Mapping young filmmakers’ struggles in the European market

In August 2025, the University of Vienna Team represented REBOOT at the Mid-term conference of the European Sociological Association, that took place 28-30 August 2025at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia under the theme „Communication and Capital(ism)“.

As part of the „Labor and Precarity in the Digital Economy“ panel, Simon Haslauer and Angeliki Chatziefraimidou presented the paper “I feel like I slip through the cracks”: Young Filmmakers in the European Film Industry, co-authored with Katharine Sarikakis, Gentiana Ramadani and Mariia Yeroshkina.

The paper addresses the problem of young filmmakers struggling to navigate the European film industry (EFI) due to its "make up" and the gap in academic research on the state of young people in the EFI, especially their transition to seeking employment in the sector.

By interviewing young filmmakers living in the European Union and discussing their lived experiences in relation to existing EU policy, the researchers highlighted the extent to which current policies support or hinder young filmmakers’ professional development: They face multiple interconnected challenges that hinder their professional development and cultural contribution. Precarious working conditions create substantial barriers to entry and sustainability in the field. While EU and state funding exists, restrictive criteria and national boundaries create obstacles.

Young filmmakers perceive that success in the European film industry frequently depends rather on established networks than on talent or merit alone, reproducing patterns of exclusivity and systemic inequality, as socioeconomic background, gender, and limited access to resources continue to limit meritocracy.