Within the documentary industry, co-productions between high- and low-capacity countries often mirror existing inequalities — rewarding financing over creativity. What if we flipped the script?
In this session, IMS adviser and independent producer Henrik Underbjerg introduces a value-based co-production model: a practical framework allocating rights according to real contributions – not just to cash. Drawing from field experience, studies of existing frameworks, and insights from initiatives such as the EAVE Think Tank, he explores how equity in co-productions can be redefined so that creative input, access, and contextual grounding are properly recognized.
The session will present the model and then open the floor for dialogue. The aim is to examine how the framework can work in real negotiations and how it may evolve through discussion and shared experience.
This is not just a proposal for fairness — it is a strategy for sustainability, ownership, and authentic storytelling. Whether you are a filmmaker, funder, or festival interested in rebalancing global co-production practices, the session invites you to engage from the producer’s side of the table.
Participants:
Henrik Underbjerg is Adviser and Programme Manager for IMS (International Media Support), where he advises on editorial and institutional partnerships with a particular focus on Eastern Europe, supporting filmmakers and public interest storytelling in contexts of political transition and crisis.
Henrik is also an active producer with more than fifty fiction and documentary credits, including Khartoum Offside, Aleppo’s Fall, and Sepideh — Reaching for the Stars, with recognition from IDFA, Sundance, Berlinale, Hot Docs, Grierson, and Emmy, among others.
