The idea for Story Forum Basel emerged between industry, institutional representatives and an interdisciplinary working group.
Story Forum Basel steps in at the beginning of the creative value chain — where relevance and international reach are born.
Creative development, production and exploitation of a work are separated today. Narratives are often only sharpened late, their potential remains underused. Funding flows mainly into production — not into early-stage story development.
Story Forum Basel steps in before the format is fixed. Between idea and development, everything is still open — which is why the platform is designed to be interdisciplinary, before a story commits to a format.
The same applies to moving between formats: novel-to-film adaptations, radio drama and podcast adaptations, early-stage networking between composers and screenwriters, stage adaptations of film material, film adaptations of stage material, or literary material becoming a musical or a choreography — that too is part of Story Forum Basel’s interdisciplinary openness.
Story Forum Basel replaces no one. We work through cooperations and create added value from the expertise of interdisciplinary partners — for participants.
Accessible for selected projects, open to any format. Quality rises without raising barriers to entry.
We connect what already exists — institutions, funding bodies, interdisciplinary expertise — instead of building parallel structures.
Early-stage, curated networking and matchmaking between authors and producers from Germany, France and Switzerland.
Story Forum Basel is an enabler: the interface between everything that already exists makes cross-border development accessible. This platform is carried by Balimage together with the community of authors from Germany, France and Switzerland — grown organically, not imposed structurally.
Story Forum Basel relies on cross-border, interdisciplinary exchange between film, journalism, art, technology and research. Silos are broken down, scientific precision is connected with cinematic emotion — local innovation becomes globally tellable stories.
When story development is seen as a decisive part of the value chain, it changes the process — in practice, in exchange, and in the structure of the industry.
Development and visibility of new narrative formats.
Artistic development meets funding logic early, not only at the end.
Building a network that has an effect beyond individual projects.
Goal: develop story ideas earlier and more deliberately — increasing quality, relevance and economic viability. The benchmark: works with international reach, as the first edition has already produced.
Entry into story development right from the start, without high barriers to entry.
Exchange and feedback at eye level with experienced authors and curators.
A compact format with high impact and low resource investment.
Stories are developed further, on a content level, across regions.
Connecting authors from Germany, France and Switzerland across language and national borders.
Direct entry into a professional industry network.
Curated, early-stage access to new material from Germany, France and Switzerland.
Positioned ahead of Forum Alentours and other markets.