This theme issue is a result of research done in the context of the Horizon 2020 project “European Media Platforms: Assessing Positive and Negative Externalities for European Culture-EUMEPLAT”, funded by the European Commission in Grant Agreement Number 101004488. It deals with some main research questions: how has the US filmed entertainment industry succeeded in expanding its hegemony? Are US streamers, such as Netflix, now setting the standard, and what are the consequences for European cinema? Is it beneficial to respond to, or challenge, this hegemony? Should we not strive to overcome the antagonism between Hollywood and Europe, and acknowledge European cinema’s marginalized position while fully recognizing the richness of its hybrid and hyphenated identities? Other related questions in this issues deal with how European filmmakers and cultural institutions envision new realities and redefine socio-economic and cultural boundaries within and beyond Europe? What narratives does European cinema construct about the old continent, about inclusion and diversity, or about issues such as poverty, precarity, migration, and other pressing concerns? How do films navigate across borders? What is the role of language, and should European filmmakers consider moving away from Europe’s multilingualism to embrace English, the cinematic lingua franca? Are European co-productions viable strategies for overcoming cultural, linguistic, and other obstacles?