Brussels, 29/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - In her presentation of the second "Europe Day" during the Cannes Festival on 18 May, Culture Commissioner Viviane Reding will tell to journalists that it is not enough to climb the steps of the Palais des festivals in Cannes with a pretty dress but that they also had to work hard for preparing the future of the European cinema. At the invitation of the festival president, Gilles Jacob and Ms Reding, this second Europe Day will bring together ministers of culture from the enlarged EU, as well as European artists on the question of how to become a cinematographer in Europe. The prise for "New Talents in the European Union" will be launched for the first time at this event and will reward young screen writers who have benefited from training supported by the Media programme.
In order to prepare the future of European cinema, it is necessary to promote mobility of young cinema directors (as has already been the case with students) but also their training, indicated the Commissioner quoting the example of Lodz in Poland where famous film directors like Roman Polanski cam from and who are witnesses to a greater opening up to the outside world. Ms Reding noted that in Lodz, 25% of students were not Polish. She added that this was the way forward for sewing the seeds of international cooperation in cinema. In order to provide training for cinema professionals and promote free movement of production in the EU of 25, Reding is requesting another increase of 40% in the 2007 Media programme. This will also be sued for making European cinema viable faced with US pressure (70% of the European cinema market in Europe is controlled by the US, pointed out Ms Reding). She also indicated that the Commission spent up to EUR 90 million every year for training cinema professionals. Reding hoped that this amount would reach EUR 130 million every year by 2007. Conclusions for the Cannes Day lay out preparations for practical action and therefore the new Media 2007 programme will focus on education, namely the training of young film directors and the circulation of films outside the countries where they were produced. In a reply to a journalist, the Commissioner explained that when she took over her job, France led the European cinema world but now everyone was interested. She said that countries that did not aid systems for their cinema were setting systems up or renewing them, as in Germany, Italy, Denmark and Poland. The Commissioner concluded that there was also a certain awareness of the fact that they were not working alone and if France was receiving help so too was Europe.