What I Learned at the Independent Distribution Summit Cologne

Heber Correa, usheru’s Business Development manager traveled to his first IDS Cologne event along with usheru’s Head of Content, Alex Stolz. Heber brings us these insights from the trip. At usheru, we are delighted to have been invited to attend the event once again. This gathering of Independent film distributors in Cologne is a great opportunity to immerse ourselves in the film industry, meet clients, industry peers and generate new connections. Read on for Heber’s personal experience from 2023.

Last week I attended the International Distribution Summit in Cologne – my first ever film industry event – and here are the keynotes I take from a “Newbie” perspective.

1. The world is evolving:

The challenge in this modernity is that everything moves really fast. If we do not put a constant effort into adapting ourselves, we will fall behind.

I attended the panel “Best Practices – International Distribution & Marketing Strategies for European Arthouse Cinema illustrated via two MEDIA funded films: CLOSE and HOLY SPIDER”

From my personal expertise in the Digital Marketing Industry for 7 years across the globe, I was greatly impressed by the panelists here, including usheru client Arthaus, European sales agency Match Factory, and I commend Lucky Red’s strategies across multiple platforms to engage with the public in a digital way. The performances/testing and engagement obtained from an omni-channel approach in social media advertising were very interesting.

2. The Youth is the Future: One of the biggest challenges in the industry right now is how to engage with younger audiences. It was clear that everyone in the event was contending with this challenge within their business.

To my surprise, I saw probably one of the most creative ways to market a release of any product. This came in the hands of Andrea Romeo from I Wonder Pictures who gave an inspirational keynote speech titled Creator, digital, previews: I Wonder Pictures strategies for young cinephiles

Also notable was the speech of Hiroko Oda, who gave us an entirely new perspective on the Asian Market. Keep your eyes (and ears!) peeled for news on our Marketing and Distribution podcast to hear more from Mr Oda.

3. If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you desire: Sara Frain at Pucturehouse Entertainment gave a memorable Masterclass on how a Distributor should approach this new digital world. Her class was unforgettable – I was impressed by all the new initiatives and innovative ideas Picturehouse have.

Overall, the impression I get from this industry is this:

This is a supportive industry driven by the passion of its people who have a burning desire to see the world of film grow and thrive, surpassing its current successes in future generations.

The film industry is a big family and this event gave me a strong sense of strength in its cooperative nature. I have faith that through collaboration and continued innovation film will continue to grow and thrive, evolving to overcome challenges as they arise.