How Do We Reach and Engage with Young Audiences? #2

Industry Insights – The EFM Podcast is presented by the European Film Market of the Berlinale. Hosted by industry analyst Johanna Koljonen, it delves deep into the rapidly evolving film industry.

The episode features Max Malka and Sened Dhab discussing the changing expectations of younger viewers and the importance of availability, convenience, and quality. The episode emphasizes the difficulties young and diverse talent face in breaking into the industry and the challenges of retaining them, leading to a lack of relevant content for young audiences and lower engagement, while highlighting the positive aspects of increased consumption and production of audiovisual content by young people. The episode concludes with valuable insights on creating engaging content for young audiences, such as shorter episodes, compelling pilot episodes, and encouraging immediate audience engagement.

Max Malka acts as Head of Scripted for Endemol Shine Finland, where she is responsible for the development and production of scripted series and feature films. She created and co-wrote Endemol Shine Finland’s first scripted series, Dance Brothers, which is also the first ever Finnish series to have its global premiere on Netflix. This Netflix-Yle co-production premiered in May 2023. Malka has previously produced the family feature film Tatu and Patu, which was the highest grossing film of 2016 in Finland, and three seasons of award-winning and hugely popular youth series, Dragonslayer666. Her romantic feature film, Aurora, premiered in 2019. Aurora’s festival success includes a US premier at SXSW, Best International Film Award at Edinburgh IFF, a nomination for the Nordic Council Film Award as well as a record-breaking 13 Jussi-award (Finnish Oscar) nominations, of which it won seven, including Best Film. The same year, Malka was voted Producer of the Year in Finland. In addition, Malka is on the board of the Producer’s Association APFI and has a Master of Arts (Aalto University) in film production.

Sened Dhab is the VP Young Adult Content at France Télévisions, overseeing hit shows like Stalk, Perlement, and Derby Girl that have gained international acclaim. He also serves as the VP digital scripted, responsible for drama content on France Télévisions' digital channels. Prior to his current roles, Dhab excelled as a writer, script-doctor, and marketing executive, crafting impactful campaigns for major film distributors. His time at Dare.Win saw him launching successful campaigns for Netflix and expanding the agency's presence in Germany. With a diverse background in entertainment, Dhab's expertise and creative vision have left an indelible mark on the industry, shaping captivating narratives and pushing boundaries in French television and marketing.

Johanna Koljonen is a media analyst, broadcaster, and experience designer based in Sweden. She is co-founder of boutique consulting firm Participation Design Agency, and the author of the Göteborg Film Festival’s annual Nostradamus Report.

This podcast episode has been developed in collaboration with the Nostradamus Project of the Göteborg Film Festival.

The Berlinale’s European Film Market is the first international film market of the year, where the film industry starts its business. Industry Insights - The EFM Podcast puts a spotlight on highly topical and trendsetting industry issues, thereby creating a compass for the forthcoming film year. The year-round podcast is produced in cooperation with Goethe-Institut and co-funded by Creative Europe MEDIA.