19/02/2008

From February 27-29, Alicante University will host the European Co-production Days for Film and Television. The event is entitled "An effective path towards creativity" and will be led by German filmmaker Michael Meert.

It comes as no surprise that the city of Alicante has launched this initiative, considering the tremendous increase it has seen in audiovisual production in recent years, thanks to the Ciudad de la Luz studios – who are at the moment at the centre of a controversy being investigated by the European Commission (see news).

The workshop devised by Meert – who has extensive experience in the field of European co-productions – will explore all the issues evoked in the title. These include how to organise shoots and put together mixed teams, cost distribution, EU subsidies, the widening of the market and distribution, as well as risks and difficulties, communication routes and legal agreements.

The event will welcome a special guest: German producer Peter Nadermann, who will discuss the essential components needed to ensure that co-productions are successful, drawing on his broad experience and his work as executive director of the influential European production company ZDF-Enterprises.

Participants will also look at various projects and examples of collaborative projects between several European countries, such as the highly original Spanish/Polish co-production El amanecer de un sueño, by Spanish-German director Freddy Mas.

Finally, on February 28, Alicante will host a Meetings Forum, to give professionals and those hoping to enter the industry a chance to meet one another.

(Translated from Spanish)