FERA General Assembly 2025 in Slovenia: Spotlight on filmmakers’ safeguarding Artistic Freedom in turbulent times

---

The Federation of European Screen Directors (FERA) held its 2025 General Assembly conference in Postojna, Slovenia, from 30 May to 1 June, kindly hosted by the Directors Guild of Slovenia (DSR) and AIPA, k.o. Over the course of three days, participants from 22 countries gathered to discuss developments in the film and audiovisual sector at both Slovenian and European levels, covering topics ranging from artistic freedom to directors’ working conditions.

The General Assembly, titled “Directing Through Change”, began with a focus on Slovenia, introduced by Urša Menart, President of the Directors Guild of Slovenia, and Nataša Bučar, Director of the Slovenian Film Centre, a public agency of the Republic of Slovenia. Peter Kep and Uroš Rožič (AIPA) and Nikola Sekulović (Kopriva) provided an overview of the state of collective management in Slovenia. This was followed by a discussion moderated by Klemen Dvornik (Slovenia) with FERA CEO Pauline Durand-Vialle, Hrvoje Hribar (Croatia), Elisabeth Sjaastad (Norway) and Gregor Štibernik (Slovenia), exploring the relationship between European and international organisations in the audiovisual sector.

The following day featured a panel on directors’ artistic freedom, opened by two recorded keynote speeches. Hamdan Ballal, co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land, spoke about the challenges of filming such a documentary and of experiencing international recognition as a filmmaker and activist, in the Palestinian context. This was followed by an inspiring message from Ken Loach, English filmmaker and FERA Honorary President, who reflected on the impact of censorship and reminded participants that filmmakers, as artists, are the conscience of civilisation – holding up a mirror to society.

Jordi Wijnalda (International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk – ICFR) and Sverre Pedersen (Freemuse) then presented the work of their respective organisations and outlined how filmmakers and institutions alike can help safeguard artistic freedom, particularly in politically turbulent times.

The General Assembly concluded with an interactive workshop tackling key challenges faced by directors today, including creative control, working conditions and mental health.

During the Statutory Meeting, FERA delegates approved a resolution acknowledging Slovenia’s significant progress in modernising its legislative framework for authors’ rights, significantly strengthening protections for audiovisual creators. The resolution also calls for further action to resolve practical issues in implementation, fair remuneration, collective management, and tariff-setting to ensure a fully functional and equitable system for authors.

Additionally, the FERA Board re-appointed three advisors from France, Spain, and the Netherlands for the upcoming year, reaffirming its commitment to maintaining a diverse and experienced leadership team.

As Europe’s film and audiovisual landscape evolves, the 2025 FERA General Assembly reaffirmed the vital role of directors as creators and of their professional organisations as advocates for artistic freedom, sustainable careers, fair conditions and rights. The conference highlighted Slovenia’s legislative progress and the urgent need to protect artistic expression in politically unstable contexts, offering a timely space for exchange, reflection and collective action.