NRW Delegation @ When East Meets West in Trieste

Germany, together with the Baltic states, Austria, and Switzerland, is the focus of this year’s edition of When East Meets West (January 18–20, 2026)—one of the most important markets for projects from Central, Eastern, and Western Europe. To mark the occasion, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW is enabling a delegation of producers from North Rhine-Westphalia to participate. Claus Herzog-Reichel (filmfaust), Maria Tsigka (Fiction Park), and Marc Schiesser (Outside the Club) will participate in various Inspirational Labs focusing on AI, genre films, and animation. The EAVE Slate program focuses on the strategic development of projects and companies. Michael Henrichs (Die Gesellschaft DGS) was selected as one of eight European producers for this program.

In addition, WEMW is hosting a co-production forum and “Works in Progress” presentations, such as First Cut+. Here, projects currently in post-production are showcased. Among them is the Filmstiftung-funded project “Elefanten im Nebel” (Die Gesellschaft DGS). Other projects funded by the Filmstiftung that will be shown in the festival’s “Special Events” program include“Silent Friend” by director Ildiko Enyedi and“Sterben” by Matthias Glasner.

At the Co-Production Forum, 22 projects from 18 countries will be presented, including two German productions—the MEDIA-funded drama “Anela & Silan” by Weydemann Bros. and “Bright Future” by Elemag Pictures.

A new addition is the FILMS x GAMES Connection Hub, an initiative by Düsseldorf-based SpielFabrique that brings together film producers and game developers. The keynote address“Risk and Reward: The Game IP Owner’s Perspective on Film Adaptations.” The event will take place on January 20 (2:30–3:30 p.m.) and is organized by the Creative Europe Desks from Italy and the focus countries. Participation is open to all accredited attendees.
On January 19 and 20, the Desks will also be available for consultations. More information here.

André Weiß will represent the Filmstiftung at the event; Lea Sprenger from the Creative Europe Desk NRW will attend WEMW.