Creative Freedom at the Digital Frontier
As artificial intelligence tools enter writing rooms, editing suites, and distribution pipelines, film professionals must guard the space where artistic expression, democratic values and cross-border exchange meet. This conversation charts how new technologies are redrawing creative and political boundaries across Europe at large, especially in EU candidate and neighbouring territories that collaborate intensively. By comparing experiences from Southeast European markets with those inside the union, the discussion assesses how transparency in data use, robust authors’ rights, and open circulation of works can co-exist with rising calls for technological sovereignty and tighter cultural borders.
SPEAKERS
ADA SOLOMON
Producer, microFILM | RO
MATJAŽ GRUDEN
Director for Democracy, Council of Europe |
MODERATED BY
TIME
Thursday, August 21st, 2025
13:15 – 14:15 (CET)
LOCATION
Festival Garden
SEVARA IRGACHEVA
Secretary General, European Film Agencies Directors Association | BE
ALEX TRAILA
Programme Manager – Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions, Council of Europe | FR
SNEŽANA VAN HOUWELINGEN
Producer, This and That Productions / RS
Ada Solomon
Romanian film producer working in the film business for 30+ years and has credits on almost 100 films, including Golden Bear winners “Bad Luck Banging”, “Child Pose” & EFA winner & Oscar-nominated “Toni Erdmann”. She is the Deputy Chairperson of the Board of the European Film Academy, member of the Board of European Producers Club and a founding member of the Board of Romanian Alliance of Producers. She received the Eurimages Award for Contribution to the development of European Co-productions & was listed by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the Top 40 Most Influential Women in Film Business.
Matjaž Gruden
Matjaž Gruden is Director for Democracy at the Council of Europe, which includes Council of Europe activities and programmes in the area of education, including education for democratic citizenship, youth cooperation, civil society, media freedom, culture and cultural heritage.
Matjaž Gruden previously served as Director of Policy Planning, Deputy Director of the Private Office of the Secretary General, political adviser and speechwriter for the Secretary General and President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Prior to his career at the Council of Europe, he was a diplomat at the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, posted in Brussels. He holds a law degree from the Law Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, as well as a post-graduate degree in EU law from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium.
Sevara Irgacheva
Sevara Irgacheva is the Secretary General of European Film Agency Directors Association. She started her career in the film industry and held a variety of roles in film production. In 2015, she joined the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel as Adviser on audio-visual and cultural policy, audio-visual production, and content regulation. Later, she held the position of Political Advisor on Media Policy to the Minister of Media and Culture of Wallonia Brussels Federation, implementing EU policies and leading the work on public service media. Most recently, she was a director at a EU public affairs consultancy, advising international and European clients on public affairs strategies in audio-visual and digital policy. She holds a master’s degree in film directing and production from the Institut National des Arts de Spectacle in Brussels and an LLM in European and international IP and ICT law from KU Leuven.
Snežana von Houwelingen
Snežana van Houwelingen graduated in Film Production at the Academy of Arts in Belgrade and completed the EAVE Producers program in 2011 and EAVE Plus in 2021. She produced internationally acclaimed films, including DARKLING (Serbian Oscar Entry, 2022), BAD BLOOD – ANCESTRAL SIN (87,000 viewers, sold to Netflix, 2021), FAITH AND BRANKO (Hotdocs 2021), ASYMMETRY (Sao Paolo IFF 2020), A GOOD WIFE (Sundance 2016). Her TV show OPERATION SABRE premiered at Canneseries 2024, winning a Special Interpretation Award. She also produced MORNING CHANGES EVERYTHING (2018) and BAD BLOOD (2021) for RTS. Snežana's upcoming projects include MOTHER MARA by Mirjana Karanović and OUR FATHER by Goran Stanković. She teaches at FMK, is a voting member of EFA since 2015, mentored at EWA in 2023 and 2024, and participated in ACE Producers program.
Alex Traila
Alex Traila holds a PhD in European audiovisual policy and is a European audiovisual policy expert with over fifteen years of experience in the film industry and governmental affairs. He is currently Programme Manager for the Pilot Programme for Series Co-Productions at the Council of Europe, where he is actively involved in developing and implementing measures aimed at strengthening international series co-production practices.