The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on filmmaking is growing rapidly. From script analysis to automated editing tools, AI is already shaping parts of the industry. While these technologies can offer efficiencies, they also bring fundamental challenges—particularly for local film commissions, funding bodies, and regional industry institutions.
Filmmaking has always been a deeply human, collaborative, and culturally rooted process. Yet, if AI-driven tools and centralized platforms take over core industry functions, there is a risk that decision-making, funding access, and professional opportunities will become increasingly controlled by a few large systems rather than the diverse network of local and regional film industries that have long supported European cinema.
At Filmmakers System, we believe that technology should serve the needs of filmmakers, producers, and film commissions—rather than replacing their role. It is not about resisting change but about ensuring that digital transformation happens in a way that strengthens the industry rather than making it dependent on centralized platforms.
The Role of Regional Film Institutions in the new Age of AI
The European film industry thrives on regional storytelling, diverse voices, and strong local support networks. Film commissions, institutes, and funding bodies play a crucial role in:
Supporting regional productions and creative independence, ensuring that funding and industry infrastructure are adapted to local needs.
Fostering cultural diversity by enabling a wide range of filmmakers to bring unique, non-commercialized stories to the screen.
Maintaining accessibility and fairness, so that professional opportunities are not dictated by global algorithms and paywalls.
Yet, as must platforms centralize industry infrastructure, the influence of these institutions is at risk. Large databases, while offering efficiency, will shift control away from local film industries and towards global corporations—placing access to work and funding behind commercial barriers.
If the role of regional film institutions diminishes, AI-driven data models will increasingly shape what gets produced, leading to a commoditization of film and storytelling—where success is based on predictive algorithms rather than artistic vision.
Technology Should Support, Not Replace, Human Decision-Making
The use of AI in filmmaking is not inherently negative—it can offer useful tools for streamlining processes, organizing industry connections, and supporting professionals in their work. However, it is essential that these tools are used to assist rather than dictate creative and industry decisions.
At Filmmakers System, we are focused on developing decentralized digital tools that ensure film commissions and local institutions maintain control over their professional networks, industry infrastructure, and cultural influence. Instead of a single database, we work towards giving each region and industry body the means to manage its own ecosystem—ensuring that AI and IT solutions are designed to fit the needs of professionals, rather than requiring them to adapt to a centralized structure.
A Balanced Approach to AI in Filmmaking
The conversation around AI in film should not be about whether it should exist, but about how it is implemented. By ensuring that film commissions, funding bodies, and industry institutions remain at the center of decision-making, we can:
Protect cultural diversity by maintaining space for independent, regional, and unconventional storytelling.
Ensure fair access to industry networks, so that creative professionals are not limited by global platform paywalls.
Use AI as a supportive tool, rather than as a controlling force, keeping human creativity at the heart of filmmaking.
Looking Ahead
AI will continue to shape the film industry—but we have a choice in how we integrate it into the creative process. If we take a thoughtful, balanced approach, we can ensure that technology enhances rather than limits artistic freedom.
We believe that strong local and regional film institutions are essential in shaping this future. They provide the human oversight, cultural perspective, and independent decision-making that technology alone cannot replace. By working together, we can build an industry where AI supports filmmakers and film professionals—rather than shaping cinema purely through data and automation.
The future of European film should not be dictated by technology alone. It should be built on the expertise, creativity, and diversity of the professionals who make it unique.
The support of Creative Europe MEDIA plays a crucial role in helping us develop solutions that align with the needs of filmmakers, producers, and regional film institutions. This funding allows us to strengthen local industry infrastructure, ensuring that digital tools enhance rather than replace human decision-making. By investing in decentralized, regionally controlled industry networks, we can provide an alternative to centralized systems—one where film commissions, funding bodies, and professionals retain control over their own creative economies. With this support, we are working to ensure that technology serves European filmmaking, rather than reshaping it at the cost of its cultural and artistic diversity.
