market’s “Perspectives: The Global Sa…

Cinema United - 2026 Fall Cinema Investment Report - Cinema Investment By The Numbers

Cinema Owners Have Invested $2.7 Billion in Theatres. What Is That Money Buying?

There was a point, not all that long ago, when the movie theatre industry wasn’t wondering whether it had enough premium large format screens. It was wondering whether audiences would ever come back at all. Five years removed from some of the darkest days the movie theatre business has experienced,…

The “From Film to Audience: Lessons from Two Years of Eurimages Marketing Support” panel at the Venice Production Bridge tackled the thorny issue of how difficult it can be to start film marketing early. (Photo: Davide Abbatescianni)

Cinema’s Creator Problem Is No Longer Just About Marketing

For years, the film industry’s relationship with online creators followed a fairly predictable model: invite them to premieres, provide access to talent and hope their followers notice the movie. At the Venice Production Bridge (3-9 September), producers, platforms, creators and Italian film institu…

(From left) Moderator Iris Cadoux, project manager, Eurimages; Jean-Yves Roubin, founder, Frakas Productions; Susan Wendt, managing director, TrustNordisk; Nadia Trevisan, CEO, Nefertiti Film; and moderator Thierry Hugot, programme manager, Eurimages. The group participated in the “From Film to Audience: Lessons from Two Years of Eurimages Marketing Support” panel discussion held on 4 September at the Venice Production Bridge. (Photo: Davide Abbatescianni)

Film Marketing Needs to Start Earlier. Eurimages Is Learning How Hard That Can Be

If the industry consensus is now that film marketing needs to start earlier, Eurimages has spent the past two years trying to fund what that actually looks like. The results suggest money helps, but it cannot by itself synchronize producers, sales agents, distributors and festival strategies that st…

Venice Production Bridge 2026 - Europa Distribution Producer and Distributor Workin Session

Everyone Wants to Market Independent Films Earlier. So Why Doesn’t It Happen?

A working session at the Venice Production Bridge attempted to unpick the varying priorities of producers, distributors and sales agents, raising some uncomfortable questions. The independent film sector is never short on conversations about audience development. What it lacks, judging by a closed w…

Paramount Warner Bros. Merger - Antitrust Settlement

The Paramount-Warner Merger Is Permanent. The Guardrails for Movie Theatres Are Not

The state settlement puts theatrical output, windows, rental terms and catalogue access into a court order, but allows a permanent merger to close without the structural remedies California and the other state attorneys general once demanded. California Attorney General Rob Bonta had a peculiar assi…

Maggie Gyllenhaal presided over the jury at 2026, while Robert Pattinson starred in "Primetime"

Venice 2026: Defiant Documentaries, Female Filmmakers and a Scaled-Back Studio Offering

Unfolding between 1 and 12 September 2026 – a week later than usual – the 83rd Venice Film Festival brought filmgoers back to the Lido, braving the blistering heat all in the name of cinema. With a sprinkling of stars, rather than a deluge, it was a festival that remained buoyant, despite a lack ofR…