Denmark, the Netherlands and Estonia are launching "Mastering AI for European Film Professionals" (MAIEFP), a new annual executive training programme designed to equip Europe’s film decision-makers with a human-first approach to AI leadership.
Over the past year, generative AI has rapidly evolved from short-form experimentation into complex business, creative, analytics and VFX workflows. As studios and streamers roll out AI guidelines, Europe faces a clear adapt-or-perishmoment: how to integrate AI in a way that is beneficial, compliant and aligned with the continent’s strong art-house and independent film tradition.
In response, three industry forerunners – the National Film School of Denmark, Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, and FilmForward – have united to launch MAIEFP, a nine-month programme designed to equip mid- to senior-level film professionals with strategic, company-wide AI knowledge, leadership skills, and change-management tools.
The Creative vs. Technological Challenge Existential Challenge
Unlike short, tool-driven AI workshops, MAIEFP provides a comprehensive 142-hour executive curriculum running from April to November 2026. The programme combines three on-site sessions in Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Tallinn with two intensive online weekend modules.
MAIEFP targets producers, directors, executives, and production or post-production professionals with at least five years of experience – participants who are expected not just to use AI, but to lead organisational transformation.
Strategic Transformation: 5 Immersive Modules
The curriculum unfolds across five progressive modules. It begins with an on-site intensive in Copenhagen in mid-April 2026, establishing AI foundations, business innovation frameworks and organisational change strategies. A remote module in late May follows as a creative lab focused on AI-powered storytelling and production pipelines, tailored to European feature and series production.
In mid-June, participants continue online with a dedicated module on Responsible AI, addressing European and international regulation, copyright, ethics and compliance. The cohort then meets in Amsterdam in early September, alongside IBC, to explore AI-driven financing strategies and sustainable revenue models. The programme culminates in Tallinn in mid-November, where participants present their final projects directly to the industry during the Black Nights Film Festival.
Elite Faculty & Real-World Value
MAIEFP brings together leading European AI practitioners, organisational change advisors, legal experts and business strategists, offering participants direct, one-to-one access to top-level expertise. The full nine-month programme is priced at €2,500, with up to six scholarships available for professionals from low-production-capacity countries, underrepresented backgrounds and emerging markets.
The question for Europe’s film industry is no longer whether AI will have an impact, but whether professionals are ready to stay competitive for audiences’ time and attention. With participation strictly limited to 20–25 places, applications for MAIEFP are now open, with a final deadline of February 18, 2026. The selected cohort will be announced on March 9, 2026, ahead of the programme launch in Copenhagen on April 10, 2026.
Master AI — before AI reshapes your market!
Learn more: masteringaiforfilm.eu
Text by Sten Saluveer