15/06/2006

After its official presentation on May 19 at Cannes (see news), the Europa Distribution association, a group of fifty independent European distributors, will get to work on June 22-23 in Brussels.

The conference will be opened by the Marseille-born director Robert Guédiguian, (president of Europa Distribution), Aviva Silver and Costas Daskalakis of the MEDIA Programme, co-organiser of the event.

To date, approximately 40 distributors have confirmed their participation, representing Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, the Netherlands Italy, the UK, Greece, Hungary, Norway, the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal and Sweden (see list of Europa Distribution members).

The two-day programme features a detailed report on independent distribution in Europe through summaries given by nine distributors: Haut et Court (France), Mikado (Italy), Alamode (Germany), Soda Pictures (UK), Kinoswiat (Poland), PCV (Greece), Frenetic (Switzerland), Oro Films (Norway) and a Spanish speaker yet to be announced.

The MEDIA Programme will also be the topic of a debate on distribution support mechanisms and the programme’s budget forecasts for 2007-2012. Discussion participants include Andrea Occhipinti (Lucky Red, Italy), Régine Vial (Les Films du Losange, France), Laurent Vallet (IFCIC, France) and John Dick (MEDIA).

The practical work of releases will be dealt with in a comparative analysis of Hubert Sauper’s Darwin’s Nightmare in Germany, Hungary and France, and the distribution of Ken Loach’s Ae Fond Kiss [+see also:
trailer
film profile] in Austria, Spain, Italy and Belgium.

Lastly, a debate on going digital will complete the programme, with speakers that include Daniel Goudineau (author of a comprehensive report on the subject), Claude-Eric Poiroux (Europa Cinémas), Huub Roelvinck (Cinedelicatessen, the Netherlands), Christian Thomas (Imagine Films, Belgium) and Etienne Traisnel (CN Films, France).

(Translated from French)