What will Luxembourg film look like in 2030? On Friday morning, several representatives of the sector, both official and professional, gave their views on how their professions will evolve and the challenges they will have to face if they are to continue to develop.

An essential pillar of culture, the audiovisual production industry is now also part of the prerogatives of the ministry of culture. This is symbolic, said culture minister  (DP), who opened the conference. He set the tone for the sector’s ambitions: “We can’t rest on our laurels after all these successes. We’re in international competition, and we need to stay competitive by striking the right balance between the regulatory framework, financial support and the goodwill of the industry.” He cited three major challenges: “Keeping film shoots in the country; coping with rising production costs; and ensuring sustainable production.” Three challenges that lead to many others.

1. Promoting the sector, again and again

One challenge is obvious: continuing to raise Luxembourg’s profile on the international film scene, with the ambition of having more predominantly Luxembourg productions. “We needed foreign productions, which enabled us to transfer knowhow and technical skills. In the future, we could have more majority productions, but we need a certain volume for that. But we also have co-development agreements, so we shouldn’t limit ourselves to Luxembourg alone,” points out , director of the Film Fund.

The animation sector knows a thing or two about this. “Animation requires high budgets, so we are moving towards co-productions. Animation is universal, and our teams are increasingly recognised internationally,” adds animation film producer Emmanuelle Vincent.

In terms of volume, producing at breakneck speed will not necessarily lead to greater success. “Before investing millions, we need to check that the story is worth telling. Diversification is important,” argues director and producer (Tarantula). In his view, we need to target both Luxembourg and foreign audiences, “by working across the board, and by involving other sectors such as education and tourism.”

Beyond the questions of budgets and investment, the cultural benefits for the country must also be considered. One challenge will therefore be to continue to promote the Luxembourg industry, without “trying to inflict a genre on Luxembourg film, and without missing out on technological development,” points out Daleiden.

2. The technological shift

Because the film industry is no stranger to technological innovation, it also has to find the right way to embrace it and carve out a place for itself. Without neglecting what is already being done. New genres and formats have emerged, such as augmented reality and gaming, which are also new forms of storytelling to be explored. When it comes to AR/XR films and immersive works, Luxembourg wants to be a leader, and proved it at the Venice International Film Festival, where two Luxembourg works stood out among the five immersive works in competition: Oto’s Planet by Gwenael François, and a mainly Luxembourg production by Skill Lab (Julien Becker) with Quebec and France, won the Venice Immersive Special Jury Prize; and Ito Meikyu by Boris Labbé, a Les Films fauves co-production (Gilles Chanial and Govinda Van Maele) with France.

As for gaming, here too Luxembourg is keen not to miss the boat. In February, the Film Fund launched a call for video game prototyping projects. Nineteen projects were submitted. “Gaming is a very big industry worldwide. We need the right tools, but we don’t yet have the financial resources or the structure to support this development at the level we would like. We obviously need to support these new industries, but not at the expense of films,” says Daleiden.

When it comes to integrating AI into production, the opinions of professionals are divided, even though it has already been implemented in animation. Could it replace scriptwriters? Writer/director Eileen Byrne doesn’t think so: “What moves us in a film is the emotions.” Emmanuelle Vincent agrees: “It’s the human element that makes the job so beautiful. But it also provides us with little tools that can help us in our work.” According to the Conseil national de l’audiovisuel, we need to look at AI in different ways: generative AI, which could be used to write scripts, and machine learning for training, which can contribute to greater creativity.

3. Training and loyalty

The audiovisual production ecosystem accounts for 598 direct jobs, according to figures consolidated by statistician Philippe Robin. “70% of direct jobs are in production. But this figure does not include the number of jobs in other sectors, such as live performance. It is therefore very difficult to measure indirect employment. It was measured in 2020 for the Luxembourg union,” he explains. If we add the number of indirect jobs and those that are induced, the total number of jobs is 1,259.

One of the sector’s challenges up to 2030 is to “retain young people and train them in the trades,” says Daleiden. The Film and Audiovisual BTS at the Lycée des Arts et Métiers was created ten years ago and trains around 12 students a year. Since then, 110 people have graduated, with an employability rate of 87%. “The challenge is to keep those who have been trained and to adapt the training to the real needs of the sector.”

4. Living better in the profession

Attractiveness, particularly in terms of remuneration, also raises another issue: that of diversity. “Given the cost of housing, for example, it’s hard to make a living as a technician if you don’t have any outside support. All too often, to make a good living from our professions, you have to be privileged, young and, if possible, without a family, and that’s even harder for women,” points out Pia Dumont, an editor. Byrne also mentioned this. “Making films is a luxury. We really need to ensure that we can make a living from these jobs.”

Luxembourg actors are also faced with this problem. Luc Schiltz explains: “Often, it’s a necessity to do theatre as well. To teach at the Conservatoire and in schools. We don’t usually depend solely on the cinema. Talking about money is often painful, but there should at least be a guaranteed minimum, because we actors are the last links in the chain.” There is a need for necessary minimums, says film editor Dumont, as the situation is worsening.

In terms of cultural diversity, Luxembourg’s multilingual profile and the diversity of its population are assets. “Half the residents are not Luxembourgers, and that is reflected behind the cameras,” Daleiden points out.

This article was originally published in .