Industry Days
INDUSTRY DAYS 2026: SCHEDULE
Members of two federations (Europa Film Festivals and Europa International) join forces with the national professional scene to tackle the challenges facing the industry. Through conferences, workshops and social events, they come together with national professionals and international guests at the Festival to create synergies and foster networking.
In collaboration with CNA, with the support of Film Fund Luxembourg
Unconscious Bias & Decision-Making in the Film Industry
Are our creative decisions truly free? Between instinct and expertise, invisible cognitive biases shape our narratives, casting, and funding choices. Neuroscientist Samah Karaki decodes how biology and environment influence diversity and equity in the audiovisual industry. A vital keynote to help move from mental shortcuts to more conscious and authentic creation.
🗓️ Friday March 6 at 2 pm
📍 Cercle Cité
✉️ Free entry – Upon registration
🎓 With Samah Karaki, PhD in Neuroscience and Author
Producing Today – Navigating Economy, Creation, and Responsability
Independent cinema is currently facing a period of radical shifts. This roundtable explores the profound transformation of the producer’s role in today’s landscape. How can we maintain artistic excellence while navigating an increasingly complex financial and technological environment? From defining the producer as an author, strategist, and mediator, our panel will tackle the most pressing challenges of the industry: financing in a polarized market, safeguarding the director’s vision, and the evolving ethics of impact and responsibility.
🗓️ Friday March 6 at 4:15 pm
📍 Cercle Cité
✉️ Free entry – Upon registration
🎓 With Alexandra Hoesdorff (Deal Productions), Ivana MacKinnon (-UK-, How to have sex, The Descent, Beast, Slumdog Millionaire…) and Konstantinos Kontovrakis (-GR-, How to Have Sex, Feathers, Triangle of Sadness, The Return…)
The Anatomy of a film – How to have sex : From Script to Screen
This session offers an exclusive, deep dive into the lifecycle of a production. Moving beyond theory, producers Ivana MacKinnon and Konstantinos Kontovrakis pull back the curtain on the “war room” decisions required to bring an independent vision to the screen. The case study will deconstruct the production of the award-winning debut feature How to Have Sex (directed by Molly Manning Walker). Participants will gain a granular understanding of how a project is nurtured, financed, and protected in today’s volatile industry.
🗓️ Saturday March 7 at 10 am
📍 Cercle Cité
✉️ Free entry – Upon registration
🎓 With Ivana MacKinnon (-UK-, How to have sex, The Descent, Beast, Slumdog Millionaire…) and Konstantinos Kontovrakis (-GR-, How to Have Sex, Feathers, Triangle of Sadness, The Return…)
Rethinking Festival and release strategies: adapting film releases to a changing ecosystem
In a rapidly evolving film landscape, traditional premiere and circulation strategies are being challenged. This session brings together filmmakers, producers, international sales agents (Europa International), and festival representatives for an open conversation on how to rethink festival positioning, premieres, market exposure, and long-term visibility. Through shared experiences and concrete case studies, participants will explore how to adapt film release strategies to today’s economic, artistic, and institutional realities.
🗓️ Satruday March 7 at 2pm
📍 Cercle Cité
✉️ Free entry – Upon registration
🎓 With Didar Domehri (-F-, Girls of the Sun, Bang Gang, Return to Ithaca, 7 Days in Havana…), Vincent Quénault (Red Lion)
3’52’ ‘ MAX Upcoming Titles – Sessions de pitching
Luxembourg and international projects at different stages of production will be presented. Each participant will have 3 minutes and 52 seconds – an allusion to Luxembourg’s telephone code – to present their project to representatives of various festivals, international sales agents and distributors.
🗓️ Saturday March 7 at 4:45 pm
📍Kinepolis Kirchberg
✉️ Free entry – Upon registration
🤝 In collaboration with Creative Europe Media Desk Luxembourg
For professionals, reservations are required before 6 March 2026 at the following address: alice@luxfilmfest.lu
For the general public, please click on the link below:
