September 14, 2023 – Across Europe, the film industry thrives on its regional diversity, cultural richness, and the essential role of local film commissions, film institutes, and funding bodies. These institutions are the backbone of independent European cinema, ensuring that each region maintains its autonomy, creative independence, and unique storytelling traditions.
However, in an increasingly digitalized and globalized landscape, we are witnessing a growing centralization of film industry infrastructure, often driven by global tech platforms that consolidate control, access, and decision-making power. Large, centralized IT systems, such as IMDb and other crew databases and IT companies, have begun to reshape the way film professionals are registered, discovered, and employed. These platforms, while offering convenience, also come with a fundamental risk: they shift control away from local and regional film institutions, place access behind paywalls and leave the film commissions without control, own data and even access to their regional film industry.
With Filmmakers System, we are taking a different path—one that prioritizes the benefits of the current decentralised European film industry infrastructure thus ensuring that local and regional film commissions, film institutes, and funding bodies retain full control over their creative economies.
Preserving Regional Autonomy in European Film
Europe’s film industry is not one-size-fits-all. Each country, and often each region, has a distinct creative identity, funding structure, and production ecosystem. These differences are not a weakness—they are the foundation of Europe’s strength in filmmaking.
Yet, as large IT platforms centralize film industry services, we risk losing the independence of local production ecosystems. When international databases absorb the role of film commissions and freelance registrations, they often charge for access to industry professionals, limit visibility to those who can afford premium listings, and ultimately take control of how professionals are discovered and hired. This dynamic threatens the ability of film commissions, film funds, and regional institutions to continue shaping their local industries.
Filmmakers System provides an alternative: we are building digital solutions that empower local institutions to retain their authority while benefiting from the same level of digital efficiency as centralized platforms—without giving up control.
Decentralized Systems for Local and Regional Film Commissions
At Filmmakers System, we believe that technology should serve the needs of local film commissions, film institutes, and funding bodies, rather than replace them. Instead of pushing professionals into one massive global database controlled by a single entity, we provide tailored, region-specific platforms that keep decision-making power with the institutions that have been fostering their film industries for decades.
What does this mean in practice?
Each film commission or regional body maintains control over its own system. No external company dictates how professionals are registered, accessed, or connected.
Film professionals, from directors to producers to writers, remain visible within their home regions and beyond, without having to pay for access to their own industry.
The digital infrastructure is designed to complement, not replace, the crucial role of film commissions, funding bodies, and institutes.
Local institutions set their own rules and policies for industry engagement, rather than having them dictated by a global platform.
Filmmakers System is not just about digital tools—it is about ensuring that European cinema remains independent, diverse, and artistically free. By keeping industry infrastructure decentralized, we hope to be helping or even enabling hat:
Writers and directors continue to develop projects that reflect regional and cultural identities, rather than being pressured to conform to international platform trends.
Producers have access to local talent pools and crews without having to rely on pay-to-play global databases.
Film commissions and funding bodies can maintain their influence in shaping their regions' film industries rather than being sidelined by centralized IT models.
Creative collaborations remain open and accessible, fostering cross-border partnerships without gatekeeping.
A Model That Protects Europe’s Cinematic Identity
Through the support of Creative Europe MEDIA, we are working to ensure that digital innovation does not come at the expense of cultural independence. The European film industry has always been about collaboration, artistic integrity, and regional storytelling. The industry’s future should not be dictated by centralising platforms that put access behind a paywall and lack the knowledge and ability to understand regional needs and specialities.
Instead, we are building a Europe-wide network of decentralized film industry infrastructures that:
Enable regional film commissions and institutions to offer their own digital services without losing autonomy.
Provide the same level of functionality as large, centralized databases—without the downsides of centralization.
Ensure that filmmakers, producers, and creatives can continue to work within an open, accessible, and independent European industry.
Keep human, regional knowledge at the heart of filmmaking and sees the diverse cultural heritage of the many independent European film regions as the relevant asset of Europe.
Looking Ahead
This is an ongoing effort, and we are grateful for the support of Creative Europe MEDIA in helping us realize this vision. Over the next few years, we will continue to refine and expand our system, working closely with film commissions, producers, and filmmakers to ensure that our tools meet the needs of those who use them.
The future of European cinema is not about centralization—it is about ensuring that each film region has the tools to thrive on its own terms. We are honored to be part of this journey and look forward to continuing our work alongside the institutions and professionals who make European filmmaking what it is.
