Preservation & Migration Seminar 2026

The greatest threat to a movie is invisibility. As film production has almost fully transitioned to digital, a dangerous myth still haunts our industry: that professional preservation of masters is an optional cost. Producers often leave their works – their most precious digital assets – in some informal limbo, trusting that they will always be there when they need them. Thus future heritage and economic value float on fragile, dispersed infrastructures, with policies and practices still largely designed for an analogue era. This is how long-term preservation of audiovisual works has become a critical issue for Europe’s cultural memory and screen industries.

The panel discussion will explore how pan-European and national frameworks can better protect digital masters and related assets over time, identifying best practices, concrete policy options, and cooperation paths that bring together preservation and access, culture and business, public good and private interest. Key issues include the definition of the master and its location, the roles and responsibilities of rights holders and technical partners, the models for preservation, funding, and sustainability, as well as the adaptation of production workflows to meet long-term preservation requirements, so that Europe’s audiovisual heritage remains accessible for future generations.