The Sideletters

Studio Massah
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The Sideletters is the weekly B2B podcast on film, tech & future business in Europe. For professionals & decision makers in the creative industries. Hosted from Berlin/Hamburg, Paris, and Warsaw, we analyze the markets, cinema & streaming trends, business strategies, and technology shaping the future of European entertainment. Essential listening for producers, distributors, investors, and creative executives. New episodes out every Wednesday. Join the community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sideletters

  1. 6d ago

    Sarah Mosses on Impact Producing, Musk’s $1B Skydance Bet & YouTube-RTL Deal | #038

    Can a film change the world and make business sense? This week on The Sideletters, Joanna Szymanska and Fabian Massah talk with Sarah Mosses, founder and CEO of Together Films, about impact producing. Sara explains her “3 Rs” framework (Reach, Revenue and Reaction), her CAST audience model (Commercial, Affected, Supportive and Tactical audiences), why independent producers should pitch issue funders, not just film funders, and her new release-planning tool, impactdistribution.io, which she describes as “the operating system for independent film” Before the interview, Joanna Szymanska and Fabian Massah cover two big stories: Elon Musk’s reported $1 billion investment in Skydance, the company now bringing Paramount, Warner Bros., HBO, CNN and CBS under one roof. What does more media concentration mean for creative independence and for European producers? Public broadcasters teaming up with YouTube. RTL’s Alarm für Cobra 11 reached 30 million views on YouTube, and the BBC is making YouTube-first originals. Is YouTube a threat or a new audience channel? And should platforms help finance production when the AVMS Directive is reviewed next year? Links: 🔗 impactdistribution.io 🔗 Together Films 🔗 BBC Joining Forces With YouTube (Deadline) 🔗 Elon Musk investing in Skydance (The Hollywood Reporter) 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday.Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris), Joanna Szymanska (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah (Berlin/Hamburg).

  2. Oct 21

    Culture Cuts, Private Cash & Netflix’s Shake-Up: What It Means for European Producers | #037

    In this episode of The Sideletters, Joanna Szymańska (Warsaw) and Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris) cover the week’s biggest topics in European film financing and the creative industries: 🇪🇺 AgoraEU budget cut. The Irish Council presidency has proposed cutting the EU’s next culture and media programme by almost 30%, from about €8.6 billion to around €6 billion for 2028–2034. Why cultural sovereignty is a security issue, and why you should write to your MEP now. 🇮🇹 MIA Market Rome. The new European Investment Hub, and a €100 million direct-lending fund to ease cash-flow problems for productions in Italy. Is private capital the missing piece? And how can producers take the money without giving up their IP? 🎬 Trouble in paradise at Netflix. Record profits, layoffs, a lower ad forecast, and a new Chief Content Officer: Peter Rice replaces Bela Bajaria. What European producers can learn about diversifying buyers, keeping rights and the value of strong EU regulation. 🌍 El Gouna Film Festival. A new fund and mentorship programme for filmmakers forced to leave their countries, and why Arab cinema is one of the most exciting places in the industry right now. Links: 🔗 AgoraEU Petition 🔗 Netflix Layoffs 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday.Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris), Joanna Szymanska (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah (Berlin/Hamburg).

  3. Oct 14

    Stéphane Cardin On Filming In Québec, and What's In It For Producers | #036

    Québec is one of the busiest film and TV production hubs in the world. Hollywood blockbusters, high-end series and world-class VFX all happen there, and foreign productions now account for more than half of the province’s screen business. So what happens when Washington wants those shoots back? And what’s in it for European producers? In this episode of The Sideletters, Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine and Fabian Massah talk with Stéphane Cardin, CEO of the Quebec Film and Television Council (QFTC), which turns 20 this year. Links: 🔗 Quebec Film & Television Council 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday.Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris), Joanna Szymanska (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah (Berlin/Hamburg).

  4. Oct 7

    Paramount-Warner, Neon's Open-Source Horror, Producer Credits & Too Many Films? | #035

    In this episode, Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine and Fabian Massah discuss: The Paramount-Warner merger: More releases, fewer decision-makers. Does consolidation help or hurt European films? Plus a look at the box-office flop of Tom Cruise's Digger. Neon's open-source horror film: The studio plans an anthology based on the community-written SCP Foundation universe under a Creative Commons license. Is this a new way to source IP, and how do you split profits among thousands of writers? Who gets credit and profit? A lawsuit around the $500M hit Obsession raises a question every co-producer knows: how do you fairly measure a producer's contribution? Too many movies, or too few? Releases are up, many films around, and buyers say there is nothing to buy. Is the real problem curation? Explorer Konferenz Hamburg: Takeaways on laughter, human connection and independence in the industry. Links: 🔗 Are there too many movies in the market? (IndieWire) 🔗 NEON’s open source horror project based on SCP Community 🔗 Producers credits (The Hollywood Reporter) 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday.Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris), Joanna Szymanska (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah (Berlin/Hamburg).

  5. Sep 30

    Poland's "Barbenheimer" Moment & the New Oscar Race | #034

    Two films based on the same Polish classic, released within weeks of each other. Is that a risk or an opportunity? And what does an Oscar campaign for Best International Feature really cost? Producers Joanna Szymańska and Fabian Massah look at two hot topics for the European film industry. ​ Poland's "Barbenheimer" moment: Lalka (The Doll)The 1890 novel Lalka is back with two very different adaptations. Netflix released a bold, modern reinterpretation. A €15-18 million feature film, the most expensive Polish film ever, follows a classic approach. We discuss:Why two versions of the same IP can help each other instead of "cannibalizing" one another ​How Netflix and cinema releases differ in marketing, risk and distribution​Whether a big historical production can earn back its budget, and what the box office numbers need to look like​Why public domain IP is tempting for producers, and where its limits are​2. The Oscar race for International FeatureNew rules mean films can qualify through festival success, not only through national committees. What does that change for producers? We cover:What an Oscar campaign really costs, from publicists to screenings in Los Angeles The dilemma for producers without a US distributor ​How national funding bodies split limited campaign budgets​Who decides what counts as a "national" film in times of co-productions and international talent​Plus: Joanna shares news from the Gdynia Film Festival, where her film won the award for the longest audience applause. 👏​Links: 🔗 International Feature Academy Award entries (Cineuropa) 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday.Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris), Joanna Szymanska (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah (Berlin/Hamburg).

  6. Sep 23

    Paramount-Warner Deal & SkyShowtime: What It Means for the European Film Industry | #033

    The Paramount-Warner merger is settled, and David Ellison got his way. In this episode of The Sideletters, Joanna Szymanska and Fabian Massah look at what the deal means for Europe's film and TV industry. The EU regulated distribution, but not commissioning. With fewer buyers and SkyShowtime possibly winding down, European producers lose another financing partner. Fabian and Joanna discuss Europe's dependence on US money, rising pressure on public funds, how that moment is an opportunity to incentivise other financing sources such as private equity. They cover what Europe could do about it, from tax incentives and investment obligations to transnational co-development funds. In this episode: The Paramount-Warner settlement and why the definition of a "blockbuster" matters SkyShowtime's possible exit and what one less player means for Central and Eastern Europe Public funds, public broadcasters and how to attract private investment Why culture is missing from von der Leyen's State of the Union Could Chinese streamers and distributors step into the gap? The MEDIA Mini Slate deadline crash and shrinking access to soft money Joanna's premiere of "Time That Never Came" at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia Links: 🔗 Paramount-Warner Merger (IndieWire) 🔗 SkyShowtime Closing Down (Reuters) 🔗 EU State of the Union (PDF) 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday.Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris), Joanna Szymanska (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah (Berlin/Hamburg).

  7. Sep 16

    One Woman, One Lion, One Loud Debate: Venice's Gender Math. Plus: How a Coyote Beat Warners | #032

    Only 1 of ~20 Venice competition films was directed by a woman. And she won the Golden Lion. Joanna Szymanska, Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine and Fabian Massah break down the numbers and the backlash. Woman Unknown, directed by Denmark's May el-Toukhy, just won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, the only woman-directed film in a competition of roughly 20 titles. Under jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal, the win reignited a familiar controversial question: did she win because being the only woman in the room? The Sideletters unpack what the Golden Lion controversy actually reveals about festival curation, pulling real numbers from Cannes, Berlinale and Venice's last few competition years to ask: is this a talent gap, a submissions gap, or a gatekeeping problem? Also on the table: the improbable box-office comeback of Coyote vs. Acme, the finished Warner Bros. film that was shelved for a $30M tax write-off in 2023, rescued by indie distributor Ketchup Entertainment, and partly funded by Legion M, a community-equity fund whose investor shares reportedly sold out in 48 hours. Is this the start of a new "protest ticket" economy, where audiences vote with their wallets? And can it be replicated? Links: 🔗 Coyote vs. Acme (IndieWire) 🔗 Coyote vs. Acme (Letterboxd) 🔗 Venice Awards (Variety) 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday.Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris), Joanna Szymanska (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah (Berlin/Hamburg).

  8. Sep 9

    Malika Rabahallah on FilmFest Hamburg, US Production Incentive & Germany's Election Shock | #031

    This week Joanna and Fabian discuss: An extremist party just won big in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt region, and public broadcasters are already bracing for what comes next. The US is fast-tracking a national film tax incentive that could stack up to 60% with state rebates. And France and Korea used the Lumière Summit in the south of France to put audiovisual culture on the geopolitical agenda. Then Jennifer sits down with Malika Rabahallah, Director of Filmfest Hamburg (opening September 24), who has worked all three sides of the industry: producer, public funding commissioner, and now festival chief. She talks about: Programming a festival with no checklist and no theme. Why Filmfest Hamburg built a free-admission day for the whole city. What she's actually looking for on the market circuit (and why films are too long).Her case for more hope on screen: "Pessimism is a privilege".This year's line-up, including Helen Mirren receiving the festival's Douglas Sirk Award, a Barbie production-design masterclass, and a growing industry program built around the Explorer Konferenz that also hosts French filmmaking masters Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache Links: 🔗 Lumière Summit (Variety) 🔗 Tax Incentives (PDF of Deloitte Report, German language) 👉 Connect with The Sideletters community on LinkedIn. The Sideletters is a weekly European B2B conversation on film, tech & future business. New episodes every Wednesday.Hosted by Jennifer Sabbah-Immagine (Paris), Joanna Szymanska (Warsaw) and Fabian Massah (Berlin/Hamburg).

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About

The Sideletters is the weekly B2B podcast on film, tech & future business in Europe. For professionals & decision makers in the creative industries. Hosted from Berlin/Hamburg, Paris, and Warsaw, we analyze the markets, cinema & streaming trends, business strategies, and technology shaping the future of European entertainment. Essential listening for producers, distributors, investors, and creative executives. New episodes out every Wednesday. Join the community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sideletters

Information

  • Creator
    Studio Massah
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Studio Massah
  • Show Website
    The Sideletters

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