Fast, security-rich file transfers for a seamless film festival experience

The MUNICH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (FILMFEST MÜNCHEN), one of Germany’s largest and most prestigious film festivals, has celebrated contemporary cinema in Munich since 1983. Each year, the festival showcases a creative and diverse lineup of films, including international premieres and new German films and documentaries. The MUNICH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL’s mission is to celebrate filmmaking and cultural exchange by presenting high-quality, contemporary cinema from around the world and organizing exhibitions and panel discussions.

A central aspect of organizing a film festival is the timely and, above all, secure delivery of films. This is typically done via a digital cinema package (DCP) or, in some cases, a very large movie file. Since films are finalized right before the festival, many arrive only a few days before the event commences. The MUNICH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL required a fast, reliable and more secure file transfer solution to protect highly sensitive film content from interception or leaks prior to its release. Such leaks can result in financial losses or reputational damage.

Traditionally, the festival relied on physical storage solutions like hard drives, which were labor-intensive, not secure and prone to logistical complications. It needed a more secure, efficient digital solution to seamlessly showcase global contemporary films.

To overcome its challenges, the MUNICH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL partnered with IBM and chose IBM® Aspera® for its security-rich, high-speed data transfers and dedicated technical support.

The implementation involved deploying the Aspera suite of software, including the High-Speed Transfer Server, Aspera Faspex and Aspera HTTP Gateway, on-prem with guidance from IBM experts. The film festival found the hybrid architecture of Aspera to be particularly valuable, as it allowed for flexibility and direct transfers to on-prem storage, eliminating the need for additional cloud storage.

Since implementing Aspera, the MUNICH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL has significantly reduced its operational workload, allowing the tech team to focus on other critical tasks. Films that arrive late—often still in post-production with last-minute updates—are now transferred effortlessly. For example, moving a 300 GB movie file from a remote location has become as simple as clicking a button, eliminating the need for hard disks. This digital solution not only supports a more CO2-neutral process but also enables the security-rich and encrypted transfer of sensitive content, exceeding the stringent standards of licensors and festival organizers.

At the 41st edition of the festival in 2024, 150 films from over 50 countries in the lineup were transferred digitally with zero cancellations. This highlights Aspera’s reliability as a trusted partner for handling large volumes of data efficiently and with more security.

As the festival’s Technical Director Florian Schneeweiß noted, “The use of Aspera has greatly reduced the workload of running the festival by optimizing film transfers.”

Looking ahead, the MUNICH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL plans to continue leveraging Aspera to enhance its file transfer capabilities and deliver a seamless, enjoyable festival experience for licensors, filmmakers, partners and visitors alike.

The MUNICH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (or FILMFEST MÜNCHEN) was founded in 1983 and is one of the most renowned film festivals in Germany. As a space for cinematic discoveries from all over the world, the festival showcases a diverse spectrum of global films, promotes up-and-coming talent and supports cultural exchange. It is the most important platform for German films. The film festival stimulates creative dialogue by spotlighting films that push artistic boundaries.