UPDATE 17-JULY-2020
We hope that you and your loved ones are remaining safe and healthy. It has been a difficult year and a time for change for many of us around the world. Webfest Berlin is no exception. After much deliberation and with a very heavy heart I must announce that we have decided to cancel the Webfest Berlin event for 2020 and that Webfest Berlin will close its doors indefinitely at the end of our 2020 online season. We will continue with our monthly online selections, promotions, and awards, and all awards which would have been given at the festival will be announced online in November.
New Year, New Decade, New Webfest Berlin!
After 5 editions of presenting, recognizing, and advancing international short form series, we’ve learned a lot here at Webfest Berlin. We’ve learned about the evolution of the market, what makes successful shows, and how we can best support and expose incredibly talented creators and their shows. So, for our 6th edition, we’re putting our lessons into action and launching a serious upgrade of Webfest Berlin in 2020.
One of the most incongruous aspects of a ‘Webfest’ is that we promote creations for the web, ‘IRL’. But our selections deserve a bigger push in their native home than 1 social media post leading up to the festival and a show name posted on our website or newsletter. Our new concept gives MUCH more online promotion to our selections by focusing on the selections of each category for an entire month. That’s right, each month from May to October, a different category’s selections will be announced, promoted, discussed, reviewed, and judged. Then, at the end of the month the category’s award winner is announced!
What does that mean for Webfest Berlin selections? More views, more fans, and more opportunities to engage with the general audience, buyers, distributors, and talent scouts. We are also developing new content of all forms to better highlight the genre, projects, creators, and their market potential to ensure not only more exposure, but better exposure.
What does that mean for the general audience, buyers, distributors and talent scouts? Less noise. Every month, a ‘best of the best’ selection in each category will be released. No sorting through lists of shows of all genres. No googling obscure show titles. No sitting through hours of screenings to see that one show you’re curious about. Just direct links to at least one episode of each official selection on our website, in our newsletters, and on our social media channels.
Our 2020 theme is #WFBTRENDSETTERS. Each month we’ll highlight series and creators that we believe are setting the trends of the year. Whether it’s writing, pacing, visual technique, genre, time period, or format, we’re just scratching the surface of the possibilities that the web provides for series. As always, we’re keeping a close eye on ‘what’s next’!
Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, signup for our newsletter, and submit your series to take part in this exciting new evolution of Webfest Berlin!
Who knows?? Maybe YOU are the #WFBTRENDSETTER who will #BEWHATSNEXT at Webfest Berlin 2020.
Find out more about the opportunities that Webfest Berlin offers at www.webfest.berlin