26/11/2009

The 7th Franco-German Film Meetings kick off today in Strasbourg.

Organised by Unifrance and German Films, the three-day event aims to promote co-productions and film circulation between the two countries. New at the 2009 edition is a Focus on Poland, whose industry will be represented by around ten producers.

The event opens with a "Report on French/German co-productions", including a discussion led by Olivier Wotling (head of film at the website), Peter Dinges (director of FFA) and Alfred Hürmer (Integralfilm).

This will be followed by a co-production market consisting of 21 projects (four Polish, seven German and ten French). It should be noted that 14 French/German co-productions were accredited in 2008, including three films shown in official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival (Palme d’Or-winner The White Ribbon [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Michael Haneke
film profile], Enter the Void [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] and Father of My Children [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Mia Hansen-Løve
film profile]).

On Friday morning, there will be a presentation on the French international tax credit and the new German film law, as well as a panel on "cash flow in the production sector, the role of banks and IFCIC".

The Polish system will then be analysed by Jacek Fuksiewicz (Polish Film Institute), Maciej Strzembosz (Polish Chamber of Audiovisual Producers) and director-producer Malgorzata Szumowska (Zentropa International Poland).

The afternoon will kick off with a debate on the digitisation of theatres, with speakers including Claude-Eric Poiroux (Europa Cinemas), Martin Bidou (Haut et Court/Collective of Independents in favour of Digital), Stefan Arndt (X Filme), the exhibitor Detlef Rossmann (AG Kino) and Johannes Klingsporn (president of the German Distributors’ Association).

Finally, other issues set for discussion are the protection of rights, the fight against piracy, the range of digital films on offer and distribution windows, via a panel including Alain Rocca (Universciné - see interview).

Many companies will be in attendance at Strasbourg. On the French side, these include Pan-Européenne, UGC YM, Ciné@, Pathé, Rezo Films, TF1 International, Le Petit Bureau, Mact, Coproduction Office, Alicéléo, Nord-Ouest Production, Slot Machine, Memento Films International, Sombrero, Ice 3, Rhône-Alpes Cinéma and the Alsace and Ile-de-France regions.

The German industry will be represented by Pandora Filmproduktion, Heimatfilm, 27 Films, Neue Visionen Filmverleih, Integral Film, The Match Factory, Komplizen Film, 23/5 Filmproduktion, Bavaria Pictures, Egoli Tossel Film, Blueprint Film, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung, MFG Baden-Württemberg and Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen.

(Translated from French)