Across August 17 and 19, the CineLink Talks programme promises to “open a wider conversation about how films gain recognition, how that visibility is sustained and what responsibilities follow once institutions decide to support a work.”
On 19 August, the ‘Gatekeepers or Gardeners? How Major Festivals Cultivate and Curate the Global Film Ecosystem’ panel will consider how festivals shape filmmakers’ trajectories long before a premiere, through laboratories, residencies, project markets and professional networks.
The ‘Who Gets Seen? European Films, Global Recognition and the New Visibility Economy’ discussion will follow that trajectory into the international arena, where festival launches intersect with awards campaigns, sales, distribution, media coverage and institutional endorsement. Together, the two panels trace how access is created, attention is concentrated, and certain films acquire sustained international recognition, the festival notes.
Before these, the documentary-focused programme of 17 August focuses on what happens once visibility has been achieved and whether the institutions that helped create that momentum remain engaged.
The ‘Beyond Selection: Who Takes Responsibility for a Documentary’s Life?’ panel will ask what producers, broadcasters, festivals, markets and sales agents are prepared to sustain after selection or premiere. Meanwhile, ‘The Invisible Audience: Measuring Documentary Circulation Beyond the Box Office’ panel, presented in partnership with Doc Alliance, will consider the festival, educational, digital and non-theatrical audiences that remain largely absent from conventional circulation data. Extending this discussion from circulation to tangible engagement, ‘From Reach to Impact: How a Commercial Broadcaster Can Drive Social Change’ will look at how documentary format, editorial development and impact strategy can be designed together from the outset.
“Across the two strands, CineLink Talks looks beyond visibility as an end in itself,” the festival writes. “Recognition creates access and momentum, but its value ultimately depends on whether institutions can extend a work’s life, connect it with audiences and turn attention into lasting cultural and social impact.”
- August 17th, 2026 11:00-12:00. Beyond Selection: Who Takes Responsibility for a Documentary’s Life? Speakers: Adriek van Nieuwenhuijzen, Head of Industry, IDFA (NL); Robert Y. Chang | Co-Producer/POV, American Documentary (US), Eve Rawlings, Autlook Sales (AT); Thomas Matzek, Head of Specialist Factual, ORF (AT). Moderator: Martichka Bozhilova, Producer, Agitprop (BG).
- August 17th, 2026, 12:00-13:00. The Invisible Audience: Measuring Documentary Circulation Beyond the Box Office. Presented in partnership with Doc Alliance. Speakers: Marek Hovorka | CEO, Ji.hlava IDFF (CZ); Hanne Biermann, Festivals & Marketing Manager, Film Harbour (DE); Mita Suri, Film Programme Manager, Sheffield Docs (UK); Dimitra Kouzi, Creative Producer Audience Developer, Kouzi Productions (GR). Moderator: Maša Marković, Head of Industry, Sarajevo Film Festival (BA).
- August 17th, 2026, 17:00-18:00. From Reach to Impact: How Commercial Broadcaster Can Drive Social Change. Speakers: Jan Syruček, Supervising Producer, CME Social Impact Center (CZ). Emma Vos, Impact Producer, CME Social Impact Center. Filip Dizdar, Director (HR). Moderator: Tamara Babun Zvoko, Producer/Managing Director, Wolfgang & Dolly (HR)
- August 19th, 2026, 16:30-17:30. Gatekeepers or Gardeners? How Major Festivals Cultivate and Curate the Global Film Ecosystem. Speakers: Nashen Moodley, CEO, Sydney Film Festival (AU). Thomas Rosso, Program Manager, Semaine de la Critique (FR); Dorota Lech, Programmer, TIFF (CA); Elad Samorzik, Programmer, Berlin International Film Festival (FR). Moderator: Mona Tabbara, Senior Editor, Screen International (UK).
- August 19th, 2026, 17:30-18:30. Who Gets Seen? European Films, Global Recognition, and the New Visibility Economy. Speakers: Radovan Síbrt, Founder/Producer, PINK (CZ); Matthijs Wouter Knol, Director, European Film Academy (NL); Ada Solomon, Producer, MicroFILM (RO); Viola Fuegen, Vice President of Physical Production, MUBI (DE). Moderator: Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter (UK).
