This year is the 25th anniversary of MEDIA which, since 1991, has been supporting the cinema and audiovisual industry in all sectors of the production chain: Training – Development of works – Distribution – Promotion – Practice. With EUROPA CREATIVA (2014-2020) some important new features were introduced including a call dedicated to supporting the creation of videogames and film literacy and audience development activities; a support call for international co-production funds including the fund supported by Torino Film Lab.

Another important innovation that transversally involves the whole EUROPA CREATIVA program is the loan guarantee facility managed by
the European Investment Fund on behalf of the European Commission for which € 121 million have been allocated. The initiative will allow the EIF to provide guarantees and counter-guarantees to selected financial intermediaries so that they can grant higher funding, through the credit, to operators in cultural and creative sectors. Commercial and retail banks, promotional banks and other financial intermediaries that will benefit from the facility will fund over 10,000 SMEs in a broad range of sectors such as audiovisuals (film, television, animation, videogames and multimedia), festivals, music, literature, architecture, archives, libraries and museums, artistic craftsmanship, cultural patrimony, design, entertainment arts, publishing, radio and visual arts.

In July the call was launched for the selection of the financial intermediaries who will be operative in a number of EU states and that the operators can contact directly.