The European Film Market (EFM) announced that during the next Berlinale —taking place from February 12 to 22, 2026— it will launch, together with Frontières, the Montreal-based international genre co-production market organized by the Fantasia International Film Festival, an all-new platform: EFM Frontières Focus.

The project will be presented at the Gropius Bau and will bring together five international genre productions —in advanced stages of financing, filming, or post-production— that stand out for their originality and artistic ambition. The selection will range from psychological thrillers and horror to science fiction, fantasy, and hybrid proposals.

Creative teams will have the opportunity to present their works directly to sales agents, distributors, and festival programmers, with the goal of securing representation deals or obtaining the final financing needed. The films will be ready for their market debut in autumn 2026. In addition, networking activities specifically designed for the genre film community will be organized to foster new collaborations.

“Genre cinema is experiencing a moment of great creativity and visibility, attracting top-tier talent and larger investments. EFM Frontières Focus will place it in the spotlight,” said Tanja Meissner, Director of Berlinale Pro*. “This partnership opens new opportunities for creators and the industry, and strengthens our commitment to bold storytelling and cinematic innovation.”

For her part, Annick Mahnert, Executive Director of Frontières, stressed that the collaboration will offer “a dynamic space for films in production or post-production to find sales and distribution opportunities,” expressing pride in bringing a genre-focused perspective to one of the industry’s most influential markets.