Artificial intelligence. Immersive storytelling. Virtual production. New forms of audience engagement. Few areas of the audiovisual industry are changing as rapidly as the technologies shaping how stories are created, produced and experienced.
For film and tv professionals, such as producers and other media industry players, keeping pace with these developments increasingly requires more than technical knowledge. Questions around ethics, artistic integrity, intellectual property and cultural responsibility have become just as important as understanding the tools themselves.
This is the starting point for Future Ready, a new programme from the International Screen Institute taking place in Vienna from 30 November to 2 December 2026. Designed for producers and audiovisual professionals seeking to navigate technological transformation with confidence, the programme combines practical exploration with critical reflection on the future of the industry.
Led by immersive media, AI and experimental art specialist Eva Fischer, Future Ready explores the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence, virtual production and immersive storytelling, while encouraging participants to develop practical, future-oriented strategies for their own professional practice.
Future Ready is followed by a practical Lab for producers in order to directly explore and experiment with the lastest tools – the Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab.
“Future Ready and the Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab grew out of a desire to create a space for both curiosity and critical thinking within a changing audiovisual industry,” she says. “It invites producers and media professionals to collectively explore an ongoing – and at times overwhelming – transformation through critical reflection, experimentation and exchange.”
Through workshops, case studies, mentoring and industry discussions, participants will explore the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence, immersive media and emerging production technologies. Particular attention is given to the legal, business and ethical implications of innovation, helping participants develop strategies that remain aligned with creative and cultural values.
I am a strategic commercial executive operating at the intersection of global entertainment and frontier technology. I specialise in bridging the gap between advanced technical capabilities and creative business outcomes. Whether architecting regional partner ecosystems for category defining spatial computing platforms or leading high profile media productions, I translate complex technology into highly lucrative commercial partnerships. My career is defined by taking disruptive innovations like real time engines and artificial intelligence and embedding them into the workflows of the world’s most sophisticated studios, broadcasters, and enterprise software vendors. I thrive on leading multidisciplinary teams, managing P&L for high growth studios, and acting as the senior commercial sponsor to align with C level executives across the media, gaming, and technology landscapes.
The 2026 edition marks the launch of Future Ready, offering participants the opportunity to join the programme’s inaugural cohort and contribute to discussions that will shape the future direction of European audiovisual practice.
Future Ready can be attended as a stand-alone programme, but it has also been designed to be complemented by the Hands-on A.I. Producers Lab, which takes place immediately afterwards in Vienna. While Future Ready focuses on the strategic, ethical and industry-wide implications of emerging technologies, the Lab offers participants the opportunity to work directly with AI tools and develop practical workflows for their own projects and production environments.
“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.
Beyond the training itself, participants become part of an international network of filmmakers, producers and industry professionals, fostering relationships that often continue long after the programme has ended.
The International Screen Institute is committed to supporting diverse participation and offers a range of scholarships and financial support measures. Reduced participation fees are available for applicants from Creative Europe MEDIA low-capacity countries, while further funding opportunities can be explored through the Financial Support Database.
https://www.screeninstitute.eu/financial-support/
The application deadline has been extended to 15 August 2026.
For more information and to apply, please visit:
https://www.screeninstitute.eu/programmes/future–ready
