Leadership, storytelling and artificial intelligence

What makes strong leadership? In the opening keynote Navigating Through the Storm: New Approaches In Leadership , executive coach Nolwenn Bernache-Assollant explores how leaders can remain focussed and effective in the face of complex challenges such as AI disruption, geopolitical instability and economic volatility. An exciting insight that invites you to rethink leadership. Her approach combines insights from archaeology, anthropology and scriptwriting to recognise and manage natural group dynamics.

 The session Storytelling in Games and Film explores how immersive technologies are transforming storytelling in games and audiovisual media, evolving the audience experience and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. Jeanne Marchalot (StoryLab) explores new approaches at the intersection of fiction, animation, documentary and interactivity. StoryLab is a driving force in the field of XR innovation and experiments very successfully with virtual, augmented and mixed reality as well as AI-supported content production. Projects such as Impulse: Playing with Reality (winner of the Venice Immersive Achievement Prize 2024) show how immersive storytelling can arouse empathy and engagement for current issues.

 What will the audiovisual industry look like in 2030? In the keynote Scenario 2030: AI in The Film Industry, Arne Totz (27KM) creates a speculative but well-founded simulation of the media landscape of the near future. The Executive Producer of the acclaimed OpenAI film I Thought of You Again explores the creative, economic and cultural upheavals that will shape the content ecosystem of tomorrow;

The session AI and History: Recreating the Past, Reframing the Truth will provide further perspectives on artificial intelligence. Doclights CEO Michaela Hummel will shed light on the artistic and ethical limits of AI use in non-fictional television - based on her work on Roadtrip 1945 for ZDF Terra X History. From cutting-edge tools to creative collaboration, the case study raises topical questions about responsibility, manipulation and the fragile line between documentary and dramatisation. Can AI change our view of history?

The deep dive on Equity Investment with Marie Garrett (XYZ Films), Sarah Nagel and Isabell Wiegand will be joined by Ruby Walden. The Executive Producer of the Academy Award winning The Brutalist shares insights and talks about the latest innovations and tools for risk evaluation for equity investments. 

 At a high-calibre panel on the topic of Co-Producing with Germany - Fresh Insights, New Opportunities and Developments, MOIN CEO Helge Albers will discuss current developments and new instruments that incentivise international co-productions with German partners with guests.

Following on from one of the most discussed sessions at last year's EXPLORER KONFERENZ, curator Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine, who is also part of an EAVE think tank on the topic, will speak in the Deep Dive Equitable Coproduction: From Principles to Practice with Executive Producer Yanis Gaye and a participant of this year's African-European Distribution Academy (AEDA) Ivi Muiruri on how economic differences in co-productions can be balanced more fairly. 

The programme will be complemented by further case studies from the film and television industry:Adolescence producer Peter Carlton will talk about his successful Netflix series and discuss opportunities and requirements for successful co-productions with the UK with Executive Producers. Eva Ries, music manager of Nirvana and Wu-Tang Clan, among others, gives insights into her decades of work in international artist management and sheds light on the growing proximity of music and film, new business models and cross-industry innovations. 

CONNECTING AND NETWORKING
In order to link the EXPLORER CONFERENCE and its visitors more closely with the rest of the FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS programme, a joint film policy panel will take place on Monday, 29 September 2025 together with European Work in Progress (EWIP) and the International Film Distribution Summit (IFDS).

 On Wednesday, 01 October 2025, there will also be two further preliminary events: Casting for European vs. US Films - Strategic Approaches for Production and Distribution on the relevance of casting for creativity, production and marketing with Florent Lamy (Elev8on) and The Stats: Tracking Trends, Meaning & Marketing with marketing professional Rémi Tereszkiewicz (BetaSeries SAS). 

ACCREDITATION

Participation in the EXPLORER CONFERENCE is possible for trade visitors of FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS with Industry Accreditation PLUS. It is available online at the Early Bird rate of 130 euros (from 10 September at the regular price of 180 euros). In addition to the EXPLORER KONFERENZ, it also entitles the holder to attend accredited screenings, public film screenings, events in the MADE IN GERMANY series and the International Film Distribution Summit (IFDS). Individual tickets for the EXPLORER CONFERENCE are not available. Click here for accreditation.

ABOUT THE EXPLORER CONFERENCE
As part of the FILMFEST HAMBURG INDUSTRY DAYS, the EXPLORER CONFERENCE offers the latest insights into technology and innovation in production for cinema, streaming and TV - presented by inspiring national and international speakers. The annual industry event for the film and media industry is organised by FILMFEST HAMBURG in partnership with PROG Producers of Germany and MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein.