HBF+Europe: embedding sustainability into the selection with EcoMuvi

For the 2026 edition of HBF+Europe, the Hubert Bals Fund sought the expertise of EcoMuvi, specialists in sustainable practice for the audiovisual industry. The collaboration marks a concrete step in integrating environmental, social and economic responsibility into how the Fund selects and supports projects.

The collaboration began a year before the selection process, with both teams working to move beyond surface-level sustainability criteria. Together, the HBF and EcoMuvi redrafted the selection criteria, hosted a joint webinar for applicants and embedded EcoMuvi into the jury process itself – ensuring sustainability was treated as a structural consideration across all areas of a production’s development.

Every selected project (find the selection here) achieved a baseline of at least 8 out of 15 points on EcoMuvi’s sustainability scale. This rigorous, independently verified framework consisted of a scoring system that assesses holistic sustainability across environmental, social and economic governance. The five assessment pillars were:

• Narrative integration: whether sustainability functioned as a dramatic engine rather than a backdrop. 
• Financial alignment: whether green intentions were backed by specific budget lines. 
• Operational governance: environmental policies, greenhouse gas monitoring and context-aware logistics. 
• Structural equity: co-production models that kept spending and skill-building within the story’s country of origin
• Transparency: data-driven communication and dedicated impact roles to prevent greenwashing

Crucially, the projects that scored highest on sustainability were the same ones that resonated most with the jury on artistic grounds, where structural integrity consistently enhances artistic value.

“Sustainability has to mean something concrete in practice, and this collaboration showed us how to make that happen.”

“Working with EcoMuvi pushed us to be more rigorous and more honest about what we’re asking of the filmmakers we support,” says Tamara Tatishvili, Head of the Hubert Bals Fund. “Sustainability has to mean something concrete in practice, and this collaboration showed us how to make that happen.”

“This wasn’t a partnership of surface-level adjustments,” says Ludovica Chiarini, CEO of EcoMuvi. “It was a deep, honest integration of values into how the fund actually operates. This round showed that no compromise is required when awarding films with a fierce artistic voice as the projects that resonated most with the jury were the same ones demonstrating the highest commitment to sustainable integrity. We hope this model serves as a blueprint for other institutions: fostering the cinema of tomorrow requires a commitment to the structures that sustain it today.”

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