Wednesday, February 14----Today, the Berlin Film Festival celebrated The World Cinema Fund (WCF) with a series of events the Festival dubbed World Cinema Fund Day. The Fund was founded in 2004 as a joint initiative of the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Berlin International Film Festival, with the Goethe Institute participating as a cooperation partner since 2005. The Fund supports film projects from the focus regions Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, as well as helping films from these regions become known in Germany.

The World Cinema Fund Day began with a Press Conference held in the Filmhaus. Speakers addressed the issues of current results from the Fund and new funding strategies that will be introduced in the coming year. Participating on the panel were: Dieter Kosslick, Berlin International Film Festival; Hortensia Völkers, German Federal Cultural Foundation; Detlef Gericke-Schönhagen, Goethe Institute; Sonja Heinen and Vincenzo Bugno of the World Cinema Fund.

Following the Press Conference and a small reception, a seminar panel was convened with the title Supporting Cinema In Countries In Transition: Are We Doing The Right Thing?  This provocative panel looked at the aims of the Fund, its successes in the filed, and its potential to impact social and political policy in the countries that receive its support. Participating in the discussion were: Viola Shafik, Film Academic, Germany/ Egypt; Derek Elley, Film Critic for Variety, UK ; Salif Traoré, Director, FARO: La Reine des Eaux, Mali; Peace Marie Anyiam-Fiberesima, CEO of the  African Movie Academy Award, Nigeria; and Vincenzo Bugno, World Cinema Fund.

Sandy Mandelberger, Berlin Online Dailies Editor