2016 STARTS IN BERLIN
2016 looks like an exciting year for CineRegio. It will start with the launch, at the Berlinale 2016, of the new report, Building Bridges – Diversity in European Films, which analyses and evaluates current and potential actions to improve the diversity of European films.
“By assessing the actions and policies adopted so far, combined with a sharp analysis of the current market situation, we have a strong tool for the formulation of effective strategies which will make a significant impact on diversity,” says Charlotte Applegren, the General Secretary of CineRegio. Effective action on diversity begins by building demand and engaging with audiences.
As the report’s author Mike Gubbins puts it: “Diversity is the lifeblood of any art form”.
One of CineRegio’s three core meetings will also take place in Berlin, the second one will be held at the Cannes Film Festival, while the CineRegio Regional meeting – which takes place in a new region in Europe every year – will take place this year in Zürich, from 28 – 30 September 2016 during the Zürich Film Festival.
Finally, during the Berlinale, on 16 February, the discussion will continue about the project Glocal Cinema – big stories for films made in non-dominant languages, started last year at the San Sebastian Film Festival, which focuses on how to create visibility and sustainability for films in non-hegemonic languages (smaller language zones).
GREEN-REGIO FOR A GREENER CINEMA
The work of “greening” the Film Sector in Europe, including reducing the ecological footprint of film activities, carried out via the CineRegio work group, continues.
The CineRegio 2015 Green Report and the recently launched COP21 Green Report on Sustainable Filmmaking (free downloads), edited by Greenshooting’s Birgit Heidsiek from Hamburg.
The reports provide examples of free software that allows producers to establish the estimated carbon footprint of their production and demonstrates that more and more film funds take action for sustainability and the need to engage responsibility in order to limit the impact of Film/TV productions on the environment. CineRegio members’ Green initiatives and practices are shared in both reports including PACA (FR), Ile-de-France (FR), VAF (BE), Film Fund Hamburg (DE), MFG Baden-Württemberg (DE), Film i Väst (SE), Film London (UK), Sardegna Film Foundation (IT) and Trentino Film Fund (IT). Furthermore, Cineregio has suggested that one of the themes to focus on for the European Commission’s “Structured Dialogue Meetings” is “Environmental Sustainability in the cultural sector”. “Sustainable initiatives in the cultural sector are a new area for many. Often these eco-measures are also cost-effective and hence it creates a win-win situation for the climate as well as for the cultural budget. Europe’s cultural sector can lead the way for change” states Charlotte Appelgren.
According to France’s green film initiative, Ecoprod, the audiovisual sector emits approximately the equivalent of 1 million tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year, around a quarter of which is directly connected to filmmaking activities.
WATCH OUT FOR KIDS!
Kids-Regio.CineRegio cares for kids (www.kids-regio.org); the theme for 2016 is: Collaboration. Kick-off will be at the Berlinale Meeting Point on 13 February 2016 with “Chances of Collaboration” which will be studied in greater depth in Malmö at the Opening Seminar of Industry day (15 March) organized by KidsRegio in collaboration with the Financing Forum for Kids’ Content, followed by the two day co- production platform dedicated to kids’ content (15-17 March 2016 in Malmö).
Also in March, during Cartoon Movie in Lyon (2-4 March), the CR members focused on supporting and co-producing animation will gather for a meeting to share knowledge and actively promote the creative, cultural and economic potential of animation in Europe. The partnership and funding opportunities for animation projects provided by 12 regional film funds can be found in the new CR brochure Supporting & Co-producing Animation in the European Regions, that can also be downloaded from the CR website: http://www.cineregio.org/ subgroups/animarco_regio/
TWO NEW MEMBERS OF CINEREGIO
There are two new CineRegio members: Screen.Brussels and Nordnorsk filmcenter.
Screen.Brussels is the brand new audiovisual fund just launched by the Brussels-Capital Region.
This regional film fund will act as a co-producer for full-length feature films, television films, TV series, documentaries, animated films and web series which involve talents and technicians from Brussels. The fund’s annual budget is 3 million Euros.
There will be 3 calls a year in March, June and October.
Founded in 1981, Nordnorsk filmcenter is the oldest fund in Norway.
The size of the area the fund covers is larger than Denmark and Slovakia together, however, the population is only 480,000.
The CEO is Tor Vadseth. In terms of work areas the main focus is on production and development grants (soft money) for shorts and documentaries.
Every year a minimum of three foreign productions with minority producers from the region are supported (projects need to use the services in the area to raise the level of the regional industry).
From 2016 script development will be given priority. Regarding young talents two projects will be highlighted: “Springboard” which is a youth film production grant where applicants must be 25 years or under, and “The Film Ambulance” – a new initiative aimed at 12-18 year olds making productions using ipads (summer workshop).
ON THE MOVE/CINEREGIO IS FOLLOWING WALLANDER
From January 2016, Film i Skåne, located in the dynamic southern Swedish region will host the CineRegio office. The Skåne region is well known from the famous and bestselling Swedish crime novels by Henning Mankell and “Film i Skåne” is setting out to empower their international strategy even more.