Cine-Regio expands
by Annika Pham
Seven new members have joined Cine-Regio, the European network of regional film funds based in Göteborg (Sweden), now represented by 28 members from 15 European countries.
Those new regional film funds are: FilmFyn (Denmark), FilmCamp and Filmkraft Rogaland (Norway), Southern Transdanubia Fund (Hungary), Consejería de Cultura Andalucia (Spain), Belgrade Film Fund (Serbia) and Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (Germany).
“It is a great honour today to be able to welcome seven new members, including three regional film funds outside the EU,” said Cine-Regio’s General Secretary Charlotte Appelgren. “Indeed, they will play a significant role in securing and further stimulating the cultural, artistic and creative exchanges throughout Europe”.
The regional film funds’ annual budgets vary according to their size, from around €1m for Finland’s POEM fund to €33m for Filmstiftung NRW in Germany. In the Nordic countries, Sweden’s Film i Väst is the biggest regional film fund with €10m a year.
“The regions in Europe represent an increasing share of public support in the audiovisual sector. Today, [that share] stands at 21% and this figure is growing,” added Appelgren.
During Cine-Regio’s third annual General Assembly, held during last month’s Cannes Film Festival, Bengt Toll (Film i Väst) was re-elected chairman for another term and the organisation confirmed its three main initiatives for 2007: a Co-production Market & Talent Campus aimed at the regional level, to be held during the Sitges Film Festival (October 3-5); a participation in the CineLink Co-production Market at the Sarajevo Film Festival (August 23); and the launch of Docu-Regio, a new documentary pitching forum initiated by 12 European film funds.
The first Docu-Regio Pitch & Networking session will take place in Vienna (Austria) from June 4-6 and the second in Lille (France) from October 17-19.
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