1991•2011 Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. Keep up-to-date with latest European developments in education, culture, sport, youth, multilingualism and media – subscribe to the EAC e-newsletter! http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/enews/subscribe_en.htm More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2011 ISBN 978-92-79-17593-0 doi:10.2766/72280 © European Union, 2011 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Belgium PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER 1 1991•2011 3 Contents Foreword 5 MEDIA – A look back over the last 20 years 6 Producers’ Support 8 Distribution 12 Promotion, Festivals, Market Support 16 Training 19 New actions 21 MEDIA Desks & Antennae Network 23 Films supported by the MEDIA programme during the last 20 years 24 5 Foreword has strengthened cultural diversity and In parallel, a new programme, MEDIA cooperation in the European audiovisual Mundus, has been launched to encour- sector, as well as creating many new age international cooperation in the business opportunities. training of professionals, the organisa- tion of co-productions and the world- In fact a ‘MEDIA quality label’ has wide circulation of films. emerg ed over the years, attracting addi- tional sources of financing, including I would also like to underline the strong national and regional support as well as commercial value of films and other I am very proud that in 2011 the European private investment. MEDIA has demon- audio visual content. The European audio- Commission is celebrating the 20th anni- strated significant added value through visual market is worth an estimated versary of its MEDIA programme. the strong European dimension it has EUR 107.4 billion to the economy and introduced into supported projects. provides 1.2 million highly qualified jobs. Since its launch in 1991, the MEDIA pro- In fact, the cultural and creative industries gramme has been a huge success story, Furthermore, the MEDIA programme has as a whole represent 2.6 % of EU GDP helping to bring many superb films to kept pace with rapid change and new and provide jobs for 5.8 million people. the screen, including more than a dozen challenges in the industry (e.g. the MEDIA Oscar and Palme d’Or winners. Production Guarantee Fund which makes I would therefore like to wish continued it easier for film producers to access success to everyone connected with Through its funding for distribution, bank loans, the support scheme for the MEDIA programme. Happy Birthday training, promotion and markets and via Video-on-Demand and the digitisation MEDIA! the development of new films and sup- of cinema theatres). Androulla Vassiliou port to producers, the MEDIA programme European Commissioner responsible for Education and Culture 6 MEDIA – A look back over the last 20 years The 1980s brought two major upheavals These events led to the launch of the for the European audiovisual market. MEDIA programme in January 1991 Firstly, the arrival of competition in tele- to encourage the development of the vision broadcasting markets in Europe European audiovisual industry. led to an increase in demand for pro- grammes. This high demand provided MEDIA has comprised four multiannual the opportunity to establish a European programmes since 1991. Each has inclu d- audiovisual industry, however its develop- ed measures to support the European ment was threatened by competition film and television industry which aim from cheap, non-European programmes to improve its competitiveness and foster which were adapted to the programming the production and circulation of Euro- needs of new, private broadcasters. pean audiovisual works. In total, over EUR 1.78 billion has been awarded during Secondly, most EU countries were expe- the last 20 years. riencing a decline in cinema attendance especially for domestic productions. In 2000 the programme was opened up As non-European productions were to non-EU countries such as Switzerland, better equipped to resist this change, Iceland, Norway and Croatia and today European cinema suffered a steep loss MEDIA covers a total of 32 countries. in market share which also affected In addition, since 2008, MEDIA Inter- European film production. national, now MEDIA Mundus, has pro- vided support for projects outside Europe. 7 MEDIA has been a success from the Countless people, including the benefi- beginning thanks to its capacity to both ciaries, companies, organisations, profes- adapt to the changing circumstances sionals, the MEDIA Desks and antennae, and evolution of the audiovisual sector the European Commission and the Audio- and to promote films and artists which visual and Culture Executive Agency share this ability. have all contributed to the programme’s success and should rightly share in this One of the biggest challenges has been celebration of 20 years of MEDIA. the digital revolution. By introducing several new support mechanisms in this HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEDIA! field to help professionals respond to the challenges brought by this new advance, the MEDIA programme has demon- The following countries are members of the MEDIA strated its readiness to adapt to new programme: All the EU Member States (Austria, developments. Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, MEDIA will continue its work to support Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the audiovisual industry. On the basis Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, of the industry’s needs, as gathered Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK) and Croatia, Iceland, through public consultations and hear- Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. ings, the European Commission is cur- rently preparing a new programme which will take MEDIA into the second decade of the 21st century. 8 Producers’ Support Development Funding by subsidising part of the cost of the The MEDIA development scheme pro- guarantees required by these institu- motes, through financial support, the tions and/or some of the financing itself. creation of audiovisual projects for Euro- pean and international markets. These Support for television broadcasting projects are carried out by independent This funding aims to encourage inde- European production companies working pendent European audiovisual produc- in animation, creative documentary and tion companies to produce work (drama, drama. Similar support is provided for documentaries or animated films) that the development of on-and off-line inter- involves the participation or cooperation active works that are specifically created of at least three broadcasters (preferably to complement an audiovisual project. more) from several countries participat- ing in the MEDIA programme. This grant can be used to support: A single project. A slate of projects (comprising three Key Figures to six projects). An interactive work. Development Every year at least EUR 19 million are Access to Finance invested in the development of more The ‘i2i Audiovisual’ initiative is designed than 400 projects spanning 32 countries. to facilitate access to financing from MEDIA contributes to the consolidation banks and other financial institutions of audiovisual production companies’ 9 market positioning through long-term Every year, ‘i2i Audiovisual’ facilitates The film comes from the director of Time slate funding support. Since its launch, access to film financing for European Out (L’emploi du temps) and Heading 600 companies have been able to audiovisual production small and South (Vers le sud). Entre les murs won develop slates of projects in animation, medium-sized businesses (SMEs) with the Palme d’Or at the Cannes International fiction and creative documentary. EUR 1.5 million grant awards which Film Festival in 2008 and was nominated co-finance the side costs of 80 million for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Television Broadcasting credits and EUR 1.5 million for associated in 2009. It features real-life teacher With more than EUR 10 million awarded insurance costs and completion bonds. François Bégaudeau who is the author per year, television broadcasting supports of the original novel Entre Les murs annually over 70 animation, drama and which inspired the film. documentary productions from more than Success Stories 20 countries. These works, the majority of We began the financing of Entre les which are European co-productions, are Haut et Court murs by Laurent Cantet in 2006 and broadcast on average by more than seven Project: Entre les murs/The Class by the MEDIA programme provided the television stations. Laurent Cantet – Palme d’or 2008. first support we had to develop the film, which then turned out to be the start of ‘i2i Audiovisual’ François teaches French to third year a great adventure! MEDIA has provided In 2010, ‘i2i Audiovisual’ grants totalling students in a tough school. He doesn’t funding for several of Haut et Court’s EUR 3 million supported the financing hesitate to clash with Esmeralda, projects through the years and, in doing costs of 88 projects, with a production Souleymane, Khoumba and the others in so, has proved many times how impor- budget of more than EUR 257 million, stimulating verbal jousts as if the French tant a support it is for authors and inde- and the participation of more than language itself were a genuine challenge. pendent producers and in revitalising 160 countries in 66 co-productions. But the discovery of democracy can European cinema. occasionally entail risks. 10 Zentropa contributions are almost indispensable Producer of In a better world by to achieving this end. In these days of Susanne Bier – Oscar 2011. globalisation we feel it important that Europe has a common voice in many The MEDIA programme has had a great areas, including cultural exchange and, impact on Zentropa.