The FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN FILM DIRECTORS (Fédération Européenne des Réalisateurs de l’Audiovisuel) is an advocacy ...
FERA regrets that the “cultural exception” is not, apparently, going to be applied in the forthcoming EU-US trade talks, and calls on the European Commission to ensure that our cultural policies and the European audiovisual sector will not be weakened by trade liberalization.
In 2002 the German Copyright Law was amended with the purpose of strengthening the contractual position of authors and performers by providing that copyright “serves to secure an equitable remuneration for utilization of his work”. Basically, the amendment consisted in giving creators the right to negotiate their remuneration.
On the 1st of December Malta hosted 1100 professionals from the European film industry, who went to Valletta to participate in the 25th edition of the European Film Awards.
On 9 October Commissioner Kroes and Commissioner Vassilliou’s Head of Cabinet Mr. Brunet chaired a roundtable discussion in Cannes on the “Financing and distribution of European films in the EU digital market: cross border distribution and media chronology”
On 21 November the European Parliament’s President Martin Schulz awarded this year’s LUX Film Prize to Shun Li and the Poet (Io sono Li) by Andrea Segre (Italy and France) at a ceremony during the plenary session in Strasbourg.
In this edition you can read about the Lux Film Prize, the debate over film release windows, and get an update of current EU initiatives that affect the audiovisual sector.
FRENCH and GERMAN versions now available for download!
FERA Chief Executive Elisabeth Sjaastad says: “Producers play an essential role and are the directors’ closest partners, but the widespread practice of unfair buyout contracts has to stop. Today the European Parliament has said just that”.
FERA and 100Autori express their shock and indignation at the plans of Italian Entertainment Group for Cinecitta Studios. This iconic site has played a major role in world film culture, and its break up or sale could seriously undermine the future of Italian cinema.
FERA believes that failure by national governments to support their creative sectors is wrong, and also short sighted, as many countries are now seeing increasing public demand for films made in the national language for the local audience. Cultural diversity is not just a crucial European principle: it works.