Agora Talk: It’s only fair

The discussion “It’s only fair” took place on Sunday, March 8, at the Music Center of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, as part of the Agora Talks of the 28th TiDF.

Stepping in as moderator, Selin Murat, Executive Director of the IDFA Bertha Fund, introduced the session and noted that what had initially been planned as a discussion on co-production shifted towards a more urgent exchange on how fair co-production can actually be achieved. Joining her on stage were Malin Hüber, producer at Her Film and Leonard Cortana, Consultant and Impact Producer, Inclusion Program and Strategic Partnerships Manager at EURODOC.

The conversation focused on the conditions shaping international co-production, particularly for filmmakers working in low-capacity production environments or under pressure, with emphasis on access to resources, funding, and decision-making. Drawing on her experience at the IDFA Bertha Fund, Murat highlighted the position of filmmakers operating in fragile documentary ecosystems, where international collaboration is often necessary but not always balanced.

Hüber approached fair co-production as a process that requires openness and flexibility, noting that each project calls for a different method. She also underlined that fairness concerns not only financing, but also how labour and creative responsibility are shared. Cortana, in turn, argued for a broader understanding of fairness through the lens of sustainability, pointing to long-term relationships and uneven access to funding, mobility, and resources.

The discussion also touched on co-production models in which financial input remains closely tied to ownership and control, while the speakers pointed to alternative approaches based on knowledge exchange and more collective forms of collaboration.

A central part of the conversation focused on cultural authorship. Hüber stressed the importance of protecting the filmmakers and the integrity of the story, while Murat emphasized that the originating producer and creative team should remain at the core of the project, highlighting the role of transparency in contracts. Cortana described cultural authorship as a dynamic process shaped over time, and warned against the pressure to adapt stories to dominant narrative expectations or market demands.

The panel also addressed practical barriers to fair co-production, including visa restrictions, mobility issues, and the increasing workload placed on producers managing multiple projects simultaneously. Questions of risk, legal support, and mental health were also raised, with Hüber noting that risk assessment begins with a personal evaluation of the project, while Cortana emphasized that mental health support remains stigmatized despite being essential.

Opening the discussion to the audience, the conversation extended to questions of authorship, responsibility, and the evolving role of producers. The speakers concluded by returning to the importance of agency, collective responsibility, and the need to rethink structures of collaboration.