Eileen Tasca says technology won't fix cinema's broken economics

At the Venice Production Bridge, EO producer Eileen Tasca argued that cinema's real problem is not technology but weak institutions, unfair rights, and a distribution system that leaves filmmakers with little control. She also pointed to new financing and AI use cases for emerging creators, while ANFFF opened submissions for 2027.

Why it matters: - Tasca's comments cut against a common industry pitch that technology alone will democratize filmmaking. - Her central warning was economic: without stronger rules, rights and funding structures, creators and craftspeople stay exposed while distributors and platforms keep the leverage. - The debate matters for indie and auteur filmmakers who may win festival attention but still struggle to earn sustainable revenue after release.

What happened: - EO producer Eileen Tasca spoke at the Venice Production Bridge forum, “Democratizing Cinema: Technology, Creators and Expanding Storytelling Horizons,” during the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. - Tasca said technology does not replace institutions, rights or laws, and argued that weak legal structures turn access into a question of personal clout and family connections. - The forum was presented by the ANFFF Creator Incubator, the non-profit programme of International Nature Bond CIC, and was moderated by MIMAOKU CEO and ANFFF founder Kean Cao. - MIMAOKU and WeShort also collaborated on the forum. - Tasca shared the stage with Shixin Tao and Yuqi Zhang, co-directors of the Venice Immersive title The Pigeon Ring, and with Kiddy Lee, chief director of the AI-animated short A Cat Named T-Rex.

The details: - Tasca used EO as her main example of arthouse economics. - EO, directed by Jerzy Skolimowski, won the Jury Prize at Cannes and was nominated for the 2023 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. - The film grossed more than $1 million in the United States, but its producers collectively received about $30,000. - Tasca said the distribution system gave producers very little control even though they took the risk. - Tasca said European filmmakers have historically relied on television to finance part of their budgets. - Tasca said streamers do not pay the same, and that consolidation plus library buyouts have reduced the number of films made. - She said festivals are not enough because the industry lacks a sustainable system to support films after the festival run ends. - Tasca argued that technology reduces mistakes by giving creators more information, which should make distributors more willing to take risk. - For auteur films, Tasca said the goal is not a huge audience but the right audience. - In advice to young creators, Tasca said they should not make sending résumés to producers their career path. - Tasca urged creators to build their own path through small groups of filmmakers with a shared vision, and said AI could help with that process. - She said co-productions should not be driven only by finance. - Tasca said Eurimages and national and regional funds may not make life comfortable, but they are better than nothing. - On EO, Tasca said the crew used technology to lose control and capture the donkey's reactions with sophisticated equipment. - Asked whether EO could be made with generated imagery, Tasca said a digital image of EO does not have agency. - Tasca said the real donkeys had agency because the crew watched them react. - Tasca also said AI can help, but artists and craftspeople should not be thrown out.

Between the lines: - Tasca's argument reframes democratization as a governance problem, not a software problem. - Her comments suggest that better data and better tools only matter if distributors, funders and rights holders share more risk and value. - The younger speakers backed up that view by describing funding, technical staffing and belief in unproven projects as the hardest barriers. - The forum's AI discussion landed on a practical middle ground: creators can use AI, but should remain in control of the creative process.

What's next: - ANFFF 2027 submissions are now open on FilmFreeway. - Recruitment has begun for the festival's first-round international jury. - The forum's broader message points to continued pressure on festivals, funds and distributors to build post-festival pathways that can sustain films financially.

The bottom line: - Tasca's message was blunt: cinema will not become fairer just because the tools get better. The system around them has to change too.