ARP and BLOC step in to defend MEDIA Programme
Concerned about the future of the European Union’s MEDIA Programme, whose resources or governance could change by 2013, the ARP (Civil Society of Writers-Directors-Producers) and the BLOC (Film Organisations Liaison Office) have, respectively, launched a petition and written a letter to José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission.
In the space of a few days, the ARP’s petition has received support from many professionals. The first signatories include Ken Loach, Mike Leigh, Fatih Akin, Wim Wenders, Costa Gavras, Nanni Moretti, Paolo Sorrentino, Marco Bellocchio, Christian Mungiu, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Aki Kaurismäki, Radu Mihaileanu, Volker Schlöndorff, Krzysztof Zanussi, Mathieu Amalric, Bertrand Tavernier, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Claude Miller, Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, Lucas Belvaux, Chantal Akerman, Philippe Lioret, Bertrand Blier, Pascale Ferran, Anne Fontaine, Catherine Breillat, Julie Bertuccelli, Catherine Corsini, Christian Carion, Michel Hazanavicius, Jean-Paul Salomé, Jan Kounen, Gilles Marchand, Philippe Faucon, Tony Gatlif, Nicolas Philibert, Jean-Marc Moutout, Sharunas Bartas, Nicolas Wadimoff, Vladimir Perisic and Ruth Mader. The ARP invites all professionals and film enthusiasts to take part in this action via its website or by email (petitioncineastes@larp.fr).
Meanwhile, the BLOC (which represents French writers, artists, arts agents, technicians, producers, distributors, video publishers and independent film exhibitors) points out that the MEDIA Programme has, for the last 20 years, been the pillar of a virtuous dynamic for "the production and accessibility to audiences of many films across the whole of Europe, thus generating activity, innovation, creativity and cultural and economic exchanges".
BLOC believes that "today it is essential that this programme is not just maintained but strengthened", particularly because of the crucial issue of multilingual versions of films and audiovisual programmes, but also because of the digital changeover. According to BLOC, this changeover does indeed raise issues about the diversity of content and the ability of European role-players to develop their efforts at innovation and offer original and high-quality works.
(Translated from French)
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