Because the Cannes Film Festival showcases prestigious films which demonstrate the creativity of world cinema and in particular of European filmmakers, the European Commission is always keen to celebrate its love of cinema during the festival.
This year Androulla VASSILIOU, the European Commissioner for Culture, will visit the Cannes Film Festival once again to demonstrate this commitment to cinema. This year the Festival will show some 21 films supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme.
On Saturday 17 May, she will present the European Union’s Prix MEDIA to the Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanović for the film project What Are You Looking At? He will share the award with his co-writer Predrag Kojovic and producer Amra Baksic Camo (SCCA/pro.ba, Sarajevo).
This prize, which honours the best European film project with strong box-office potential, was awarded in 2012 to Le Passé by Asghar Farhadi and in 2013 to Kollektivet (The Commune) by Thomas Vinterberg. The Prix MEDIA is a good illustration of the European Union’s support for artistic creation, most notably through the new Creative Europe programme which, from this year, combines the EU’s MEDIA and Culture programmes.
With a budget of 1.5 billion euros for grants over the next seven years, as well as a new guarantee fund which will enable the cultural and creative sectors to access up to 750 million euros in loan finance, Creative Europe will continue the support it has provided for European cinema for more than 20 years, to strengthen cultural diversity and to support the development of the industry.
“As with the 21 films supported by the European Union and presented this year at the Festival, Creative Europe MEDIA will contribute to the development and distribution of stunning films whose stories, although sometimes local in nature, demonstrate universal values and offer the public a wide diversity of quality cinema,” declared Androulla VASSILIOU.
This year the Commissioner will also invite industry representatives to a conference to discuss the challenges they face, at a time of profound technological change, in attracting and maintaining the audience for cinema, and in particular young people. This objective is at the heart of the new Creative Europe programme.
In parallel with the 67th Cannes Film Festival, the European Commission has adopted a new strategy for European cinema which aims to encourage cultural diversity and foster competition in the digital era. “Improving the international distribution of European films is crucial, not just economically but also in terms of diversity,“ said Commissioner Vassiliou. “I look forward to discussing this new strategy for the first time with the industry during the coming days at the Festival.”
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TO ATTEND THESE TWO MEETINGS :
Policy challenges for a Creative Europe
Friday 16 Mayi - 15h00 - Salon des Ambassadeurs
Access with badge
Award of the prix MEDIA to Danis Tanović
Saturday 17 May – 10.30am - Café des Palmes - Palais des Festivals
Registration :
Laurent Jourdren +33 6 42 82 15 33 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Frédéric Pillier +33 6 42 82 28 67
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