Inside the 2026 San Sebastián-CAA Media Finance Creative Investors' Conference

Shaping Tomorrow's Cinema: A Confluence of Visionaries and Capital

Leading Industry Personalities Converge at the San Sebastián-CAA Creative Investors' Conference

The fifth annual San Sebastián Creative Investors' Conference, a collaborative effort with CAA Media Finance, will host an impressive roster of film and television industry heavyweights. Among the confirmed attendees are Ryan Kavanaugh from Acme AI & FX, Laura Austin-Little of Black Bear International, Elissa Federoff representing Neon, Ron Halpern from StudioCanal, and Rob Williams of Sumerian Pictures. These professionals will be joined by CAA Media Finance's Roeg Sutherland, Christine Vachon from Killer Films, and Patrick Wachsberger of 193, forming a formidable delegation from the United States.

Latin American Influencers and Global Cinema Visionaries

Beyond the U.S. representatives, the conference will also highlight significant voices from the Latin American film and television landscape. Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín are slated to discuss their innovative TVOD platform, Pijama. Rodrigo Teixeira of RT Features, known for critically acclaimed films like “Paper Tiger” and the Oscar-winning “I’m Still Here,” will share insights on his expanding focus on global cinema during his “From Local to Global” session, promising to explain the rationale behind this strategic shift.

Addressing Industry Challenges: Past Insights and Future Perspectives

Since its inception in 2022, the conference has provided a platform for experts like Sutherland, Wachsberger, and Vincent Maraval of Goodfellas to openly discuss critical industry issues. Past discussions have covered the escalating costs, shrinking budgets, and inconsistent tax incentives in the U.S., alongside the need for scaling up in Europe. More optimistically, the conference has also explored the evolving preferences of U.S. theatrical audiences. These topics are expected to be revisited in depth, along with new developments, during dedicated panels such as “The New U.S. Landscape” and “Europe’s Current Challenges & Opportunities.” Maraval is anticipated to deliver his characteristically candid and insightful observations on the market.

Spain's Strategic Investment in Audiovisual Innovation

A notable addition to this year's conference is Spain's SETT, a sovereign venture capital fund operating under the Ministry of Digital Transformation. SETT has made substantial investments totaling €215.6 million ($252.3 million) into Spain's film, television, video game, and new technology sectors. This public investment has successfully catalyzed an additional €230 million ($269.1 million) in private sector funding. María Coronado, SETT's director of audiovisual, will elaborate on the fund's strategy and the benefits of SETT's co-investment model, joined by private-sector partners.

Fostering Global Collaboration and Mentorship

In a significant move to enhance international collaboration, the San Sebastián Festival is partnering with the Marché du Film-Festival de Cannes and its Investors Circle program. This partnership aims to bring a select group of private investors to the Creative Investors' Conference. These participants will engage in the conference program, attend specialized educational workshops, and benefit from private mentoring sessions and exclusive exchanges with leading international industry professionals.

The Importance of Industry Dialogue in a Changing Landscape

Jose Luis Rebordinos, Director of the San Sebastián Film Festival, emphasized the critical role of the conference, stating, “At a time when so much is changing in the film industry, it is so important to host a Conference like this, to welcome these experts to share their insights with each other and with the festival’s industry badge-holders, as well as having important networking sessions and meetings between the global experts and the Spanish film industry.”

Detailed Conference Agenda: A Two-Day Exploration of Film Finance and Production

The conference features a comprehensive program spanning two days. Tuesday, September 22, at Tabakalera's Prisma on Pl. de las Cigarreras, will kick off with “Investing for Growth: SETT and Spain’s Audiovisual Industry,” moderated by Wendy Mitchell, featuring speakers such as Ibon Cormenzana, María Coronado, José Manuel Pacheco, and Santiago García. Subsequent sessions include “The New US Landscape,” with Elissa Federoff, Adele Romanski, and Rob Williams, moderated by Paul Getto. Roeg Sutherland will moderate “Insights From Goodfellas” with Vincent Maraval. “A New Approach to Streaming” will feature Juan de Dios Larraín and Pablo Larraín, moderated by Wendy Mitchell, who will also moderate “From Local to Global” with Rodrigo Teixeira. The day concludes with “Producing and Financing Across Borders,” moderated by Zac Ntim, with speakers Liza Marshall, Heejeon Kim, and Christine Vachon. Wednesday, September 23, will include “What The Market Wants,” moderated by Phil Hunt, featuring Carole Baraton, Laura Austin-Little, Sarah Schweitzman, and Raj Singh. Wendy Mitchell will moderate “Brands and Film: What’s Working” with Jae Goodman. Tim Dams will moderate “Europe’s Current Challenges & Opportunities,” featuring Lorenzo De Maio, Ron Halpern, Alex Lafuente, and Pauline Lamy. “Rethinking the Old Models” will be moderated by Wendy Mitchell, with Lars Sylvest. The conference will conclude with “Looking Towards the Future,” moderated by David Taghioff, with speakers Frederic Fiore, Rachel Shane, Patrick Wachsberger, and Ryan Kavanaugh.