The Consensus Film Production – Inclusive Short Film Project and Workshop

 

The Consensus Film Production is a project by Sofumedia in cooperation with Filmhaus Frankfurt that aims to reduce barriers in the film industry and promote inclusive, participatory ways of working. At the heart of the project is the production of a short film by Uğur Sofu, accompanied by transparent and as non-hierarchical as possible processes. The film tells the story of an unexpected encounter between an elderly man in a wheelchair and a young girl, raising questions about responsibility, empathy, and humanity. The project is currently in the funding phase, with filming scheduled to take place in 2026. People with and without disabilities, and with or without prior experience, are invited to participate in this inclusive film experiment.

In addition to inclusion and participation, a central element of the project is its consensus-democratic approach to collaboration. This approach is based on the idea that decisions should not be made by majority vote, but rather by taking all perspectives and interests into account as fully as possible. The goal is to actively involve all participants in decision-making processes and to shape the production according to the needs, experiences, and ideas of everyone involved.

What makes “Consensus in Film” unique is its attempt to transfer these principles to a film production. Film projects are typically characterized by clear hierarchies and divided decision-making structures. This project seeks to explore the extent to which consensus-democratic methods can serve as an alternative form of collaboration within a creative production process. The focus is not only on the collective development of content, but also on how decisions regarding workflows, priorities, and artistic direction can be made as inclusively and collaboratively as possible.

Workshop with Uwe Lübbermann on July 11, 2026

To provide a practical introduction to this way of working and enable participants to apply it themselves, consensus democracy coach Uwe Lübbermann—who already facilitated the launch event of “Consensus in Film” in October 2025—will offer a workshop for production participants as well as other interested individuals. Through his company Premium-Kollektiv, Lübbermann has established consensus democracy as an alternative economic model and has spent nearly 25 years demonstrating that business can operate successfully without traditional power structures and profit maximization.

At the core of his approach is the veto principle: decisions are considered finalized only when no one raises a reasoned objection. Customers, retailers, and producers all participate equally in decision-making processes. Rather than relying on hierarchical structures and traditional leadership positions, the model emphasizes shared responsibility, transparency, and the active involvement of all stakeholders. The objective is not to maximize profits, but to create a sustainable, community-oriented economic model with a balanced outcome for all parties involved.

The workshop offers participants the opportunity to apply these principles to the specific challenges of film production. Through group exercises, real-life decision-making scenarios from the project will be simulated, and methods of consensus-based decision-making will be tested in practice. This will help reveal the opportunities, limitations, and practical requirements of a consensus-based film production process. In addition, the workshop will provide strategies for constructively addressing differing interests, objections, and conflicts. Participants will gain practical insight into the foundations of consensus democracy and jointly explore how creative processes can be made more inclusive, participatory, and collaborative.

Registration

The workshop will take place online via Zoom on July 11, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.* Participation is free of charge. Please register by July 6 via email at konsens@filmhaus-frankfurt.de.

*Live subtitles available in various languages.

For more information about the project, visit www.filmhaus-frankfurt.de and www.sofumedia.eu, or join the Consensus Discord server.

   

The project “Consensus in Film” is financially supported by: