The Sideletters

#016 | Full Package: Agora EU, Canal+ Blacklists, Producers Mental Health, and the "Netflix Effect"

While the Cannes Film Festival 2026 buzzes on the Croisette, Joanna Szymańska and Fabian Massah analyze the industry from an observer's distance. This episode tackles the major political and structural shifts that impact European production. From the much-discussed AgoraEU mega-program to Canal+ leadership's shock announcement of blacklisting industry professionals, we dive deep into why cultural sovereignty, a new report from EAVE on producers‘ mental health are now at a critical breaking point and into Netflix's recent "Global Economic Cultural Engine" report and the massive expansion of their ad-supported tier. Is Netflix saving the industry or merely recreating "old TV"? Links: 🔗 Screen quotes Henna Virkkunen [https://www.screendaily.com/news/eu-underlines-support-for-european-film-the-industry-shouldnt-be-too-nervous/5216811.article] 🔗 The Guardian on Canal+ vs 600 industry professionals [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/17/frances-top-film-producer-says-it-will-blacklist-figures-who-petitioned-against-rightwing-billionaire] 🔗 EAVE Report on Producers Mental Health [https://eave.org/impact/eave-impact-think-tank-2026] 🔗 WSJ on Streamers taking over Ad Market [https://www.wsj.com/business/media/streaming-platforms-are-swallowing-the-tv-ad-market-333aacfb?mod=media_more_article_pos4] 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sideletters]. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday. Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-sabbah-immagine/] (Paris), Joanna Szymanska [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-szymanska-25085622/] (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabianmassah/] (Berlin/Hamburg).

#015 | Cannes Episode. Supporting the Next Generation: Inside La Fabrique with Thibaut Bracq, plus Statements from Emerging Producers

Join us as Thibaut Bracq, Head of La Fabrique, a game-changing program at Cannes that supports emerging filmmakers and producers from around the globe, reveals the secrets to launching your first feature film at the world's biggest film market. In this episode, Thibaut shares, what industry professionals look for in emerging projects, how La Fabrique selects 10 projects from 150+ applications, why bold cinema attracts major players, and pitching & networking strategies that actually work at Cannes. Plus, more about the future of the industry: Joanna caught statements from Lodz Film School students who will be in Cannes for the first time. Pretty insightful. Thanks to Ola Nowakowska, Marta Witkowska and Julia Pietrasik. And our support of the open letter “Cinema needs Europe. Europe need Cinema.” - signed by more than 5,000 professionals including Juliette Binoche, Sandra Hüller, Joachim Trier - calling on the EU to continue dedicated support of the movie sector within the MEDIA frameworks. Links: 🔗 Sign the Open Letter: Cinema needs Europe. Europe Needs Cinema. [https://form.jotform.com/261123392857056] 🔗 La Fabrique Cinéma [https://www.institutfrancais.com/en/programme/consulting-and-expertise/fabrique-cinema] 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sideletters]. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday. Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-sabbah-immagine/] (Paris), Joanna Szymanska [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-szymanska-25085622/] (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabianmassah/] (Berlin/Hamburg).

#014 | SPECIAL - Inside the Marché du Film: Alexandra Zakharchenko on How the World's Leading Film Market Connects the Global Industry

On the eve of Cannes 2026, The Sideletters go behind the scenes with Alexandra Zakharchenko, head of industry programs at the Marché du Film, the beating heart of the global film business. In this special episode, Alexandra reveals how the Marché connects thousands of producers, distributors, investors, and creators annually, explains the innovative Investor Circle program that bridges public and private financing, highlights emerging regions (sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, Japan), and discusses what independent cinema actually needs to thrive in 2026 and beyond…and at the end, we found a unique German language expression that describes it very well 🙂 Links: 🔗 Marché du Film Industry Programs [https://www.marchedufilm.com/mdf-programs/] 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sideletters]. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday. Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-sabbah-immagine/] (Paris), Joanna Szymanska [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-szymanska-25085622/] (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabianmassah/] (Berlin/Hamburg).

#013 | Movie Production Cycles vs. Cultural Shifts, Oscars Rewrite Rules, Streamers Go Theatrical, and NATO Reaches Out to Filmmakers

With major industry shifts happening simultaneously - the Academy rewrites Best International Feature rules, Netflix commits to theatrical windows for Greta Gerwig's Narnia, and NATO holds closed-door meetings with European filmmakers - we discuss the fundamental question: How relevant is cinema? This episode explores how development cycles lag behind cultural moments, why festival-qualifying films now bypass national committees, what streamer theatrical commitments actually mean for windows and revenues, and whether military-cultural partnerships constitute narrative influence or healthy consultation. Links: 🔗 Greenlight Analytics on Production Cycles out of Sync with Culture [https://www.greenlightanalytics.com/box-office-behavior-hollywood-development-cycle/] 🔗 New Academy Awards Rules for International Film [https://press.oscars.org/news/awards-rules-and-campaign-promotional-regulations-approved-99th-oscarsr] 🔗 The Guardian on NATO meetings with European Filmmakers [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/03/nato-meets-tv-and-film-makers-causing-concerns-it-seeks-propaganda] 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sideletters]. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday. Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-sabbah-immagine/] (Paris), Joanna Szymanska [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-szymanska-25085622/] (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabianmassah/] (Berlin/Hamburg).

#012 | w/ Kjersti Mo: How Norway built a Golden Era of Cinema. Plus: the RTL/Sky Merger, WGA’s New Deal, and a YouTube phenomenon in Poland

How is one small country building a golden era of cinema while larger markets struggle? Kjersti Mo [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kjersti-mo-65b811154/], CEO of the Norwegian Film Institute since 2019, shares the strategy behind Norway's recent Oscar wins, Berlin and Cannes successes, and multiple European Film Awards. Her insights reveal a roadmap for sustainable, culturally relevant audiovisual production in the age of consolidation, streaming, and geopolitical uncertainty. Plus: * RTL buying Sky Deutschland for up to 527m EUR * WGA’s new deal and what that says about our industry * How a charity event became a massive YouTube phenomenon in Poland Links: 🔗 Norwegian Film Institute Strategy 2026-2029 [https://www.nfi.no/en/about-the-nfi/what-we-do/strategy-2026-2029] 🔗 European Commission approving purchase of Sky by RTL [https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_852] 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sideletters]. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday. Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-sabbah-immagine/] (Paris), Joanna Szymanska [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-szymanska-25085622/] (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabianmassah/] (Berlin/Hamburg).