PLOT NEXT Cologne Brings Storytelling and Technology Together

PLOT NEXT, a new European conference format at the intersection of storytelling and technology, will launch on June 11 and 12, 2026, in Cologne. As an extension of the SERIENCAMP CONFERENCE, the two-day event brings together international experts from film, television, art, research, and tech to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on narrative processes and production methods.

The first edition will focus on the role of AI in the audiovisual industry—from content development and screenwriting through production and post-production to marketing and new forms of creative expression. Around 30 high-profile speakers from Europe and beyond will provide practical insights through keynotes, panels, and case studies, and discuss current developments and challenges.

PLOT NEXT sees itself as a platform for interdisciplinary exchange and critical reflection within a rapidly changing media ecosystem. The goal is to bring together diverse perspectives from the creative industries, technology, and research, and to highlight concrete examples of application.

“PLOT NEXT brings the right people together at the right time: creatives, technology experts, and decision-makers who are actively driving the transformation of our industry. The use of new technologies—especially artificial intelligence—highlights just how profoundly working methods and creative processes are changing. This opens up entirely new possibilities, particularly in content development and storytelling: ideas can be developed faster, refined with greater precision, and conceived from unexpected perspectives. New technologies have thus long since become a central component of creative value creation. This makes exchange, practical insights, and new ways of thinking all the more important. This is exactly where PLOT NEXT in Cologne comes in.” Walid Nakschbandi, Managing Director of the Film and Media Foundation NRW

Sponsored by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, the conference is aimed at established industry professionals as well as the next generation of storytellers and decision-makers.

Further information and tickets are available online: PLOT NEXT