The Tallinn Lab of the European Genre Forum training programme has kicked off with an aim to boost the careers of future players in the genre film industry. This year the programme includes mainly sci-fi films and psychological trillers from Belgium, Lithuania, Holland, Slovenia, Italy, the Czech, Austria and Japan.

Comparing to previous years, several events of Tallinn Lab have already taken place digitally. The lectures have focused on VOD distribution and the marketing of genre films. Wendy Bernfeld has shed some light on the importance of digital breakthroughs and Eduardo Panizzo (Coffee and Cigarettes) shared insights about positioning and packaging. Annick Mahnert (Screen Division) introduces the genre project markets and gives an overview of significant developments in the last year.

The case study discussed at Tallinn lab focuses on Russian sci-fi “Sputnik” (Art Pictures) as creative producer Alina Tyazhlova and CGI creative director Arman Yahin explain the developments of Russian sci-fi films and challenges in creating special effects.

Tallinn Lab wrapped things up with online pitching and meetings on 25 November at the digital platform of Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event. In 2021, European Genre Forum resumes to its traditional format with organising three training sessions – in Amsterdam, in Zagreb and in Tallinn.