To give you a first look behind the scenes, we asked Peter Effenberg and Felix Briegel, the Heads of the MediaTech Hub Conference, what they have been working on and what's coming in September:
What's new at #MTHCON26?
Peter: First of all, we heard you. The feedback from last year was incredibly valuable, and it is directly shaping what we are building. This year, we are putting more tools on the floor, more workshops in the programme, and more opportunities to experience things for yourself. The industry is under enormous pressure right now, and we want our participants to leave Babelsberg not just inspired, but better equipped.
Anything you can already reveal about the programme?
Felix: Well, we can give you some first spoilers. The UK is this year's Guest of Honour, home to one of the world's most influential film industries and a driving force in MediaTech innovation. Journalism is back on the programme as a dedicated theme on the Horizon Stage. And we are picking up on newer developments like Gaussian Splatting that are just starting to make their way into production workflows. There is also a completely new area we are introducing this year: the #MTHCON Experience. It is something we are genuinely excited about, and we are looking forward to sharing more details soon.
What role does Studio Babelsberg play for #MTHCON?
Peter: It is our home base. There is no #MTHCON without Studio Babelsberg. There is something about being in a place where film is still actually being made that changes the tone of the conversation. It is not something you can easily replicate elsewhere. And it is something we protect deliberately. We will never grow beyond what the space allows, because the intimacy is the point.
What are you most looking forward to?
Felix: The moments that happen off-stage. The conversations that start in a session and carry on over dinner or at the concert. That is where the real exchange happens, and this year we are giving it even more room.
Spoiler over. More to come soon.
