Given the problems related to the distribution of European cinema, the Festival del film Locarno’s Industry Office is launching a new industry initiative. Designed as an exchange platform where concrete proposals for the distribution, exhibition and sales of auteur cinema can be developed, the initiative STEP IN focuses in its first year on access to European Cinema in the Eastern and Central European countries, where the situation seems to be particularly pressing.

Twelve major players from the sector (exhibitors and distributors, selected in collaboration with CICAE and Europa Distribution, and representing the 12 in Eastern and Central European countries that are part of the MEDIA programme) will be invited to Locarno for the Industry Days (4 - 6 August). During this event, exhibitors and distributors will debate and discuss these issues. In collaboration with Europa International, the sales agents attending Locarno will also widen the scope of the debate to jointly work out new approaches to marketing and distribution. STEP IN will be organised around a workshop with relevant professionals, a round table on the state of the market in the region as well as a number of individual meetings.

STEP IN aims at encouraging detailed proposals and new forms of commercial collaboration to reinvigorate the position of European cinema in this region where the issue of distribution is becoming particularly problematic and worrying. This new step marks the Festival del film Locarno’s commitment to becoming a regular forum for all questions related to distribution, exhibition and world sales.

For the occasion, Locarno’s Industry Office has also decided to focus on films from East and Central Europe in its Digital Library. Locarno will offer each of the film institutes in these countries an opportunity to choose key films that have not yet acquired sales agents, in order to highlight the talents from this area as well as the commercial opportunities for their work.

STEP IN is organised thanks to support from MEDIA, in collaboration with CICAE, Europa Distribution, Europa International, Festival Scope and Film New Europe.

List of Eastern and Central European countries taking part in the MEDIA programme:
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia.

The Festival del film Locarno’s Industry Days will take place 4 – 6 August 2012.

Press Office
65th Festival del film Locarno
1-11.8 .2012
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