Most conversations about artificial intelligence in the audiovisual industry focus on possibilities. The Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab is designed for producers who are ready to move beyond the discussion and start applying these technologies.
Organised by the International Screen Institute in collaboration with EAVE, the new programme offers a practical environment in which participants can experiment with AI tools, develop customised workflows and explore how emerging technologies can support their day-to-day work as producers.
Taking place in Vienna from 3–4 December 2026, the Lab is built around a simple principle: learning by doing. Participants attend with a concrete project, production challenge or development context and spend two intensive days working directly with AI tools while receiving guidance from mentors and peers.
Lab Director Eva Fischer sees the Lab as a natural next step for professionals who want to move from theory to implementation.
“The programme is designed to navigate technological change without losing sight of ethics, artistic integrity and cultural responsibility – openly, collaboratively and hands-on,” she says.
A curator, festival director and educator, Eva Fischer has spent more than a decade working at the intersection of technology, creativity and culture. She is the founder of the audiovisual arts festival sound:frame, director of the media arts festival CIVA and former COO of the International Screen Institute. Her work focuses on immersive media, AI and experimental art, bringing together artistic practice, innovation and critical reflection.
Working in a small-group setting, participants explore prompting techniques, workflow design and AI-assisted production processes while developing solutions tailored to their own projects and professional needs. The programme is particularly suited to producers who have already engaged with AI through previous training or experimentation and are looking to deepen their practical understanding.
The expert team reflects the Lab’s interdisciplinary approach. Among the confirmed mentors are artist and AI researcher Claudia Larcher, whose work explores the relationship between artificial intelligence, data and visual culture; AI producer and consultant Maciej Żemojcin, who specialises in integrating emerging technologies into production environments; and producer Joanna Szymańska, whose work focuses on innovation, audience research and new development models within the European film industry.
Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, the Lab encourages participants to develop solutions that respond to their own professional realities. By the end of the programme, participants will have taken concrete steps towards building a personalised AI-based workflow, tool or production process that can continue to evolve after the workshop has ended.
The Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab can be attended as a stand-alone programme. However, participation in Future Ready beforehand is recommended in order to establish a common foundation. Another programme that complements the Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab is EAVE’s A.I. Skills Booster. Together, these programmes offer participants the opportunity to explore both the broader implications of technological change and the practical application of AI tools within contemporary production environments.
The 2026 edition marks the launch of the programme and offers participants the chance to join a focused first cohort of producers exploring how AI can be used responsibly, creatively and effectively within the audiovisual sector.
“I want participants to leave not only with practical knowledge and new tools, but with a newly formed network and a stronger sense of agency in shaping the future of the audiovisual industry,” Eva Fischer adds.
Alongside the practical training, participants will engage with a diverse group of professionals from across Europe and beyond, creating opportunities for exchange, collaboration and future partnerships.
To help make participation accessible to professionals from a wide range of backgrounds, the International Screen Institute offers scholarships and financial support, including reduced participation fees for applicants from Creative Europe MEDIA low-capacity countries. Additional funding opportunities can be explored through the Financial Support Database:
https://www.screeninstitute.eu/financial-support/
Applications for the first edition of the Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab are open until 22 June 2026.
For more information and to apply, please visit:
https://www.screeninstitute.eu/course/hands-on-ai-producers-lab/
