FERA - Federation of European Screen Directors

28/08/2025

SERIESMAKERS : CALL FOR APPLICATIONS! 📢

Are you a feature film director-producer or director-writer duo ready to explore the world of series?

SERIESMAKERS is a tailor-made online workshop created by Series Mania in partnership with Beta Group, designed for filmmakers transitioning from cinema to series creation.

For its 4th edition, SERIESMAKERS will support 10 international teams with mentorship, masterclasses to develop their pitch and present it at Series Mania Forum 2026.

📅 From November 2025 to January 2026
📍 Online, accessible worldwide

📅 Applications are open until September 1

🔗 Apply now: https://submissions-series-mania.festicine.fr/series-makers

🤝 In partnership with BETA Group and supported by Creative Europe MEDIA

14/08/2025

🇪🇪 We are delighted to announce that the Estonian Film Directors Guild (EFG) has officially joined FERA ad full member!

Eesti Filmirežissööride Gild was founded on April 21, 2020, with the aim of promoting and protecting the copyright, economic, social, and creative interests of directors, encouraging professional cooperation, and contributing to the development of film policy.

Welcome to the FERA community! 🙌

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/yz9x7zbx

24/07/2025

📢 We are happy to welcome UFUS AFA as an associate member of FERA! 🎉

🇷🇸 Founded in 2016, UFUS AFA - Organizacija filmskih autora is a CMO representing film authors and rights holders in Serbia. Today, they represent over 600 members – mostly directors – and has concluded several cooperation agreements with other CMOs. They have been a member of the Society of Audiovisual Authors since 2024.

Stronger together, we continue to work for a creative and diverse audiovisual sector in Europe, one where directors’ voices are heard and valued. 🚀

Welcome to the FERA community!

🔗https://tinyurl.com/6bndpudj

17/07/2025

🎬 Meet our new FERA Ambassador: Maurizio Sciarra

A celebrated filmmaker and long-time advocate for the European film community, Maurizio Sciarra joins the ranks of FERA Ambassadors, distinguished directors who lend their voice and visibility to the concerns of screen directors across Europe.

Welcome, Maurizio! 👏

Read more about Maurizio Sciarra and FERA Ambassadors: https://tinyurl.com/2nw8r7uv

30/06/2025

🚨 Let culture lead us forward

Today, as the EU prepares its next 7-year budget (2028–2034), it is crucial to protect and strengthen Creative Europe — the only EU programme fully dedicated to the cultural and creative sectors.

✍️ This open letter has been signed by 70+ European associations, collectively representing close to 20.000 organisations active in the performing arts, music, literature, architecture, heritage, visual arts, audiovisual and media sectors across Europe, urging for a stronger support for culture. In addition, the letter has been further backed by 200+ national cultural organisations.

🌍 Culture is the top factor uniting EU citizens, even above economy or language. Now more than ever, Europe needs this connection.

🎯 We call on EU leaders to:

🔹Keep Creative Europe stand-alone
🔹Double its budget
🔹Invest strategically in culture’s future

📢 Read full letter: https://tinyurl.com/2v5jp9r5

27/06/2025

📢 Pauline Durand-Vialle to Step Down as Chief Executive in September

FERA announces that Chief Executive Pauline Durand-Vialle will step down on 12 September 2025, after more than a decade of dedicated leadership.

She has been appointed Executive Director of the European Audiovisual Observatory - Observatoire européen de l'audiovisuel , part of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and will assume her new role on 15 September.

The FERA Board is currently managing the leadership transition and will share updates on future arrangements in the coming weeks.

🔗 Read press release: https://screendirectors.eu/fera-announces-ceo-transition/

20/06/2025

FERA joins a broad coalition of authors, performers and other rightholders in calling on the Members of the JURI Committee to draft an ambitious report on the AI Act.

We are urging for this report to address the applicability of the TDM exception, and to follow the principles of authorisation, remuneration and transparency.

We ask MEPs to:
🔹 Hold a democratic debate on the applicability of the TDM exceptions.
🔹 Call for an effective and timely implementation of the AI Act, with strong transparency to protect authors’ and performers’ rights.
🔹 Ensure authors and performers can authorise the use of their works and performances in generative AI (opt-in) and that they are fairly and proportionately paid.
🔹 Protect the moral rights and personal data of authors and performers.

Read full letter: https://tinyurl.com/3vju6dvs

20/06/2025

🎬 What does FERA do for you?

To help make our work clearer to filmmakers across Europe, we’ve launched a new campaign highlighting how FERA defends authors’ rights, supports fair pay, promotes European cinema, and connects directors across borders.

10/06/2025

As part of a global solidarity movement in response to the rapid development of AI technologies, FERA fully supports its Canadian associate member Association des réalisateurs et réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ)'s Manifesto for the Protection of Authentic Creation.

Questioning the race for innovation and reaffirming the value of art and artists in the face of the threats posed by Gen AI, it follows three core principles that must guide the responsible and cautious development of AI tools:

➡️ Innovation is not synonymous with progress. Current AI developments prioritise power and profit rather over creativity. As long as they do not benefit everybody, they are only an illusion of progress.

➡️ Art is of a distinct nature. AI reproduces our social biases, perpetuates our clichés, and reflects dominant ideologies. To safeguard the diversity of cultural expressions, art must remain human.

➡️ AI is not a revolution, but an evolution. Canadian governments must act quickly to develop a thoughtful, collaborative framework that ensures the ethical and respectful development of AI.

Read and sign manifesto: https://lartesthumain.com/en/

05/06/2025

26/05/2025

🇸🇮🎉FERA will hold its 2025 General Assembly in Postojna, Slovenia, from 30 May to 1 June.

🙌This year, we thank FERA members Directors Guild of Slovenia (DSR) and AIPA, k.o for generously hosting our annual meeting.

Programme 🔗https://screendirectors.eu/fera-general-assembly-2025-programme-announcement/

21/05/2025

🎥🎬 FERA joins campaign to ensure the AI Act delivers on its promise

AI is affecting the work of filmmakers in multiple ways, including:
🔹 The use of pre-existing and copyrighted works.
🔹 The impact at all stages of filmmaking, from script development and shooting to post-production and promotional materials.
🔹 Fundamental questions around authorship, artistic direction, and the evolving role of directors in a changing production environment.

⚖️ Passed in early 2024, the AI Act has provided authors, performers and other rightsholders with tools that are essential to exercise and enforce their rights.

However, we are concerned that the implementation efforts risk lowering standards to a point that would undermine the Act’s objectives, weaken legal protections, and disregard the intentions of EU policymakers.

📢 We are now calling on EU policymakers to:

➡️ Protect copyright and innovation
➡️ Ensure AI systems using creative work are transparent, and comply with existing copyright rules
➡️ Foster an environment where the creative market and AI can both thrive

🔗 https://lnkd.in/e6Vpvzrw