European Film Market (EFM)

The European Film Market 2026 ran from 12 to 18 February during the 76th Berlinale. Its main venues were the Gropius Bau and the Marriott Hotel.

The market reported a 5% rise in participants, with more than 12,500 professionals. Germany sent the most people, followed by the United States, France, the UK and Italy. Attendance from China and India fell slightly.

606 films were screened during the market, more than in 2025, and 83% of them were market premieres. The market recorded 1,794 buyers. The industry programme ran to more than 100 sessions, and new strands covered animation and immersive work.

The Distributor Award for European arthouse distribution went to Bad Unicorn of Romania. Morocco was Country in Focus.

For independent exhibitors and programmers who buy direct, the screening count is what matters. It is the first big chance of the year to see new arthouse titles before European release plans are set.

Accreditation for the European Film Market 2027 opens in the first week of November 2026 on the EFM accreditation page. The cheapest rate, the "Early Bear", ends on 10 December 2026.

Each application is checked. You need to show what you have done in the film industry over the past three years, using a website link, a database entry or a document. If you cannot, write a short explanation of why you need a badge. Evidence must be in German or English, and applications without it are not processed.

Berlinale partner hotels across central Berlin hold a limited number of rooms at special rates for accredited guests, from one to five stars. Once you have registered for the EFM, you can send booking requests through the Berlinale hotel service. Berlin's city tax does not apply to business travellers.

The EFM is where rights to films are sold, not where cinemas are pitched. Sales agents screen titles to distributors in market screenings, and deals for territories are negotiated in stands and offices. It runs alongside the Berlinale festival and is organised by it.

For most cinema operators that means the EFM is not a natural fit. The exceptions are independent exhibitors who also distribute, programmers at larger arthouse circuits scouting titles early, and festival or repertory programmers who license films directly.

Access is through a Market Badge, applied for online, with an Online Market Badge for remote participants. Applications are assessed, and you need to show current professional activity in the film industry. A separate Buyers status, which gives priority access to market screenings, cannot be bought: it is allocated to a limited number of participants who select Acquisition / Buyer as their professional role. Rights holders can restrict screenings to buyers only, so an exhibitor without that status may not see everything.

The organiser notes that 2027 accreditation details will be published from autumn 2026; badge prices for 2027 were not published as of 26 September 2026.