The figures of the 2023 VENICE PRODUCTION BRIDGE show growth over 2022 and 2021

The Venice Production Bridge, an integral part of the 80th Venice International Film Festival, and a specialized hub where film professionals can converge to advance and finalize their projects, is being held from August 31st to September 8th, 2023.
The Venice Production Bridge receives the support of the European Commission through its Creative Europe and MEDIA programme.
The figures of the 2023 VENICE PRODUCTION BRIDGE in comparison to 2022 and 2021:

 Total: 1742                                                                  Total: 2477                                                                    Total: 2903

VENICE GAP- FINANCING MARKET (1 – 3 September)
The Venice Gap-Financing Market celebrated its 10th edition in 2023.
For this edition, 283 projects were submitted to the pre-selection of the Venice Gap Financing Market (244 in 2022) directed by 308 filmmakers, including 102 by female directors, 6 by non-binary directors and 200 by male directors. 48 projects directed by 51 filmmakers were selected, out of these 34 Fiction and Documentary and 14 Immersive Story projects. Out of these 22 by female directors and 28 by male directors.
The 48 Fiction and Documentary and Immersive Story projects, plus 11 Biennale College VR and 3 Biennale College Cinema (fiction) projects, including the projects in the framework of Focus on Germany supported by German Films and Focus on Quebec supported by SODEC, were presented across 3 days and 1311 one-to-one meetings have been organised (1074 in 2022).

BOOK ADAPTATION RIGHTS MARKET (1 – 3 September)
40 publishing houses and literary agencies, including those selected within the framework of Focus on Germany and Quebec,participated in the 8th edition of the Book Adaptation Rights Market (32 in 2022). More than 560 one-to-one meetings (450 in 2022) were organised with producers for the adaptation from page to the screen of literary rights.
Every year the Book Adaptation Rights Market highlights a literary genre. This year it has been Children’s and Young Adult Literature with dedicated publishing houses and literary agencies.

FINAL CUT IN VENICE (3 – 5 September)
The Venice Production Bridge has organised the 11th edition of its programme, Final Cut in Venice (September 3 – 5), the workshop to support films in post-production from Africa and Arab countries (Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria).
72 projects directed by 77 filmmakers were submitted (26 by female directors and 51 by male directors), out of which 7 projects were selected (2 by female directors and 5 by male directors).
Between the 3rd and 4th of September, the 7 works-in-progress, including the projects in the framework of Focus on Germany supported by German Films, were presented in Sala Pasinetti (Palazzo del Cinema), followed by a Q&A, while on the 5th of September 30 one-to-one meetings were organised for the 7 selected projects with potential financiers.

MEET THE STREAMERS (3 September)
9 European and international streaming platforms participated in the market, taking 96 one-to-one meetings to propose their services to accredited (Gold or Trade pass-holders) international distributors, rights holders and AV professionals.

NOTABLE DECISION MAKERS ATTENDING THE VPB
The VPB has once again welcomed a considerable number of key Industry players and decision makers in order to cover all the initiatives. The professionals who participated in the one-to-one meetings of the Venice Gap-Financing Market, Book Adaptation Rights Market, Final Cut in Venice, Meet the Streamers and VPB Market screenings were producers, distributors, financiers, institutions, broadcasters, sales agents, VR/XR – Immersive experts from companies such as A24, Academy Two, Amazon Prime, Amazon Studios, Arte France, Atlas V, Augustus Color, Aurora Films, BIM Distribuzione, Creative Artists Agency, Canal+, Cattleya, Cercamon, Charades, China Int. Television, Cinéart, Cinecittà Studios, Cinemien, Cinephil, Curzon Artificial Eye, Diaphana, Epic Games, Fandango, Film4, Films Boutique, Film Movement, Floréal, Filmin, Focus Features, Frakas, Fremantle Media, Haut et Court, Iconoclast, I Wonder, Indiana Production Imagine Film Distribution, Ingenious Media Investments, Intramovies, Kinology, Les Valseurs, Lucky Red, Lumière, Madmen Distribution Magnolia Pictures, M-Appeal, Medusa Film, Memento Films Distribution, Meta, MK2, Minerva Pictures Group, Modern Films, MUBI, Netflix, New Europe Film Sales, Palomar, Playtime, Pluto Film, Pyramide International, Rai Cinema, Searchlight Pictures, Sandman Studios, StudioCanal UK; Sky Italia, StudioCanal, TAICCA, Teodora, The Match Factory, The Party Film Sales, True Colours, TrustNordisk, Urban Sales, Usheru, Vision Distribution, Vive, Vivo Film, Wild Bunch, ZDF Enterprises.
These were joined by representatives from major festivals, markets and institutions, such as Austrian Film Commission, Berlinale, British Film Institute, BFI: Flare, Cannes Film Festival, Catalan Films, CineKid, Danish Film Institute, DFFC, Doha Film Insitute, Eurimages, El Gouna Film Festival, European FilmMarket, Europa Distribution, European Film Academy, Film Fund Luxembourg, Film Fest Hamburg, Film und Medienstiftung NRW, Filmfonds Wien, FFA – German Federal Board, German Films, Goteborg Film Festival, IDFA, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Internationale Münchner Filmwochen, Indonesia Film Board, Jeonju International Film Festival, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Mar del Plata, Marché du Film Cannes, Luxembourg Film Fund, Marrakech Film Festival, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, MOIN Film Fund Hamburg, Mongolian Film Council, Movies that Matter, Netherlands Film Fund, Onassis Foundation, PHI Centre, Red Sea International Film Festival, San Sebastian Film Festival, SODEC, Sundance, SXSW, Swiss Films, TAICCA, The Gotham, Thessaloniki Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Unifrance, Viennale, Vision du Réel, amongst many others.

EUROPE IN FOCUS (2 September)
In association with the European Commission and Creative Europe MEDIA Programme, La Biennale di Venezia organised the Europe in Focus (2 September), an event which gathered key industry leaders from all over the world through a panel on the themes of IP In A Transmedia World – Boosting Creativity And Audiences.

PANELS AND EVENTS AT THE VPB MARKET
A total of 55 panels and events have been held (41 in 2022), of which 40 on the Venice Lido and 15 on the Venice Immersive Island.
5 Meet the Creators sessions were held on the Venice Immersive Island, supported by: SODEC; German Films (with Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, MOIN!, Hessen Film & Medien, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, Nordmedia, FFF Bayern, Film- und Medienstiftung NRW); See NL – The Netherlands Film Fund and the Creative Industry Fund; Arizona State University’s Narrative and Emerging Media program and MIX Centre; Swiss Films.

VPB MARKET SCREENINGS
A total of 57 VPB Market Screenings (34 in 2022) took place this year. Per programme section there were: 19 screenings of films selected for Venezia 80, 3 Out of Competition, 1 Venezia Classici, 5 Orizzonti, 2 Orizzonti Extra, 2 Giornate degli Autori, 2 Settimana della critica, 7 Final Cut in Venice, and 16 screenings of films not in the Official Selection.

VPB WEBSITE https://veniceproductionbridge.org
From 19 July to 4 September:
2040 Industry registered delegates (1777 in 2022) had access to the restricted areas of the website.
Overall, the website had 4,326 unique users (2,958 in 2022), 7,626 sessions (7,068 in 2022) with 94,036 page views (54,135 in 2022).