Berlin, Toronto and Hong Kong Film Festival Chiefs Gather at Shanghai to Champion New Talent

Article excerpt

Leaders of Berlin, Toronto, and Hong Kong film festivals convened in Shanghai to argue that festival circuits play an irreplaceable role in discovering emerging filmmakers. Tricia Tuttle, director of Berlin, and her counterparts emphasized that identifying talent still hinges on human judgment and personal connection rather than algorithms or data analytics. The gathering underscores a broader conviction among festival directors: as the film industry fragments across streaming platforms and fragmented audiences, the curated discovery function of major festivals has become more essential than ever.