Brussels, 13/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - Thirty five cinema projects have been selected by the European Commission to receive a total of €5 million in funding from the MEDIA Mundus programme. European Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou spelt out the benefits of MEDIA Mundus, the global version of the MEDIA programme which encourages international co-productions, boosts worldwide distribution and makes the audiovisual industry more competitive. “Everyone loves to see good films in the cinema and on TV. (…) The idea is to give audiences more choice and the chance to see films made all over the world”, she said. The projects selected will help improve the distribution of European films in non-European markets and vice-versa. Among these projects is Ipeda Mundus, which facilitates the release of European films on prominent internet video platforms in the US and Canada. It also helps North American film-makers access similar platforms in Europe. There is also Eye on Films, a global network of distributors and festivals which distributes debut feature films in more than 20 countries, and Docstories, a training workshop which aims to develop creative documentary projects and innovative non-fiction programmes in the Black Sea region. The MEDIA Mundus programme has a budget of €15 million over the three years 2011-2013. The Commission's proposed Creative Europe programme, due to start in 2014, envisages allocating more than €900 million for MEDIA and MEDIA Mundus activities. (IL/transl.rt)