10/09/2003

The 18th Umeå International Film Festival, (September 18-24) will host a one-day seminar on the 23rd dedicated to film distribution and exhibition in Sweden. The costs of film marketing, ‘parallel distribution’ in the regions, the state of regional exhibition, the future of the whole sector with a view to the use of digital technology and in the wake of the 2004 new Film Agreement will be discussed by senior executives from the local film industry, including Peter Hald, the Deputy Manager at the Swedish Film Institute, Peter Jansson, Jan Stigwall, John Mirisch, respective managing directors for Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox and UIP in Sweden.

This year, the Umeå Film Festival will open with Cedrik Klapish’s French comedy Euro Pudding, and will screen some 38 new Swedish shorts supported by regional film funds. Fifteen shorts selected will compete for the ‘Filmblicken’ (film glance) Award offering SEK50,000 towards print costs. The Jameson Short Film Award will also give all short films –including those that didn’t receive regional support- an opportunity to be seen at European film festivals over the next year and to receive €6000 in cash.