Filmmaking has always been a collective act, but in 2026 the nature of collaboration has fundamentally changed. 2026 is the year when AI truly plays an active role in many of the processes across the value chain.

Film crews today are changing in their composition, their tools and their creative processes. AI has entered the workflow, not as a replacement, but as a new kind of collaborator or sparring partner. Techniques and platforms have dissolved the traditional value chain. The boundaries between director, technologist and storyteller are being reinvented in every single project.

Picture This 2026 brings together the people who are navigating this shift – directors, production designers, cinematographers, producers and new talents – to explore what collective imagination looks like today. How do the strongest creative forces build worlds together when the tools themselves have become creative partners?

This year, Picture This will have an additional focus on the creative processes seen from the perspective of the director, producer and screenwriter. We will go through creative work processes on stage, and as a new feature, have an "Atelier" in an adjacent room, where a short film will be created in collaboration between participants and the AI company Animatrix.ai.

What will you learn?

Insights into the future of film production with a focus on AI, audiences and creative working methods. Concrete experiences and strategies from the leaders of change.

Who should attend this conference?

Professionals from the audiovisual sector. Directors, screenwriters, producers, production designers, post-production professionals, creative technologists, VFX specialists, film foundations, researchers and students.

The full programme for Picture This 2026 will be announced in autumn.