The International Screen Institute provides high-quality training programmes for European and international film, TV and media professionals which are delivered by renowned industry experts who share their real-world expertise and insights.

Sustainability Management is a comprehensive programme that offers a thorough approach to integrating sustainability across the full lifecycle of audiovisual work. The five-day programme explores how environmental, social, economic and cultural dimensions intersect – from development and production to distribution and long-term organisational change. Participants engage with practical approaches to reduce the environmental footprint of their work, explore sustainable production processes and reflect on how sustainability can be meaningfully embedded in storytelling and communication. A strong focus is placed on social sustainability and inclusive leadership, addressing topics such as diversity, equity and inclusion, workplace culture, accessibility and mental health. In this context, sustainability is understood not only in environmental terms, but also through the ways people collaborate, create and work within the industry.

The Sustainability Management programme will take place again in Vienna in 2027. You can sign up on the Screen Institute’s website to be reminded as soon as applications open.

Kira Ruohonen is a Finnish-born, Austria-based film professional at Solstein Film & Production Services in Innsbruck. She holds an MSc in Sustainability and Innovation Management, and is a certified Green Consultant for Film & TV. She currently works as a Project Accountant and Green Film Consultant on various Austrian and coproduced film, TV and documentary projects.

FNE: You were already working in the field of environmental sustainability within the audiovisual industry before joining the programme. Looking back, what initially inspired or motivated you to apply and what were you expecting of Sustainability Management?

Kira Ruohonen: The programme was recommended to me by an alumna from the year before. I was hoping to get new inputs and perspectives on sustainability topics in the film industry, but also to connect with other people working within the field and to share experiences. Spoiler: I did!

FNE: How has the Sustainability Management programme influenced the way you approach your work today? Is there anything you do or think about differently as a result of your participation?

Kira Ruohonen: You don’t have to know everything about every aspect of sustainability in order to make your set or company more sustainable. There are so many resources and networks out there that can help you out. That’s what makes working with sustainability fun, things are always evolving and there’s always new solutions being developed and more things to learn. And there will always be people out there who know more than you about a certain topic and you can always ask these smarter people for help.

FNE: Sustainability Management covers different dimensions of sustainability. Is there anything from the programme that has particularly stayed with you: an idea, a conversation, a piece of advice or perhaps a specific session? How has it influenced your work since then?

Kira Ruohonen: Eating something sour will distract your body from feeling anxious (at least for a bit).

Also, the programme highlighted the importance of social sustainability which I think often gets overlooked when talking about sustainability on sets. There are so many instances of power abuse, burn outs or lack of representation on film sets so there definitely is some work to be done there. There’s so much more to sustainability than just CO₂-calculations.

FNE: Having taken part in the programme week and the two online sessions, what did you enjoy most about the experience? What role did the group and the connections with other participants play for you?

Kira Ruohonen: One of the things I enjoyed the most was the feeling of community and how close the group became over just five days. There was a really open and respectful vibe from the start, which made it feel like a safe space to share thoughts and questions in.The inputs and discussions with other participants were just as valuable as the lectures.

FNE: What makes programmes like these particularly valuable? How has the programme shaped your perspective on the industry and what would you say to someone who is considering applying to Sustainability Management?

Kira Ruohonen: Do it! It is such a unique opportunity to connect with experts and other people interested in sustainability. Sustainability can feel like such a vague or overwhelming concept, but programmes like this offer concrete actions and ideas that can be directly applied to sets.

Having an entire room filled with people from different countries wanting to make more sustainable productions shows that there is a huge interest out there to make more sustainable films.