Berlin & Rotterdam; India’s JioHotstar; Singapore Cinema Contraction

Not surprisingly, given current events in the US and Europe, politics weighed heavily on this year’s Berlin and Rotterdam film festivals. The films, awards and speeches all reflected the valid concerns of the industry and filmmakers as they attempt to navigate an alarming new world order.

At the same time, muted business at Berlin’s EFM, following a similarly slow Sundance, highlighted further that this is an extremely tough time for the creative industries. Public funding is under pressure everywhere; the number of financiers and buyers continues to contract, as the industry consolidates; and as Ethan Hawke rightly called out in Berlin, the private money still standing is retreating into films and series that are generic, safe and mediocre. More on all these issues below...