The complex interplay between power, people, and data emerged as a pivotal theme at the 79th Locarno Film Festival’s industry arm, Locarno Pro, sparking a spirited debate among leading film executives and strategists about the optimal hierarchy and relationship of these crucial concepts. A high-profile panel, dissecting the very essence of modern cinema’s operational dynamics, revealed starkly contrasting philosophies on whether human intuition, structural authority, or quantitative analysis should lead the charge in an increasingly data-driven creative landscape.
The discussion, a cornerstone of this year’s Locarno Pro program in the scenic Swiss lakeside city, tackled a question that resonates across the global film industry: how should these three foundational elements be prioritized? The industry strand, now in its 15th edition and led for the sixth year by Markus Duffner, provided a forum where a diverse trio of professionals articulated distinct visions, underscoring the ongoing tension between artistic judgment and empirical metrics in film development and distribution.
Locarno Pro: A Hub for Industry Dialogue
Locarno Pro has long been recognized as a vital platform for industry professionals, fostering co-production, financing, and distribution deals for independent cinema. As the business counterpart to the main Locarno Film Festival, it consistently draws an international contingent of producers, sales agents, distributors, and policymakers. The choice of "Power. People. Data." as a central theme for this year’s program highlights the profound transformations currently reshaping the film sector, from the proliferation of streaming platforms and AI-driven analytics to evolving audience demographics and calls for greater diversity and inclusion. The festival’s enduring legacy as a champion of auteur cinema and emerging talent provides a unique backdrop for such a forward-looking and sometimes challenging conversation.
Moderated by AC Coppers of The Catalysts, an organization often involved in fostering strategic thinking within creative industries, the panel featured Yasmine Talli, the astute acquisitions manager at the renowned sales agent, producer, and distributor mk2 Films; Andrea Occhipinti, the influential president and founder of Italian powerhouse Lucky Red, which recently saw StudioCanal acquire a majority stake; and Doris Ruth Eikhof, CEO of Design Otherwise, a University of Glasgow spin-out dedicated to enhancing inclusion and diversity within the cultural sector. Each brought a unique vantage point shaped by their respective roles and organizational missions, offering a panoramic view of the industry’s intricate decision-making processes.
Defining the Order: Three Distinct Philosophies
The core of the debate revolved around how each panelist ordered and perceived the relationship between "Power. People. Data." Their responses illuminated the diverse strategic approaches currently employed across the international film landscape.
Doris Ruth Eikhof articulated a perspective rooted in systemic change, prioritizing "Power, Data, People." Her rationale posited that human nature, with its inherent wisdom and flaws, necessitates establishing robust power structures first. "People will be people. They’ll be more or less wise or more or less flawed," Eikhof explained. "So, we sort out the power structures first and the stories that we tell about ourselves — that’s what data really is. Then we have the best chance at creating a space in which everyone can prosper." This view emphasizes the foundational role of governance and equity in shaping an environment where individuals can thrive, with data serving as a narrative tool to understand and challenge existing norms. For Eikhof, data isn’t just numbers; it’s the collected stories and experiences that reveal the impact of power dynamics, which must be addressed before individual potential can be fully realized.
Andrea Occhipinti, representing Lucky Red, presented a more human-centric sequence: "People, Power, Data." His philosophy champions the primacy of human judgment and sensitivity in creative endeavors. "I’ll go with people first," he asserted. "Judgment, sensitivity and experiences come first. Then comes power. And data is a very important tool that we have to use." This approach underscores the belief that artistic integrity and a deep understanding of human narratives are paramount, guiding the exercise of power and leveraging data as an informative, but not prescriptive, instrument. Occhipinti’s perspective resonates with a traditional view of filmmaking, where intuition and creative vision are the ultimate arbiters, with data providing support rather than direction.
Yasmine Talli of mk2 Films offered a pragmatic, perhaps more cynical, ordering: "People, Data, Power." Her explanation suggested a strategic interplay where information gathering is crucial for maintaining influence. "It’s probably true that people need to gather some data in order to keep power," she posited. This viewpoint highlights the instrumental role of data in contemporary business strategies, where insights gleaned from information empower individuals and organizations to retain or enhance their position within the competitive film market. Talli’s order implies a continuous cycle where people use data to understand and influence the market, thereby securing their position of power within it.
The Conviction vs. Data Dilemma in Film Selection
A central point of contention and exploration for the panel was the extent to which film selection is driven by artistic conviction versus reliance on data and algorithms. This question goes to the heart of the film industry’s identity, balancing creative risk with commercial viability.
Occhipinti’s Lucky Red, a prominent player in Italian distribution and production, firmly leans into conviction. He stated unequivocally, "We don’t use algorithms to choose a film that we want to distribute or produce. We go very much on instinct, sensitivity and experience." He recounted instances where pure conviction defied statistical predictions. He cited Pawel Pawlikowski’s black-and-white Polish drama Ida, and Barry Jenkins’ indie masterpiece Moonlight, both films that, "on paper," might not have been predicted for widespread commercial success due to their artistic sensibilities, foreign language, or challenging themes. Yet, Lucky Red’s belief in their artistic merit led to their successful distribution.
"We saw a film like Ida [by Pawel Pawlikowski] — a Polish film, black-and-white," Occhipinti noted. "We saw it twice. This cannot work, but we still thought it’s a great movie. Or [Barry Jenkins’] Moonlight." These examples serve as powerful testaments to the enduring value of human judgment in an industry that often grapples with the tension between art and commerce. Occhipinti clarified that while Lucky Red does not allow data to dictate initial film selection, it certainly employs a form of "community data" post-acquisition. As a distributor, the firm engages with its audience to understand their reactions to films, using this feedback to refine marketing and distribution strategies. "We don’t know what they are looking for, but we test what they react to," he concluded, indicating that data serves as a feedback mechanism rather than a predictive oracle.
Yasmine Talli described a similarly nuanced, hybrid approach at mk2 Films. While acknowledging the foundational role of "emotion, taste and the human aspects" in project consideration, she also detailed a robust process involving "certainty factors" to mitigate risk and inform international market potential. These factors include a director’s track record and festival history, the reputation of accompanying producers, and the cast’s international appeal, particularly for English-language films. These elements, while not purely algorithmic, represent a form of qualitative data—informed assessments derived from industry experience and market knowledge.
Talli further elaborated on mk2’s use of "comparables," explaining that they look at films that have premiered in recent years and share market characteristics with current projects, rather than just narrative similarities. "It’s more of a market comparison," she clarified, indicating a strategic use of past performance data to gauge potential reach and revenue in the competitive international landscape. Critically, Talli underscored that the entire process at mk2 is inherently collaborative and human-driven. "It’s a process that actually involves a lot of people," she stated. "We have a pool of readers. If the readers are recommending something, then we go to the next level to people in the acquisitions team. So, it’s very much a group decision." This multi-layered human review system ensures that intuition and experience remain central, even when informed by various data points.
Contextualizing the Debate: Stephen Follows’ Provocative Data
The panel discussion was part of the 2026 StepIn kick-off event, and its focus on "Power. People. Data." gained additional resonance following a preceding presentation by film industry data analyst Stephen Follows. Follows, known for his incisive and often provocative insights, delivered a session titled "Fear, Lies, and the Illusion of Control," which reportedly "raised eyebrows with data points and hard truths." His presentation likely served as a stark reminder of the quantitative realities facing the industry, providing a backdrop against which the panelists’ qualitative arguments were framed.
Follows’ data-driven analysis delved into several sensitive areas, including the prevalence of "nepo baby creatives" among the top-grossing films of the century. This specific data point challenges prevailing narratives of meritocracy within Hollywood, suggesting that familial connections might play a more significant role in achieving commercial success than often acknowledged. Such statistics implicitly highlight existing power structures and raise questions about equitable access and opportunity within the industry.
Furthermore, Follows presented data on the alarmingly low percentage of independent films that generate a profit. This sobering statistic underscores the immense financial challenges faced by independent filmmakers and distributors, amplifying the stakes of decision-making based on either conviction or data. It paints a picture of an industry where financial success for indie projects is the exception, not the rule, intensifying the pressure on every creative and business choice. This data provides crucial context for the "Power. People. Data." debate, framing it within the harsh economic realities of film production and distribution. It suggests that while human instinct is vital, ignoring data altogether in a financially precarious environment could be detrimental.
Broader Implications for the Film Industry
The Locarno Pro panel’s exploration of "Power. People. Data." illuminates a fundamental tension within the film industry: the ongoing struggle to reconcile artistic ambition with commercial imperatives in an increasingly complex and data-saturated world. The divergent views of Eikhof, Occhipinti, and Talli reflect a broader industry-wide grappling with how to effectively leverage new technologies and analytical tools without sacrificing the human element that defines creative storytelling.
Eikhof’s call to address power structures first, supported by data, speaks to the growing demand for greater accountability, diversity, and inclusion in filmmaking. Her perspective suggests that a truly flourishing industry, one where "everyone can prosper," requires systemic changes informed by data that reveals inequities and biases. Occhipinti’s unwavering belief in "people first" champions the irreplaceable value of intuition, experience, and artistic courage, especially when algorithms might steer away from unconventional yet brilliant projects. His stance underscores the idea that truly groundbreaking cinema often defies quantifiable logic. Talli’s pragmatic view of "people, data, power" highlights the strategic imperative for industry players to understand and utilize data to maintain their competitive edge and influence in a rapidly evolving market.
The discussion at Locarno Pro underscores that there is no single, universally agreed-upon formula for success in the modern film industry. Instead, a nuanced approach is required, one that critically evaluates how power is wielded, how data is interpreted, and how human judgment is valued. As the industry continues to navigate technological advancements and shifting audience behaviors, these debates at leading festivals like Locarno Pro will remain crucial for shaping the future of global cinema. The dialogue serves as a reminder that while data provides insights, the ultimate decisions that drive artistic innovation and cultural impact remain firmly in the hands of the people who wield power, guided by their experiences and convictions.
