IP/09/26

Brussels, 9 January 2009

Cinema: EU film support goes global

Today, the European Commission adopted a new MEDIA MUNDUS programme, a broad international cooperation programme for the audiovisual industry to strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe's film industry and film-makers of third countries. The EU will provide €15 million of funding from 2011-2013 for projects submitted by audiovisual professionals from the EU and third countries. Cooperation with the European film industry is in strong demand around the globe as shown by the initial success of the MEDIA International Preparatory Action under which the EU provided € 2 million of funding for 18 projects involving international partners (IP/08/1273). The new MEDIA MUNDUS programme will run from 2011-2013 and will capitalise on this growing interest and the opportunities offered by global cooperation of the audiovisual industry. It will increase consumer choice by bringing more culturally diverse products to European and international markets and will create new business opportunities for audiovisual professionals from Europe and around the globe.

"The international audiovisual landscape has changed significantly over the last two decades, notably through the impact of technological developments like video on demand, internet TV or multi-channel digital television This has created growing demand for more audiovisual content, and we need to 'fill' all these new technologies with new and exciting content," said Viviane Reding, EU Media Commissioner. "I think MEDIA MUNDUS is the right cultural answer to this global technological challenge. The successes of the current MEDIA programme and MEDIA International have shown the need for a sequel: It's time to go global. I expect EU citizens to see the results of our new efforts very quickly in a cinema nearby!"

The proposed new MEDIA MUNDUS programme will:

• boost the exchange of information between professionals, particularly through training activities and scholarships that make networking between European and third country audiovisual professionals easier. This will improve access to foreign markets and build trust and long-term commercial relationships.
• improve the competitiveness and transnational distribution of audiovisual works worldwide by making international co-productions easier.
• improve circulation and exposure of audiovisual works worldwide and increase public demand, especially among young audiences, for culturally diverse audiovisual content.

The new MEDIA MUNDUS programme will run from 2011-2013.

Background:

The existing MEDIA 2007 programme provides €755 million to Europe's audiovisual industry from 2007-2013, helping professionals get training and develop, distribute and promote their works around Europe (IP/07/169).

In May 2008, four MEDIA-funded films won prestigious awards at the Cannes Film Festival, including the Palme d'Or (Entre Les Murs, France) and the Grand Prix du Jury (Gomorra, Italy) (IP/08/800). They were among 14 films screened at Cannes developed or distributed with the support of over €900 000 from MEDIA (IP/08/741). MEDIA-supported films had already triumphed at the Academy Awards, with Oscars for The Counterfeiters (Die Fälscher/Austria-Germany) and La Vie en Rose (La Môme/France) (IP/08/298).

The call for proposals on MEDIA International and list of successful grantees:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/prep_action/index_en.htm

On MEDIA MUNDUS:

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/mundus/index_en.htm