25/08/2003

The Franco-German TV network, Arte, is to receive a cash prize for the distribution in France of a feature film selected for screening in competition at the forthcoming San Sebastian Film Festival (18-27 September). This is the first time that the Arte Prize goes to a feature film in competition.
Aside from the kudos, the award consists of a cash prize of €92,000 that guarantees the acquisition of the broadcast rights and the money will go to the winning film’s Gallic distributor, to boost the promotional campaign. For Arte, whose raison d’etre is the promotion of cultural cinema, the concept behind this initiative is to "give small-budget films a better chance of commercial success. "
In 2002 Arte invested €6.57m in French film production, and precisely €3.17m in pre-purchasing titles and €3.40m towards co-productions. All told, a total of 19 feature films were produced. The network’s investment in the French film industry increased by 28% compared to 2001.

(Translated from French)