19-05-2025
IndieWire Announces Inaugural Future of Filmmaking Summit at the American Pavilion at Cannes
IndieWire is proud to announce its inaugural Future of Filmmaking summit at the American Pavilion at Cannes, May 15-18. With four panels across four days, these lively conversations will speak to where the industry is going and the opportunities for emerging creatives at a time of unprecedented change. The summit is presented by United for Business.
Richard Linklater will be our keynote chat in conversation with Eric Kohn, artistic director of Southampton Playhouse. The ultimate outsider-insider, Linklater has been a celebrated filmmaker for over 30 years. Before he became a Cannes regular, he was a cinephile who worked tirelessly to build a film culture in Austin, Texas.
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The 'many hats' ethos he brought to the early days of the Austin Film Society — funding it with money earned on an offshore oil rig, and later as a bellhop — still reflects the kind of 'get 'er done' scrappiness that filmmaking demands today. With Linklater's new film debuting at Cannes, 'Nouvelle Vague,' he looks back to the start of the French New Wave, the legendary movement that reenergized cinema at another inflection point in the medium's history. He'll speak to why he's more excited about the future of film than he's been in years and why he believes that the Austin Film Society model can be exported to other cities to expand the film-culture footprint.
Our panel on the future of international production will be a hot-button topic at a moment when Trump is tacking tariffs on 'foreign movies.' Harris-Bridson will lead a conversation with Watch This Ready executive vice president Emily Korteweg; Fabula North America head of film and TV, Andrew Hevia; Mandalay Pictures president Jason Michael Berman; and Oxbelly executive director Caroline von Kuhn.
IndieWire editor at large Anne Thompson will also lead a one-on-one conversation with Mubi head of global distribution Arianna Bocco. She's one of the indie film world's most respected tastemakers and served as president of IFC Films, where she steered the release of major festival titles such as Venice Golden Lion winner 'Happening' as well as bold new visions from filmmakers making their feature debuts. Mubi broke through with last year's Cannes standout, 'The Substance'; with Bocco now at the helm and Mubi currently raising $100 million, the specialty streamer is poised for major expansion.
We'll also host 'How to Survive and Thrive in the Age of AI,' moderated by former IndieWire editor Eric Kohn. It features Fable Studios CEO Edward Saatchi, Prezense/NVIDIA's Seth Piezas, DoubleEye Studios founder Kiira Benzing, Asteria Film Co. partner Paul Trillo, and Venice Immersive programmer Liz Rosenthal. The impact of this emerging technology on the future of filmmaking is the industry's favorite existential question and these are the people who can provide a sense of where it's going.
Attendance for all panels requires a festival badge and American Pavilion membership, which can be purchased here. If you can't join us, we got you: Videos from the Future of Filmmaking summit will be published on IndieWire.
Join us on the American Pavilion May 15-18. Dates and times follow.
Thursday, May 1511:45amInternational Distribution: MUBI in Focus • Panelist: Arianna Bocco• Moderator: Anne Thompson
Coming off a successful year that began with the launch of The Substance at the Cannes Film Festival, MUBI is riding high as the most promising international streaming entity with a global cinephile reach. The company recently hired veteran distribution executive Arianna Bocco, who ran acquisitions at IFC Films for nearly 20 years, as its SVP of Global Distribution. Bocco will share her insights on the increasing value of international territories in distribution strategy and how the landscape has changed.
Friday, May 1611:00amThe Future of International Production• Panelists: Emily Korteweg (Producer, Splitsville), Andrew Hevia (Head of North American Production, Fabula), Jason Michael Berman (President, Mandalay Pictures), Caroline von Kuhn (Executive Director, Oxbelly)• Moderator: Dana Harris-Bridson
As production faces increasing budgetary challenges in the U.S., more and more projects are migrating abroad. We will hear from veteran producers and financiers about how to navigate the opportunities and challenges of international co-productions. Saturday, May 172:30pmKeynote Chat: Richard Linklater• Moderator: Eric KohnSunday, May 1811:00amHow to Survive and Thrive in the Age of AI• Panelists: Edward Saatchi (Founder and CEO, Fable Studios), Kiira Benzing (Founder, DoubleEye Studios), Seth Piezas (Senior Product Manager, NVIDA/Founder, Prezense), Liz Rosenthal (Programmer, Venice Immersive), Paul Trillo (Partner, Asteria Film Co.)• Moderator: Eric Kohn
The acceleration of artificial intelligence in recent years has led to rampant fears across the entertainment industry, some more founded than others. However, AI isn't going away – and its progress relates to broader changes to the future of storytelling as a whole. On this panel, we'll hear from creatives and executives about how to make the most of a new era defined by dramatic technological change.
About United for Business: United's shared purpose is 'Connecting People. Uniting the World.' United offers the most diversified international route network among US airlines based on the number of international destinations served and is proud to offer a specialized travel product designed for the entertainment industry. United for Business comes with everything that will keep your production moving forward – reduced airfare, special rates for equipment, custom booking options, airport escort services and a dedicated entertainment support desk. For more information about United visit and to learn more about United for Business visit
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