17-12-2007

European Films Crossing Borders -- Inauguration of seminar Feb. 5, 2008

    European Professionals learn how to export their films at the Berlin Film Festival

    The Berlin International Film Festival will host the programme European Films Crossing Borders from 6th to 9th February 2007

    This international seminar will be inaugurated on 5th February by Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, president of Instituto Buñuel

    The Berlin International Film Festival will host the programme European Films Crossing Borders from 6th to 9th February 2007. This professional seminar will be inaugurated on 5th February by the Spanish director Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón, president of Instituto Buñuel.

    This initiative, organised by the Fundación Autor from the SGAE and Instituto Buñuel, in collaboration with Eurimages, European Film Promotion, Variety, Cineuropa.org, Villa Kult, Berlinale and MDM (Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung), is aimed at training professionals (directors, scriptwriters, producers, distributors, etc...) from the European film industry on how to exploit their projects in the highly competitive international film market, as well as on how to apply different techniques of promotion, marketing, sales and distribution. Moreover, participants will be also introduced to sector experts and will have work meetings with them in order to facilitate the professional development of their respective projects and the financing search. This year, for the first time, the seminar will be followed by a market training in the European Film Market, the market of the Berlinale and undoubtedly, the most important European Film Market nowadays just after the Cannes' one. Furthermore, the seminar is aimed at a limited number of participants (15) in order to advice more individually each film project (feature film or documentary for theatrical release) that the participants may bring.

    The professors in charge of the training and consulting of the trainee will be: Claudia Landsberger, CEO of Holland Films (Netherlands) and president of European Film Promotion; Sibylle Kurz, expert on Pitching (Germany); Jan Vandierendonck, executive secretary of Eurimages - Council of Europe (Belgium); Thorsten Ritter, Marketing Director of Bavaria Film International, Sonja Heinen, Head of the Berlinale Co-Production Market - Berlin International Film Festival, Renate Roginas, Team Leader of Phare Programme of the European Union, who will provide orientation on financial and co-production planning.

    As part of an agreement with the international magazine Variety, John Hopewell will intervene in a session on the relations between producers and the news media. Cornelia Hammelmann, director of MEDIA Desk Germany, will be facilitate potential help from MEDIA for the development of film projects by offering a special session to participants along with evaluations in personal interview sessions.

    No applications will be accepted after the 8th January

    The seminar goes far beyond a simple training programme since it represents a real and practical meeting structured around the exploiting of projects in a competitive international film framework. Applications for European Films Crossing Borders for Berlin 2008 are now being accepted with a deadline date of January, 8th (25% discount for applications received before December 14th, 2007).

    Madrid, 14th November 2007

    Visit or website for more information: www.eufilmscrossingborders.com

    Departamento de Comunicación SGAE / Fundación Autor

    Phone numbers: 91 700 09 49 / 54 / 53 Email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.sgae.es