18/12/2002

You were instrumental in re-launching the European Film Awards (EFA) in 1996. What is your view on this year’s ceremony and the role of the awards as a promotional tool for European cinema?
“Over the last five years, we’ve been building the Awards into a major event in the film calendar that is taken seriously by the industry, the media, the end audience and the artists. And we’re half-way to achieving that. When we first started, the show was not televised; now it is held in major venues in a major city and goes out on TV. Not everywhere, but almost.”

What is needed to continue raising the profile of the EFA?
“We’re getting 100 times the amount of coverage we had five years ago and the coverage we’re getting is 10 times more positive. We have press attachés in every country, something that is possible thanks to support from the EU’s MEDIA Programme. For the future we have to focus on achieving more and more TV and press coverage. We’re also the first awards ceremony of the year; usually an indication of who the subsequent award winners will be. This year will be an exception as the Almodovar film, Talk About Her, won’t compete for an Oscar because Spain chose another film to represent it. But I know that Almodovar’s award has already had an impact, as Sony Classics called me at the end of the ceremony to find out who had won, and they will include this victory of his in their promotional campaign for the release of this film.”

Where will next year’s event take place?
“In Berlin because we have to go back there every second year, but we’re in negotiations with Barcelona, Warsaw and one other city for the 2004 event. This year we had fantastic support from the mayor of Rome, Mr Veltroni – a former Italian culture minister - and the venue they chose for the ceremony was beautiful”.