Brussels, 19/09/2012 (AgenceEurope) - In an open letter to the European institutions, the leading organisations representing European cinema exhibitors have called for cinema theatres to be put at the heart of Europe's future strategy for film. The letter, signed by the Union Internationale des Cinémas (UNIC), the Confédération Internationale des Cinémas d'Art et d'Essai (CICAE) and the Europa Cinemas network, was sent to the commissioners concerned (Androulla Vassiliou, Neelie Kroes, Joaquin Almunia and Michel Barnier), to the chair of the European Parliament education and culture committee, Doris Pack (EPP, Germany), and to the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.
Cinemas are the main showcases for the film industry and ensure cultural diversity within the European Union, but those who run them wonder about their future. At a time when digitisation of cinema theatres is profoundly changing the audiovisual landscape, they call on European decision makers to pay greater heed to the interests of the film industry in the decisions they make and which have an effect on the viability of the sector (competition policy, copyright, digital distribution of films and sectoral aid). They point out the genuine risk of small cinemas going out of business as they cannot find the revenue for this transition, and the need to make provision for funding sources that will enable them to survive. Seeking to release the potential of the film industry and bring about a vast pan-European market where audiovisual works would be able to circulate freely, they note that national release strategies, for cultural, linguistic and structural reasons, vary and call on European leaders to “trust the market” and allow national authorities to decide the approach that best suits their geographical areas. (IL/transl.fl)