Thierry Frémaux went further. “The Festival wanted to celebrate its 65th season with a European jury President,” explains the festival director . “High-spirited and marked by his modernity and intelligence, Nanni Moretti’s films are the incarnation of all the best in cinema over the past thirty years”.

That’s quite a claim. But it’s true that Moretti’s films have always provoked love-or-hate reactions. He applied a critical but sometimes amusing eye on Italian society through films such as the award winning “Sogni d’Oro” (Sweet Dreams) and “La Messa è finita” (The Mass is Ended). “La Stanza del figlio” (The Son’s Room) won the Palme d’Or in 2001 and was a box office hit. Moretti scored more points with the controversial “Il Caimano” (The Caiman) in 2006, a film clearly targeted at Italy’s obsession with politics as theatre, and a thinly-veiled criticism of Silvio Berlusconi.

Read more about the Cannes Film Festival.

In the run-up to the Cannes Film festival, I’ll be detailing all the competitions I can find that offer free trips as a prize. Remember that many of these will be for specific countries and with set deadlines. So read the fine print before entering.

• If you’re French, between the age of 18 and 25 and can face watching over 20 films in 10 days, why not try and become part of the Youth Jury? Deadline: March 1. Get the details at Prix de le jeunesse.

This list will grow over the coming few weeks. So check back frequently or follow the Cannes or Bust twitter account for instant updates. Out of interest, you could check last year’s competition.


Public funding has been an important resource for producers for some time. Public bodies in Europe have paid particular attention to the sector since it came into existence. Public intervention was made necessary by the domination of the international film market by the Hollywood giants since the end of the First World War, as well as by the economic weakness of national film industries and the political and cultural issues associated with the production and distribution of images.

Reaching European financing

Currently, Europe has a vast range of sources, from direct cash injections to tax credits & shelters, favourable loans and guarantees as well as support in promotion. Given the complexity of film finances, producers need to be aware of all the various support mechanisms that are available.

This year’s review covers key issues and questions:

• Exhaustive coverage: from influential national film agencies to small-scale local initiatives
• Direct public funding in 37 European countries
• Unique overview of the geographical spread, scale and scope of direct public funding
• With authoritative answers to the key questions:
  • How many funds?
  • How are they financed?
  • What is the total volume of funding?
  • Which activities are supported?
  • National versus regional funding – how do they differ?

The report also provides brief insights into a selection of special topics, including funding for the transition to digital cinema, tax incentives, public financial institutions active in the sector and a review of the public policy context at European level.

The destinations are Tel Aviv, Barcelona, Athens, Naples, Istanbul and Venice, all of which enter into service from April 2012 – just in time for the Cannes Film Festival 2012.

So if you are intending to attend the Film Festival, double check all these possibilities to get the best combination of convenience and price.

Resources:

Air France

Nice airport

What is the Creative Europe programme?

The Creative Europe programme would support European cinema and the cultural and creative sectors, enabling them to increase their contribution to jobs and growth. With a proposed budget of €1.8 billion for the period 2014-2020, it would support tens of thousands of artists, cultural professionals and cultural organisations in the performing arts, fine arts, publishing, film, TV, music, interdisciplinary arts, heritage and the video games industry. The goal is also to stimulate operations across Europe,  reach new audiences and develop the skills that are needed in the digital age. In this way, the new programme will also contribute to safeguarding and promoting Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

Why does Europe need a Creative Europe programme?

Culture plays a major economic role in the 27 countries. The cultural and creative industries account for around 4.5% of EU GDP and 3.8% of employment (8.5 million jobs and many more if account is taken of spill-over into other sectors). Between 2000 and 2007, employment in these sectors grew by an average of 3.5% a year, compared to 1% in the overall EU-27 economy. Europe is by far the world leader for exports of creative industry products. So the goal is to retain this position.

Creative Europe takes account of the challenges created by globalisation, in particular the impact of digital technologies, which are changing how cultural works are made, distributed, and accessed, as well as transforming revenue streams and business models. But these developments also create opportunities for the European cultural and creative industries and the programme seeks to help them seize these opportunities, so that they benefit from the digital shift and create more international careers and employment opportunities.

The move inevitably raises many questions, which the European Commission addressed in a recent press announcement.

Why is the Commission proposing to merge the existing Culture, MEDIA and MEDIA Mundus programmes into a single programme?

These sectors face similar challenges, including market fragmentation resulting from cultural and linguistic diversity, globalisation and the digital shift, as well as severe difficulties in accessing commercial lending. They also have similar needs in terms of safeguarding and promoting cultural and linguistic diversity, and strengthening their competitiveness in order to contribute to jobs and growth.

However the Commission recognises that the structure of these sectors is also diverse. That’s why it is proposing a single framework programme, but with separate strands to provide appropriate support.

How will Creative Europe differ from the current MEDIA and Culture programmes?

The Creative Europe programme will combine the current separate support mechanisms for the culture and audiovisual sectors in Europe in a ‘one-stop shop’ open to all the cultural and creative industries. However, it will continue to address the particular needs of the audiovisual industry and the other cultural and creative sectors through its specific Culture and MEDIA strands. These will build on the success of the current Culture and MEDIA programmes.

In addition, it will create a new financial guarantee facility which will enable small operators to access up to €1 billion in bank loans.

What will the programme achieve?

The Commission estimates that, in 2014-2020, at least 8,000 cultural organisations and 300 000 artists, cultural professionals and their works would receive support to cross borders and acquire the experience which will help them to develop international careers. The programme will also support the translation of more than 5,500 books and other literary works.

The MEDIA strand will support the worldwide distribution of more than 1,000 European films, via traditional and digital platforms; it will also provide funding for audiovisual professionals to help them access and successfully work in international markets, and will foster the development of films and other audiovisual works with a potential for cross-border circulation.

There is a lot to build on: thanks in part to MEDIA support, the proportion of European films among all newly released films in European cinemas grew from 36% in 1989 to 54% in 2009. The Europa Cinemas network, comprising over 2,000 screens in mostly independent cinemas, helps to ensure a broad and diverse mix of films for audiences in 475 cities. Their films attracted 59 million admissions in 2009 compared to 30 million in 2000.

What challenges is the programme tackling?

The cultural and creative industries do not currently make the most of the Single Market. One of the difficulties the sector faces is language: the European Union has 23 official languages, 3 alphabets and approximately 60 officially recognised regional and minority languages. This diversity is part of Europe’s rich tapestry but it hinders efforts by authors to reach readers in other countries, for cinema or theatre goers to see foreign works, and for musicians to reach new listeners. A Eurobarometer survey (2007) has shown that only a minority of Europeans watch foreign language TV or films and only 7% read foreign language books.

A stronger focus on support for audience building and on the sectors’ capacity to interact with audiences more directly, for example through media literacy initiatives or new interactive online tools, has the potential to open up many more non-national works to the public. The Commission estimates that well over 100 million people will be reached directly or indirectly through the projects supported by Creative Europe.

Are individuals eligible to apply for funding?

Creative Europe will not be open to applications from individuals. But around 300 000 individual artists and cultural professionals, as well as training institutions, will be reached through the projects submitted by cultural organisations. This is a much more cost-effective way to achieve results and a lasting impact.

Which countries are eligible to apply for funding?

Creative Europe will be open to Member States, as well as the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), EU accession and candidate countries, potential candidates and neighbourhood countries. Other countries may be involved in specific actions. Currently, EU Member States, the EFTA countries, Croatia, Turkey, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina are participating in the Culture Programme.

EU Member States, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland participate in the MEDIA Programme.

What would happen to MEDIA Mundus?

MEDIA Mundus, the existing programme which supports cooperation between European and international professionals and the international distribution of European films, will be integrated into the MEDIA strand of Creative Europe.

Creative Europe still needs the approval of the Council of Europe and European Parliament. Can you see any implications for your work and relations with international production partners? Let us know in the forum below.

As the conference drew to a close, the director, who won the Palme d’Or with “Dancer in the Dark,” was asked about comments he made in a recent interview regarding his interest in the Nazi aesthetic.

“No, that was a joke”
“I thought I was a Jew for a long time and was very happy being a Jew,” he said (referring to the fact he discovered only late in life that he was German). “Then later on came (Jewish and Danish director) Susanne Bier and then suddenly I wasn’t so happy about being a Jew. No, that was a joke, sorry. But it turned out I was not a Jew – but even if I’d been a Jew I would be kind of a second rate Jew because there is kind of a hierarchy in the Jewish population. But anyway, I really wanted to be a Jew and then I found out I was really a Nazi, you know, because my family was German, Hartmann, which also gave me some pleasure.”

It looks very likely that Von Trier has a mouth that works on its own. But Dunst and the reporters were not sure how to take his comments.

…”not what you call a good guy…”
“What can I say? I understand Hitler. I think he did some wrong things, yes absolutely, but I can see him sitting in his bunker in the end. I think I understand the man. He’s not what you would call a good guy, but I understand much about him and I sympathize with him a little bit. But come on, I’m not for the Second World War, and I’m not against Jews. I am of course very much for Jews. No, not too much because Israel is a pain in the ass. But still, how can I get out of this sentence?”

The fuss will inevitably be misinterpreted, misquoted and used against the film. He looks as if this is supposed to be a joke, but you can judge for yourself by watching the full Von Trier press conference here.

It had to be one of the biggest crowds ever seen on the Croisette in a long time – and that’s saying something. Lady Gaga’s appearance on CANAL+’s Grand Journal was one of the early highpoints of the Cannes Film Festival. Despite rumours that she was going to play a concert, she only performed the single “Judas” against the stunning backdrop of night falling on the bay. Unlike many TV shows, Lady Gaga sang live over the music, which is not that easy when doing such an elaborate dance routine.

The interview that followed her appearance gave her the opportunity to talk about ambition, “I’m relentless”, adding “I wanted to be the most successful female artist of the digital age.” Asked if she was impressed that she was already bigger than Madonna at her age, she replied “I’ don’t believe that – give me more time.” Knowing that she loves Edith Piaf, the host played an extract of “Je ne regrette rien”. “If you think I am going head-to-head with Edith Piaf, you’re crazy,” she laughed.

Asked about the charges of blasphemy around the video, she joked that “the only thing blasphemous is that I’m wearing Christian Lacroix and Chanel at the same time”. Continuing the theme of religion, she commented “I have so much faith; ‘Judas’ is a metaphor for forgiveness.”

Le Grand Journal goes out every night during the Cannes festival. Interviewees include Robert De Niro and Charlotte Gainsbourg and can be found here.

More specifically, the conference will ask:

• How does television contribute towards financing film production?
• What sort of showcase does television represent for films?
• What are the legal obligations for television to invest in film?

Expect presentations on:

• Film scheduling on traditional and pay-TV channels in Europe: Who’s showing the most movies?
• The success of film on TV in Europe : What’s the success rate ?
• The role of broadcasters in the financing of film funds: How important is TV money to film funds?
• Broadcaster’s legal obligations to invest in film production: What’s law got to do with it?
• Box office trends in 2010: Which impact did 3D have on cinema markets?

These will be followed by a panel discussion on the possible evolution of the relationship between film and television; the AVMS Directive as a means of promoting  European film; investment obligations of the various partners and the evolution of exploitation windows.

Taking part on the panel moderated by Michael Gubbins, author and consultant :

-       Pascal Rogard, Director of the SACD (Société des auteurs et compositeurs dramatiques, France)

-        Martin Moszkowicz, Chairman of the European Producers’ Club

-        Pascaline Gineste, Director for Regulatory and European Affairs, CANAL +

-         Ivan Hronec, CEO Film Europe s.r.o

-         Carolina Lorenzon, Director International Affairs, MEDIASET (tbc)

-          Emilia Sawicka, Marketing Manager Telewizja Polska S.A.

The event is slated for the Bunuel room, but it’s best to check on the day. Invitations from cannes@coe.int.

This is certainly true. It might also be a strong message to the countries of North Africa for another reason. Egypt was once indeed a powerhouse of world cinema, but currently only produces some 20 films per year for a population of 73 million. This figure has dropped from 72 in 1995. By way of comparison, South Korea produces about 80 films for a population of 48 million and Iran produces about 83 films for a population of 67 million.

Egyptian cinema needs support. Like other countries such as Morocco, it also needs more resources to stamp out the chronic levels of piracy that have all but killed theatrical releases. Old-fashioned though it might sound, theatrical is still an important part of the financing and promotion of movies.

The tribute to Egypt will take place on May 18 and will include an homage to late Egyptian directing legend Yousseff Chahine, the director of “Al-Massir/Destiny” (photo) who died in 2008. Egyptian directors, actors, producers and technicians will attend the event that will also see the screening of “18 jours”, short films shot during Egypt’s January 25 revolution. The festival will also salute the Tunisian revolution by showing the Tunisian documentary film “No More Fear”.

The annual event at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, will include a formal dinner and a world-renowned live auction, all to benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. As in previous years, producer Harvey Weinstein will recruit talent from the room to help with the live auction.

For the first time this year, amfAR is partnering with L’Oréal Paris for the official After Party. Famed DJs Samantha Ronson, Sebastian Perrin, and special guests will provide the music at the Eden-Roc, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The L’Oréal amfAR After Party will be hosted by Gwen Stefani, Freida Pinto, Patrick Dempsey, Milla Jovovich, and Michelle Yeoh.

In past years, the Cinema Against AIDS auction has seen legendary impromptu performances by such artists as Sir Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Annie Lennox, Patti Smith, Robin Williams, Natalie Cole, Liza Minnelli, Sheryl Crow, Wyclef Jean, Ringo Starr, Macy Gray, and Lionel Ritchie.

For reservations and details, call 001 -(212) 219-0297 or visit amfAR.