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Behind the magic of modern cinema, startups are building the next generation of filmmaking technology.
This week, the Oscars celebrated some of last year’s most outstanding achievements in cinema. In the meantime, the tools behind filmmaking are undergoing a profound transformation.
Media and filmtech startups have fundamentally changed how films are storyboarded, edited, soundtracked, and enhanced with special effects. AI is also reshaping how speech is generated and reproduced, as well as how media is produced and consumed, transforming nearly every stage of the filmmaking pipeline.
This shift is underpinned by a growing ecosystem of accelerators and innovation programmes focused on media and film technology. Initiatives such as IDA Hub, Cannes Next, and The TechMedia Hub Potsdam, alongside Berlinale EFM Startups, and Digital Catapult.
Major media companies such as Netflix and Disney also deliver dedicated programmes to explore emerging technologies shaping the future of storytelling.
Here are some of the startups to have on your radar:
EpicFrames (Estonia)
EpicFrames is building what it calls the workflow layer for AI filmmaking. While generative AI models have advanced rapidly, creators working in film, advertising, and branded content still rely on fragmented workflows across multiple tools to produce structured visual narratives.
EpicFrames allows creators to plan scenes, iterate visuals, and organise assets within a workflow that mirrors real filmmaking.
Filmster Network (UK)
Filmster Network is building a collaborative digital platform to help independent filmmakers plan, produce, and manage film projects.
Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Reading, the company aims to function as an “operating system for modern filmmaking,” giving creators tools to assemble crews, manage schedules and budgets, and coordinate production workflows without relying on traditional studio infrastructure.
It also integrates production-management features such as script breakdowns, crew coordination, scheduling, and knowledge sharing across projects, helping independent filmmakers operate with efficiencies typically available only to large studios.
Greenigma (Germany)
Greenigma is a Berlin-based company that provides certified Green Consultants who work with film, television, advertising, and other cultural productions to integrate sustainable practices throughout the production lifecycle—from early script development to post-production reporting.
Greenigma’s consultants support productions with practical measures such as energy and waste management, sustainable mobility planning, responsible catering and accommodation, and resource-efficient logistics.
The team develops sustainability plans aligned with ISO 14001 standards, tracks emissions during filming, and produces final environmental reports that can be submitted to funding bodies or used to measure a project’s carbon footprint.
Gretico (Spain)
Gretico is a media-technology company building tools that allow films and live events to be streamed and projected directly in cinemas or temporary screening venues without the traditional distribution infrastructure. It makes it easier to set up theatrical screenings anywhere, especially in places without permanent cinemas.
Speekz (Lithuania)
Speekz is a new app that lets you listen and record synchronised audio commentary while watching movies, TV series, and eventually live sports, turning passive viewing into a shared interactive experience.
It’s a modern, social twist on the DVD-era director’s commentary — or TV programmes like Googlebox — except the commentary can come from anyone: your favourite comedian, a celebrity, or your best friend.
Speekz secured $175K in funding after appearing on a local version of Shark Tank.
Long-term, the company aims to build the world’s largest digital marketplace for commentary with a platform where anyone can earn by simply sitting on their couch watching TV and yapping into their iPhone.
team4set (Poland)
team4set is a digital platform designed to help filmmakers find and assemble production crews. It operates as a networking and hiring marketplace for the film industry, allowing users to create profiles that showcase their skills, experience, and portfolios.
Producers and directors can search for collaborators such as cinematographers, editors, sound engineers, makeup artists or production assistants, making it easier to build teams for film projects.
The platform is particularly aimed at students and early-career filmmakers who may struggle to access industry networks.