Programme Outline
The Sustainability Management programme takes place over five in-person days in Vienna, complemented by two online follow-up sessions.
The programme begins with a focus on sustainability frameworks, green standards, financing models and industry practices, providing a shared foundation for understanding environmental responsibility in the screen industries. It then moves towards sustainable storytelling and communication, exploring how sustainability can be reflected in creative processes and audience engagement.
The second part of the programme places a strong emphasis on social sustainability and inclusive leadership, with dedicated sessions on diversity, equity and inclusion, workplace culture, accessibility and mental health. The programme concludes with a focus on implementation, supporting participants in translating insights into concrete strategies for their own projects and organisations.
Expert input, interactive workshops, group work, industry talks and networking moments are complemented by online follow-up sessions that support continued reflection and application beyond the in-person workshop.
Takeaways
Through immersive learning formats and interactive exchange, participants gain both practical tools and a deeper understanding of sustainability as it applies to everyday work in the screen industries. The programme supports participants in navigating environmental, social and organisational challenges while keeping responsibility, care and long-term impact in focus.
Participants are encouraged to attend with a concrete project, challenge or sustainability goal in mind. Projects may come from a wide range of disciplines, such as a film in development, a newly launched production company, a social initiative for the creative industries, or a sustainability plan for a film fund, commission, or local community. The key requirement is a strong commitment to creating change.
This approach allows programme content to be directly applied to real working contexts through discussions, case studies and hands-on exercises. Over the course of the programme, participants develop actionable insights and a clear strategy for implementing sustainable practices within their own professional environments.
Learning is supported by shared resources, curated materials and ongoing formats for exchange and reflection beyond the in-person sessions. These elements help participants continue working with the tools and approaches introduced during the programme and adapt them to their individual contexts.
Upon successful completion of the programme, participants receive a certificate outlining the skills and competencies acquired, recognising their engagement and professional development.
The collaborative setting fosters diverse perspectives and peer learning, empowering participants to take an active role in shaping more responsible, inclusive and resilient ways of working within the industry.
Beyond the individual learning experience, the programme fosters an ongoing community of practice. Participants become part of a growing alumni network that enables continued exchange, peer learning and collaboration beyond the duration of the programme. Now entering its fourth edition, Sustainability Management builds on the shared experience and knowledge of previous cohorts, strengthening long-term connections within the screen industries.
Fees
Early Bird Fee:
990,- Euros excl. Vat
Early Bird Deadline: 23rd February 2026.
Regular Programme Fee:
1.100,- Euros excl. Vat
For more information regarding fees visit: Fees and Funding Support Page
Who is it for?
This programme is tailored for professionals in the Film, TV, and Media industries who are involved in creative, organisational and sustainability-related decision-making, including:
- Producers and creative producers (film & TV)
- Line producers, production managers and other production leads
- Sustainability managers, sustainability coordinators, sustainability officers and eco-specialists
- Directors, screenwriters and other creative leads
- Executives, founders and professionals in senior or mid-level management positions
- Sales, distribution and acquisition executives
- Film commissioners, festival programmers and cinema practitioners
- Academics, educators and professionals working at the intersection of industry, policy and education
- Freelancers and professionals in hybrid roles across creative, organisational and sustainability fields
- Forward-thinking decision-makers and change-makers shaping the future of the screen industries
This programme offers a platform for deep exploration and transformation.
We actively encourage individuals from under-represented groups and communities to apply.
Programme Directors
Zsófia Szemerédy
Programme Director - Sustainability Management | 2025, 2024 Co-Founder and CEO | Leverage Point Ent / Palbion FilmsZsófia currently runs two companies, Leverage Point Ent and Palbion Films, which she co-founded. With years of experience in the UK film industry, she has worked with major companies like BAFTA albert, eOne, and Picturehouse Entertainment. Her passion lies in merging storytelling and filmmaking with sustainability. She’s always exploring how the two can align, both in her work and personal life. Sci-fi, historical dramas, and fantasy are her go-to genres, especially as she’s drawn to the (un)sustainable futures they often explore. She has worked on shows such as Hijack, Dune: Prophecy, Moon Knight, and films like Lee, Poor Things, and Nosferatu.
Djamila Grandits
Programme Director - Sustainability Management | 2025, 2024 Curator and Film ProgrammerDjamila Grandits is a Vienna-based curator and film programmer. Part of CineCollective and D—Arts. Currently working on the pre-selection committee of Berlinale Panorama she is a former member of the non-fiction commission of Zürcher Filmstiftung. She previously programmed with Diagonale, DOK Leipzig, Kasseler Dokfest, sixpackfilm, frameout and tricky women – tricky realities. Djamila cares about entanglements and the exploration of collective spaces.
SPEAKERS
The speakers of this year will be announced soon. 2025 Speakers included:
Brontie Maria Ansell
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025, 2024 Co-Founder and Director | Lawyers for Nature CICBrontie is the co-founder and director of Lawyers for Nature, a community interest company acting to represent the natural world, develop the rights of nature, and promote nature-positive corporate governance. Brontie, as lead lawyer, has pioneered the company’s work to put ‘Nature on the Board’. Brontie is also a senior lecturer in law at the University of Essex. Brontie specialises in clinical legal education, land and property law, and wild law. She is also the supervisor at Essex Legal Clinic, offering free legal advice and legal support to those who most need it. Brontie also provides legal advice on matters such as unlawful eviction of environmental camps, planning and judicial reviews, and use of the Localism Act to purchase community assets.
Canan Turan
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Independent Film Scholar, Curator and Programmer, Script Consultant and ModeratorCanan Turan’s work focuses on the intersection of cinema, anti-discrimination and power-critical practice, drawing on over 15 years of experience. Public speaker and workshop facilitator; host of the “film.macht.kritisch.” podcast. Berlinale Generation selection committee member; narrative shorts programmer at Tallgrass Film Festival; curates and moderates panels and events. Creative producer of “From Here” (2020) and director of “Kıymet” (2012). Consults on scripts for filmmakers, editors and funders; essays and reviews have appeared in Filmlöwin, Vision Kino and the Deutsche Kinemathek.
Joana Kohrs
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Confidant for Film, TV & DAW and Coordinator for Film & TV | Institute für Diversität und Ethik im Film | House of FeiertagFor over 30 years, I have worked in theater and tv , first as an actress and later as co-founder of the acting agency Black Universe Agency. I recently co-founded the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Film. I am a Diversity Awareness and Wellbeing Coordinator and Confidant for cast and crew in film and tv productions. With a background in pedagogy and additional training in mental health, psychology, communication and conflict management, I focus on creating safe, respectful and discrimination-sensitive work environments, as well as providing workshops and individual guidance.
Eszter Lanyi
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025, 2024 Director | National Film Institute HungaryEszter Lányi is the Head of Training at the National Film Institute, Hungary, with a colourful portfolio of programmes: short-term, targeted skills training in the shortage areas; creative lectures, workshops and master classes for young, entry-level professionals under the Fast Forward Program; audience education and development; career orientation for youth; filmmaking camps for both teenagers and young adults; and research and development. Eszter spearheaded the NFI’s green film production guide and hosts and leads the green production working group.
Johanna Faltinat
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Script Consultant | Büro für vielfälitges Erzählen / Bureau for diverse storytellingJohanna Faltinat has been a freelance film and television script consultant since 2014. In 2019, she co-founded the Bureau for Diverse Storytelling with Letícia Milano, which focuses on professionalizing the media industry regarding dramaturgy and diversity, and provides consultation for projects and teams at all stages of development. Their book on the topic of diversity in storytelling will be published in early 2026.
In 2025, she co-founded the Institute for Ethics and Diversity in Film (IDEF) with Joana Kohrs, Nastaran Tajeri-Foumani, and Letícia Milano, and developed the training program for Diversity, Awareness, and Wellbeing Coaches (DAW Coach).
Judith Niemeyer
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Green Consultant, Head Green Producing Bayerischer Rundfunk | Public Broadcaster Bayerischer RundfunkJudith Niemeyer has over 25 years of experience in the Film and TV industry. After earning a degree in Media and Communications Management, she worked at Constantin Film (2005–2019) on more than 20 productions, including Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, Pope Joan, and the Fack Ju Göhte trilogy. Since becoming an IHK-certified Green Consultant in 2020, she has advised numerous projects on sustainable production and served as Producer and Green Consultant for Das Boot (Season 4). She now leads the Green Producing team at Bayerischer Rundfunk and is a board member of the Association of Green Consultants Film & TV Europe.
Katherine Dennis Gonzalez
Speaker - Sustainability Management, Speaker - ProPro | 2025, 2024 Psychotherapist / Social Sustainability Consultant | Expanding CirclesKatherine Dennis Gonzalez is a psychotherapist, social sustainability, and mental health consultant specialising in leadership development. With a background in clinical psychology, neurodevelopment, and philosophy, she focuses on liberatory psychology through an intersectional, politically informed, and ecologically mindful lens. Based in Berlin, Katherine works with international artists, writers, and leaders, offering expertise in leadership consulting and management strategies that foster mental well-being and social sustainability.
Louise Marie Smith
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025, 2024 Founder and Managing Director | Neptune Sustainability LtdLouise’s academic background is in science and resource management, with a Biology (Hons) BSc from the University of Hull (2002) preceding an MSc in Aquatic Resource Management from King’s College London (2003). Louise established Neptune in 2006, and following several years working as an environmental consultant and driven by her passion for the film and television industry, Louise began the transition to working in the industry between 2011 and 2013. Since embarking on her first studio feature project in 2013, Louise has remained steadfast in her commitment to driving innovation and ambitions across multiple domains within the industry.
Ludovica Chiarini
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 CEO and Founder | EcoMuviLudovica Chiarini is the Founder and CEO of EcoMuvi, the international standard certifying sustainable development in film and audiovisual productions. She has applied and refined the standard across diverse projects—from feature films and TV series to documentaries and animations—addressing environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability.
Her approach combines strategic planning with production teams, collaboration with suppliers, and building a strong network of resources to implement certified sustainable practices on set.
Victoria Thomas
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Producer | Republic of Story | ARTEFVictoria Thomas is a filmmaker, lecturer, and member of the steering committee of ARTEF (Anti Racism Taskforce for European Film). She is the cofounder of No Password Required®, an ongoing pan European mapping of Global Majority owned production companies in Europe that informs strategic initiatives including policy advocacy, convenings, and access to market programmes developed with industry partners to advance economic equity in European cinema. She is also Course Director of the MA International Film Business at London Film School and lectures in the Media, Communication and Performing Arts department at Queen Margaret University..
Miroslav Vlček
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Manager | Czech Platform for Sustainable Audiovisual ProductionMiroslav Vlček is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Journalism Programme at Ostrava University (Czechia). His research spans media theory, media industry studies, and the sustainability of media practices; he is especially interested in peripheral media systems, the public value of local journalism, and the adoption of AI tools among media professionals. He earned his Ph.D. in Film Studies (Masaryk University) with a dissertation on the state financing of film through the Slovak Audiovisual Fund. Beyond academia, he leads the Czech Platform for Sustainable Audiovisual Production (PUAV), coordinating cross-sector collaborations, sustainability standards, and industry tools bridging research and practice.
Nina Mbah
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Impact Producer | African Climate StoriesNina Mbah is a Nigerian Impact Producer and Social Entrepreneur tackling critical social and environmental challenges using creative storytelling mediums and outlets. Inspired by her lived experiences with environmental challenges, she co-founded “African Climate Stories” – an impact-driven platform that highlights overlooked environmental challenges across Africa, including unhealthy environmental conditions and ecological degradation. Through African Climate Stories, Nina leverages creative mediums such as films, games, and extended reality to make complex environmental issues relatable and accessible to vulnerable African communities. By creating climate stories, and building a growing network of climate storytellers, she aims to simplify the complexities of climate change, make sustainability relatable, and inspire action for urgent environmental challenges, believing that ‘a problem well understood is half solved.’
Paulita Pappel
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Director, Producer and Intimacy Coordinator | AMARD BIRD FilmsPaulita Pappel is a filmmaker and feminist pornographer. After studying comparative literature in Berlin, she worked both in front and behind the camera. She is the founder of Lustery, a platform dedicated to the sex lives of real-life couples from around the world. She is the co-director of HardWerk, a film studio creating cinematic and tailored erotica. She also co-organizes and curates the Pornfilmfestival Berlin and the conference Adult Industry Forum. Paulita works as a producer, director, performer and intimacy coordinator, and is an advocate for a sex-positive, consent-based culture.
Réka Nagy
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Freelance Strategic Advisor and ConsultantRéka Nagy is a climate communication consultant, author of seven books, journalist, podcaster, and co-lead of the IUCN CEC Arts & Culture Working Group. With over two decades of experience linking media, culture, and environmental responsibility, she has published two bestsellers and regularly lectures at universities, where she launched Hungary’s first climate communication course. Her focus is on discourses, climate framings, and narratives, combining communication, linguistic, and cultural approaches. She advises NGOs, companies, and the creative industries, has served as an expert on the EARTH 2.0.5.0 theatre project, and often speaks at conferences, including TEDx.
Sarah Claire Wray
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Writer/Director | FreelancerSarah Claire Wray is a Black writer and director. They studied directing at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin and graduated in 2022. During their studies Sarah wrote, produced and directed the short film HDGDL, which was shown at the IFFF Cologne & Dortmund in 2025. Sarah was part of the Writers Room of Lamin Leroy Gibba’s series Black Fruit. Writers Rooms with Studio Zentral, UFA, Netflix, Rat Pack and Wiedemann & Berg followed. Sarah’s first feature Blaues Haus, a psychological thriller, got funding from the MOIN film development fund in 2025.
Sarah Stack
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 TV Consultant | Climate SpringSarah is a consultant for Climate Spring and she recently covered a Commissioning Editor role at C4. Sarah’s previous role was Head of Development at Kudos and prior to that Senior Script Executive with BBC Northern Ireland where she managed an extensive slates. Sarah’s previous TV jobs have included script editing and executive producing across a range of BBC Dramas including PAULA on (BBC 2), JAMAICA INN (BBC 1), and ON EXPENSES (BBC4). She has also initiated and run several new writing programmes and awards including the 360° Script Writing Festival in Belfast and The Tony Doyle Award for television writers.
Seggen Mikael
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025 Freelance Cultural Worker, Curator and Equity ConsultingSeggen Mikael works freelance as a cultural manager, programmer and writer. She designs (film) programs and social media appearances, curates talks and organises projects with a focus on marginalized people. She is also part of the consulting collective DisChecks. In her work as a programmer and moderator, she mainly focuses on film/art and media, as well as intersectional discrimination, inclusion and equity.
Themba Bhebe
Speaker - Sustainability Management | 2025, 2024 Freelance Writer, Consultant and TrainerThemba Bhebhe (he/him) is an independent consultant, strategic advisor, industry programmer, talent support worker and mentor, working with a variety of film festivals, markets, funds, professional development programmes for creatives and other film organisations. With a background in international film sales and DEI programmes and programming, Themba’s work is currently located at the intersections of the African, Caribbean and global Indigenous screen industries.
